'I'm a hair stylist of 57 years - here's how COVID changed our hair'
If you've ever spent your morning commute daydreaming about starting afresh with your career, this feature is for you. Each week, our Money blog team speaks to someone from a different profession to discover what it's really like.
This week we chat to 73-year-old hairstylist Ron Fairfield...
It is possible to earn above-average money in hairdressing... it's down to the individual. Most salons pay either a basic salary, usually around the minimum wage, plus a performance-based commission. After training, it depends on the salon and the passion of the stylist.
I meet young people who think they are stylists after less than two years... I feel there is a lack of passion and an open mind for learning. I started a formal apprenticeship in 1968 for five years - three years of training and then two years of putting that training into practice, formally designated as the "improvership period".
The industry has suffered from a dumbing-down of training and standards... driven by today's "I want it now" attitude, and the "fame game", rather than quality and high standards driven by a passion for excellence. Becoming famous for the sake of fame has damaged many of the arts industries, and I consider hairdressing as one of the arts.
The biggest challenge to the industry is... fewer visits to the salon and the squeeze on the family income. The salon model will have to change considerably as the current model was created in the 1980s, a very different time with different style needs. When I started in 1968, women visited the salon weekly; now it may be as little as two to four visits a year, which has major financial implications for the industry.
COVID hastened many of the changing trends in the industry, particularly appointments being less often as people discovered styles could last longer. Also, many women grew out their colours or embraced the grey or changed from full head colours to multi-tone techniques that lasted much longer, therefore needing fewer appointment visits.
Tipping has always been a contentious issue... It is a compliment or a show of appreciation over. However, I would prefer the industry to charge the correct prices for the value of what we deliver, so tipping wouldn't be necessary. I would rather a client were generous enough to recommend me to their friends.
Being a man in the industry... the main difference is we don't have to leave to have a family, so the average time spent in the industry tends to be longer for guys, perhaps meaning more experience. That doesn't mean better, and the women I have worked with overall tend to have less ego and are more consistent. I think the idea with some women clients that men are better comes from the idea that we look at women differently, but I'm not convinced of that.
I miss the glamour of styled shiny hair... I feel that casualness is missing something and a lack of attention to how we look. Then came along the Sassoon precision looks with the classics like the five point haircut, the Isadora and the evolving looks from there. I think one of my favourites was the Purdy. I do, of course, love the abandoned choppy unstructured looks that had their beginnings in the 1980s with the punk revolution.
There is an over-reliance on hair straighteners... and over-colouring is damaging hair substantially. Often, the pressure for young stylists to upsell leads to wholly unnecessary colour treatments and a lack of supportive haircare makes it worse.
The use of clients as models for a social media platform feels invasive... They are clients wanting to feel and look good, not act as models for my ego.
My most memorable case of a client being unhappy was... a woman with her arm in a cast. She needed a manageable style, so we discussed a shorter bob, which I was convinced she understood. I started the cut when she freaked out, saying it wasn't what she wanted and made a dramatic exit mid-haircut. I learned the lesson of confirm, confirm, confirm.
My wife is autistic and I am ADHD, so I am acutely aware of how the salon environment is not suited to the needs of the neurodiverse community... particularly the autistic community. I always start every appointment with a lengthy face-to-face conversation to find out who the person in my chair is and their needs. After that is established, I adjust the rest of the interaction to suit them (not me). I ask if they want to chat or not. If they do, I use the time to inform as much as possible. An informed client is a collaborative client, and no, I never ask where they are going on holiday!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
30 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Spiralling building costs are wrecking Britain's prospects
It will provide the water for tens of thousands of homes, allow supply to catch up with a huge rise in the population, and it might even allow resource-hungry data centres to finally get built in the South East of England where they are most needed. There are lots of reasons to welcome the planned new Abingdon Reservoir in Oxfordshire. There is just one catch. The cost has tripled from the initial estimates, and will now come in at £7.5bn. In reality, from nuclear power stations, to rail lines, to runways, this is happening time and time again. Everything costs far more to build in Britain than it does in comparable countries. And until we work out how to fix that, there is no hope of the economy ever recovering. When, or rather if, it is finally opened in 2040, the Abingdon reservoir will be the first major new piece of water infrastructure the UK has built in more than 30 years. Even though we have added 11m people to the total population since 1995, and total output has almost doubled, at least in nominal terms, we have been squeezing every last drop of water out of a largely Victorian water system. The locals may not like it, but we desperately need some new reservoirs, and Abingdon is as good a place as any to start. The problem is the cost. From initial estimates of around £2bn, Thames Water said this week the bill was likely to rise to £7.5bn, and perhaps even more. We can add it to the list of escalating infrastructure costs. Last month, Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, in a rare example of a sensible decision, gave the go-ahead for the Sizewell C nuclear power station. Again, however, the price was shocking. It will come in at £38bn, almost double the £20bn that was estimated when it was first discussed five years ago. If anyone believes that will be the final figure, if I have a pre-loved windmill I would like to sell them. The estimated cost of a third runaway at Heathrow has risen from £14bn to close on £50bn; the cost of the HS2 rail link has already gone up to close on £100bn, and that is after we have halved its length; the cost of the Lower Thames Crossing connecting London and Kent has risen to £10bn, and work hasn't even started yet. The list goes on and on. It makes no difference whether a project is large or small. In my corner of south-west London, Hammersmith Bridge has been closed for years, clogging up traffic for miles, but now that the cost of fixing it has doubled to £250m, the money is not available to start work. Our rivals are far better at keeping costs under control. France is not a cheap country to do business in, but nuclear plants cost less than £10bn each. According to Britain Remade, nuclear power plants cost an estimated £9.4bn per megawatt in the UK compared with £4.4bn in France and £2.2bn in South Korea. Reservoirs are hard to compare precisely because the size and the value of the land varies so much. But the huge new Bassin d'Austerlitz built to clean up the Seine for the Paris Olympics cost only €1.4bn (£1.2bn), far less than Abingdon. As for high-speed rail lines, everyone else builds them for a fraction of the cost in the UK. The trouble is, the soaring cost of building anything is turning into a catastrophe for the economy. There are three big problems. First, hardly any new infrastructure projects get started because the costs are so horrendous. Thames Water was already in dire financial trouble, and adding billions to the cost of new reservoirs is not going to help fix that. Meanwhile, the Government is already so deeply in debt and so strapped for cash, it can't afford to fund them either. Next, the huge bills and the endless escalation of prices deter investors. After all, why bother with infrastructure investments in the UK when you can build the same kit somewhere else for half the price, and earn far better profits? Finally, it means the prices that have to be charged soar out of control. Energy from Sizewell C will cost a lot more than it would have done if it had been built more efficiently. Presumably, anyone planning to travel on HS2, if it ever gets finished, will have to take out a second mortgage to pay for the cost of the ticket to Birmingham. Expensive infrastructure pushes up the price of everything else. The Labour Government was meant to be cutting the costs of building projects. But so far it has failed dismally. We can see that from the way estimates for projects such as Abingdon and Sizewell C keep going up when they should be coming down. We could fix the crisis if the political will were there. Like how? The UK needs to streamline its planning rules so that a single minister could give the green light for a project, without local consultation, without endless reports, and most of all, without any right to judicial review. Likewise, we need to scrap the environmental rules that prioritise wildlife over people and the economy. And we need to train more engineers and skilled construction workers so the labour is available once a project is approved and the finance has been secured. The cost of building anything in Britain is an issue that has been growing for years, but it is now reaching crisis proportions. In the 19th century, Britain was a world leader in creating infrastructure. Until we can build again, at reasonable cost, there is no hope of the economy recovering – and eventually the water, and the power, will just run out.
Telegraph
30 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Don't be duped by Reeves's Isa reprieve – get your money out of cash now
Banks and building societies are thrilled that Rachel Reeves has temporarily shelved plans to cut cash Isa allowances. But that doesn't mean you should top up cash holdings. Whatever eventually happens with allowances, holding too much cash is a real and big risk called 'opportunity cost'. Forget the politics here, and whether Reeves's goal – getting more money into stocks and shares Isas to boost investment and returns – would work. This is all about your needs and whether your finances will meet them. Tax allowances aren't solely why Britons hold nearly £300bn in cash Isas. It's because cash feels safe. It doesn't swing short-term like stocks and sometimes gilts. But cash quietly hampers long-term returns, risking a brutal, underfunded retirement poverty. Few investors fully fathom this. Here's how you should balance your portfolio. Holding some cash, maybe six to 12 months' expenses, is sensible as an emergency fund. It can help you invest better by avoiding forced securities sales at inopportune times. Or, if you have a home purchase or other major expense in the next few years, setting cash aside is wise. But if that's not the case? Cap your cash. Numerous studies show that asset allocation – your mix of stocks, bonds, cash and other securities – determines most of your long-term return. Not market timing. Not stock picking. Not perceptions of 'safety'. Asset allocation dominates. Your goals, needs and time horizon should largely determine your allocation. The longer your time horizon and the more growth you need, the more you need long-term in high-returning stocks. Maybe those who need income or who can't stomach volatility hold some bonds. But cash? Keep it minimal. Why? Minimal returns. Over the past century the FTSE All-Share index annualised 10.1pc through to 2024. Gold? 7.7pc. Ten-year gilts? 