First hair salon for heavier women opened in the UK

I didn’t know what to think at first, honestly. At first visualization, the thought of hair salons segregated by weight sounds more harmful than helpful – and maybe it is. It sounds discriminatory and mean. However, I read an article in which British hairstylist Trim Basher Brown defended the concept and made it sound reasonable. He first thought of the concept when he heard many of his plus-sized clients saying that they hated getting their hair done because the gowns and chairs in hair salons were too small. They also complained that the basins to wash hair in were too narrow. In some cases, they even felt stared at and intimidated because of all the mirrors. So, Brown opened up the UK’s first hair salon dedicated to larger women. The salon has extra-large seats, roomier gowns, wide-neck basins for washing hair, and a more inclusive, plus-sized-friendly attitude. The investment to making the salon more plus-size friendly cost Brown £5,000. Brown said, ‘I’ve been a hairdresser for years. Increasingly, larger women were telling me how they hate going to the salon because they are filled with slim, glamorous women. For them, it feels the same as walking into a gym full of ultra-fit people. They feel like everyone is staring at them. I just thought – ‘this isn’t right!’ and decided to set up a salon where overweight people would feel comfortable.”

Brown says he knows exactly how his clients feel as he used to be overweight himself. “I used to weigh nearly 17 stone so I know what it’s like to dread going out because people will stare at you and make rude comments. Now I’m only 14 stone, But I still remember what it was like to hate going out anywhere because of how I looked.” However, Brown’s wasn’t entirely motivated by money. His idea was inspired by his wife, Julie, who is a size 26: “Before she met me, she hated getting her hair cut and avoided it as much as possible. It was only when she met me that she started enjoying getting her hair done. It just seemed so wrong that someone as gorgeous as my wife would worry about going to the hairdressers. I just thought it was about time it was made an enjoyable experience for women like her.” How sweet! I think that if it makes larger women feel better about themselves in a more comfortable atmosphere, then it’s a great idea. However, it might also make matters worse. Separating people based on size might make people more self-conscious. It’s sad to think that women can so critical of each other that something like separate salons is necessary. Perhaps salons could change some of their seating and gown sizes, but this still could make some women uncomfortable. What are your thoughts?

About The Author

Patricia Colli, Editor of Beutiful Magazine, is a human rights activist, equality advocate, and promoter of health, acceptance and wellbeing. Having experienced disordered eating, unhealthy exercise patterns and poor body image, she is especially passionate about shedding light on eating disorders and the power of body acceptance.