I went to a community college hair dresser yesterday and I’m very touched by my experience and wanted to share.
Growing up (UK) I found hair stylists to be quite cruel, they would call my hair thin or pass glances and giggle, talk down to me and make me feel like I was never good enough. My alternative style at the time was frowned upon, and they never had anything nice to say about my hair. One time a hair stylist at a training salon said my hair was like a polar bears followed by an “ew”, I overheard another say “the one with the awful hair”.
I was always jealous of south Asian women, with thick hair where the actual hair strands are thick and strong, hard to break. Mine are very thin, although I have a fair amount of them, they break easily and it doesn’t grow too long.
Needless to say, I avoid going to hair stylists now. Although now (Canada) people are generally kinder, including hair stylists.
Yesterday I went to the community college, and my hair was cut by a south Asian woman with beautiful long thick hair, the student next to her had similar hair, the first time she said something she said it to her professor, “their hair is so soft and silky, mine isn’t like this” the teacher agreed, this wasn’t the first time they said something, even after speaking with the student next to her in their native language they turned to me and said my hair is beautiful. She kept saying my hair is soft and silky.
I was so touched, for years I’ve felt my hair is thin, and wanted hair like hers, and she wanted hair like mine!
This is your sign to just give that compliment, because I feel like that experience undid years of bad experiences at the salon.