A Haircut is NOT Self Care

That's right. I said it.

And I have my reasons why I believe that getting a haircut is not self-care.

But first…

I want to make it clear that if YOU find getting your hair cut is a form of self-care then I won't argue with you at all. You know what you like and if it helps you feel good about yourself then I am genuinely happy to hear that.

I love being in the hair industry because I can help so many people relax and take a break from their busy lives.

With that out of the way

The reason why I don't like it when people say a haircut is self-care comes down to WHO is saying it. Whenever a barbershop, salon, or even a spa starts marketing their services as “self-care” I can't help but feel a little mixed about it.

When Did We Start Selling Self-Care?

We are living in a time where self-care is becoming less and less about your mental health and more about selling you a product or service with the promise of it helping with your mental health.

VICE wrote a really great article covering the problem with the Self-Care Industry [1]. The article, written by Shayla Love, looks at the fact that there is a lack of affordable and accessible mental health support set up in North American society.

This leaves a growing majority of people with mental health disorders untreated and needing to look elsewhere for means to get by their day-to-day struggles. As a response, businesses promote products and services as a "#selfcare" solution.

From my point of view, this seems almost exploitative and I truly hate seeing this mindset being used to promote visiting a barbershop.

In fact, I used to work in mental health before I got into barbering. I spent years supporting people with complex mental health and addiction issues and there were several moments that were as serious as it could get.

I saw a whole different side to the human experience and I find it insulting that businesses will try to reduce it to something that they can fix by buying their mass-produced self-care candles or face masks.

Mentally Healthy, but only for the Wealthy

Not only is it a message that I find quite insensitive to the reality of mental health struggles, but the overall self-care industry is a pricy one for consumers [2]. The VICE article, I mentioned earlier, described it well as "selling the promise of mental health with the kind of aspirational messaging usually reserved for luxury brands".

Regular massages aren't something that everyone can afford, getting your hair coloured isn't cheap, and getting a haircut and a full beard trim isn't something we can do every time we feel like we're struggling.

They feel amazing when we can get them done (and done right!) but they are costly and some would see them more as a luxury.

It makes me uncomfortable to have the line blurred between something we do for special occasions and the things we do for our own personal maintenance.

Free Yourself (Care)!

The most effective self-care should be something that you have more control over and can be done whenever you want.

For example, when you go for a workout, you can have a gym membership and go whenever you feel like going. You don't have to book an appointment based on someone else's schedule if you want to exercise. You don't even necessarily need the gym membership either.

It is called self-care, and I am not a big fan of the implication that your self-care is something that is dependent on the availability of a business's products or services. How many times have you needed a haircut only to see that your barber was fully booked? They’re not always available to provide the “self-care” they are promising.

I understand very well that mental health resources just aren't sufficient and we're currently dealing with major crisis after crisis.

I am not trashing self-care, and I am not trashing on how you wish to do self-care. If you want to spend your money on weekly haircuts because you feel fresh and confident afterward, then I am not going to stop you! If you enjoy collecting candles and lighting them helps create a sense of peace, then keep on doing it!

You get to decide what your self-care looks like. Not me, and definitely not these businesses that just want to profit off of your need to take care of yourself.

Cut The Crap About Cutting Hair

Instead of seeing haircuts as self-care, I see it as an opportunity to let someone else take care of you for a change. That is what you’re ultimately paying for and when you book a haircut with me, you're going to get a service that includes a lot of luxury built into it.

We start with a thorough consultation so that you can rest assured that your hair is in good hands
I include a complimentary hair wash/scalp massage, and hot towel so that you can just focus on relaxation.
You can enjoy a delicious coffee, or your choice of premium whiskey while I take care of you throughout the whole process of your haircut.
Finally, you'll leave feeling fresh thanks to the signature line of Chin Whiskey products that we use on every client that comes into our shop.

That kind of service is not cheap, and definitely not an everyday thing.

And it just can’t be. It may sound nice and refreshing, but there are so many other things you could be focusing on when it comes to taking care of yourself.

What Daily Self-Care Looks Like

Now, if you're in need of new a self-care activity, I'd much rather you save your money and put it towards something that will really spark joy within you (Did I just apply the Konmari method to this?). Don't let any business tell you that you have to get a haircut to show that you're taking care of yourself.

Instead, you can find many intentional and inexpensive self-care ideas to try, written by Emily Torres at The Good Trade, here [3].

If you're struggling with your mental health and need more professional support, please take a look at this resource page from the Government of Canada [4] or call 211 [5]. If you live outside of Canada, then please look up mental health supports near you.

Summary

As much as I love how much a great haircut can elevate my clients’ moods, I think there are more sustainable ways of taking care of your mental health that don’t involve playing into the BS that is being spouted by the self-care industry.

Again, you get to decide what self-care means to you. You know yourself best, after all.