silent hairdressers we already know. But ‘blind’ hairdressers also seem to be a thing. Don’t feel like staring at yourself in the mirror for hours, with wet hair, bags and a pimple? Then blind hairdressers are the perfect solution. You can now make an appointment at Cheveux Bizarre, without mirrors. Not everyone seems to be in favor, though. Sofie and Pascal, both owners of a barber shop, explain why they prefer not to emulate salons with only paint on the walls.
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The trend of the ‘blind’ hairdresser is very much alive in London, where you will find a whole laundry list of salons offering a haircut without a mirror. The striker was bitten off by ‘Not Another Salon’. They want to boost the self-confidence of their customers. And there also seems to be some enthusiasm for it in the Netherlands. In Belgium you can (for now) count the hairdressers without a mirror on one hand, but they are there.
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Cheveux Bizarre in Tongerlo for example. They started with the concept in 2014 and crown themselves as one of the first in our country. “I started renovations in the salon and wanted to do something special. Hairdressers use a lot of mirrors, but I noticed that customers don’t always find that kind of relaxing.”
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Staring at yourself for hours with sleepy eyes
So bare walls, explains manager Fan Srumsiri. “My customers find that much more pleasant, but we as a hairdresser are also in favor of it.”
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Customers get stressed by looking at themselves. I like it better without; because we can also work more quietly
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“Customers are stressed by constantly looking in the mirror. They then focus on their imperfections. Even those who make an appointment early in the morning do not feel like staring at their bags or wrinkles. And it is also beneficial for us as hairdressers. We can work quietly, without the customer closely following along. I personally like it much better without a mirror.”
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(Read more below the photo.)
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Fan is therefore not watched closely, but that requires some trust, right? “That’s what it’s really about. I am sometimes shocked at how quickly new customers give us that confidence. They say: ‘You’ve been a hairdresser for years, so you know better.’ We also reassure them, because at the beginning we explain very well how (short) we are going to cut. I do have movable mirrors for that, which I then store again.”
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I always ask if the mirror can go or if they would rather keep it. Almost no one chooses the latter
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“Although I do leave the option. I always ask if the mirror can go or if they would rather keep it. Hardly anyone chooses the latter. Certainly not the men in my business. They prefer to be cut without a mirror, I notice. When we are done, we also look at the result in the mirror. That’s almost always a good thing, I’ve had few counter-reactions, even though the customer couldn’t watch.”
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No mirrors: it is not the only innovative concept that Fan is committed to. “We also have a round table. Customers can, if they wish, sit at that big table to keep each other company for a bit. That way they also have more distraction, without having to look in the mirror.”
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(Read more below the photo.)
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“I only see benefits, for the customers and for myself. It is wise to explain in the beginning how you are going to cut, so that the customer knows what to expect. That’s more important than a mirror,” she concludes.
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An essential tool
“To be honest, I didn’t know that cutting without a mirror could be a thing,” confesses Pascal van Loenhout. He is creative director and hairdresser in his own salon in Antwerp. “I don’t fully support it either and I don’t really understand that,” he continues quickly. “Cutting is an intimate thing. You touch someone you don’t know right away. In addition, a mirror is important to communicate, because you can show the customer what you intend to do with the cut and it gives confidence. I think you’ll get a much better result that way. A picture paints a thousand words.”
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(Read more below the photo.)
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Self-confidence is a big problem for many at this time, Pascal also points out. “We rely on perfect pictures. But I want to show people how beautiful you are before and after the haircut. When you see how everything changes step by step, gets the perfect hair length and the right shape, the customer can admire how beautiful it becomes. If we take away the mirror, you make the problem of low self-esteem worse in the long run in my view.”
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Self love number one
Sofie Schrauwen, founder of Bobhead in Dendermonde, also follows Pascal’s opinion. “A mirror ensures that you can learn what is beautiful about yourself, where your strengths lie. We want customers to learn to love themselves, because everyone has something beautiful. Although I do understand that they sometimes find the mirror superfluous during a coloring, which often takes about hours. It is then our job to give the customer confidence in the process, and in my view that can only be achieved with a mirror.”
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Also read:
Scrunchie 2.0? This is going to be the hair accessory of the summer (and it’s ideal for this heat)
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Sweaty locks? These 7 easy hairstyles and tips will help you. “This shampoo makes your hair airy”
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