5.2pc. Cash? Short-term government bills (a cash proxy) returned the lowest, just 4.7pc a year since 1924. It's been even lower since 2000 at 2.4pc. Meanwhile, over the past century, inflation has averaged 4.3pc, eroding your returns. Since 2000 inflation has averaged 2.5pc, devouring cash returns entirely. If your goals require any real returns, cash is unlikely to deliver it. So, how much cash do you hold? What is your asset allocation? Too few investors know. Start thinking about asset class. Total up what you hold in all your accounts, any current account, savings account, pensions or Isa. Stocks, tracker funds, all of it. If you own funds that blend stocks and bonds, calculate it this way: if you have £100,000 in a 60pc stock, 40pc bond fund, chalk £60,000 to stocks, £40,000 to bonds. Then subtract funds earmarked for known, near-term expenses or emergencies. Once you have that total, divide each category – stocks, bonds, cash and other – by the total. The resulting percentages are your allocation. Now what share is your cash? Consciously or not, your allocation reveals an implied forecast. If you hold piles of cash, you imply history's lowest-returning asset class is more future-fit than historically higher-returning ones, like stocks. In other words, if you're holding lots of cash you are implicitly being mega-bearish. That is a huge risk, maybe the biggest one you can take if you need growth to finance your goals. If it is intentional, you must see big negatives others don't (that markets haven't priced in) to justify it. Many say they hold cash 'in case' stocks tumble. But at what cost? The best buy-the-dip opportunities, like early April 2022 or Covid's 2020 crash, come with huge fear. Precious few seize them. Did you? Your 'dry powder' turns into a long-term drag. The truth is, big cash holdings feel good but they hurt overall returns. Since 2000 (a cyclical stock market peak), £1m invested in 70pc London-listed stocks and 30pc long-term gilts grew by £2m through 2024. Stash even 20pc in cash, and you wound up with £233,351 less. And that is despite a big, multi-year bear market starting that stretch. If you had invested globally, that gap would be far wider. You may say, 'but that is over 25 years!'. Surely shorter horizons bring many more periods when stocks sink, right? But consider this. Since 1924, using monthly returns, the FTSE All-Share rose in 75pc of rolling 12-month periods. Not bad! It climbed in 91pc of rolling five-year periods – even better. No rolling periods greater than 10 years were negative. Not one. Moreover, while even rising deposit rates can't make cash beat inflation, stocks can and do. UK stocks averaged 73pc over those five-year rolling periods and 215pc over the rolling 10-year stretches. Similar patterns hold for global stocks. Don't get duped by cash's supposed safety. Think total holdings and asset allocation – and cut your cash to the core.
The Sun
30 minutes ago
- The Sun
McDonald's is offering buy one get one free on a classic menu item – but you'll have to be quick
MCDONALD'S is offering buy-one-get-one-free on a classic menu item this weekend - but you'll have to be quick before the offer disappears. The fast food giant is letting customers double up on the Double Filet-O-Fish tomorrow on the McDonald's app. That means you can get two of the classic burgers for just £5.29 if you're ordering through the app. The offer is available for delivery or collection. To get it you'll need to download the McDonald's app, which is free on the Apple App Store or Google Play. Bear in mind, all the offers are subject to availability of stock in restaurants. If you are ordering via home delivery you'll have to pay a delivery charge from £1.99, a service fee and small order fee if your basket is under £10. The Double-Filet-O-Fish was only introduced in July but has become a permanent menu item. It features two Pollock fish patties in crispy breadcrumbs with melted cheese and creamy tartare sauce sandwiched inside a steamed bun. It was the first time the Filet-O-Fish had been changed in 50 years. This offer is only on tomorrow - but if you miss out, Maccas has revealed it's got a brand new offer coming on Monday. For that day only you'll be able to get a Double Cheeseburger for just £1.59. The deal will be available both in McDonald's restaurants and through delivery. How can you get McDonald's Deal Drops? The Double Cheeseburger is the latest Deal Drop from Maccas. Every Monday, McDonald's app customers will get a prompt to reveal their deals on the app or on email. The deals will then drop into the Rewards and Offers section on the app. Each deal can only be used once per customer. They can be used both for delivery and in restaurants. Earlier this week, The Sun revealed Maccas had quietly axed two classic burgers: the Bacon Double Cheeseburger and the Bacon Mayo Chicken. They both disappeared alongside the much-loved Triple Cheeseburger in May. Meanwhile the fast food chain dropped its exciting new menu last month. The brand new items were a Jaffa Cakes McFlurry and Sprite Zero with either Green Apple or Mango and Passionfruit flavourings. Plus, the chain brought back the Spicy Chicken McNuggets, Chicken Big Mac, Big Tasty and more. Here's the full list of new menu items you can get now: Sprite Zero with syrup - £2.19 (Medium), six calories (Green Apple flavour) or five calories (Mango & Passionfruit flavour) Jaffa Cakes McFlurry - £2.49, 331 calories Chicken Big Mac - £5.19, 531 calories Chilli Cheese Bites - £2.69, 936 calories Steakhouse Stack - £6.49, 632 calories Big Tasty - £7.19, 802 calories Big Tasty with Bacon - £8.09, 849 calories 6 Spicy Chicken McNuggets - £4.89, 254 calories Big Arch - £7.99, 1,057 calories The Fajita Chicken One - £3.69, 362 calories (grilled) or 490 calories (crispy) Milky Way McFlurry - £2.49, 350 calories However, fans were left fuming when the chain quietly raised prices on some of its other menu items. How to save at McDonald's You could end up being charged more for a McDonald's meal based solely on the McDonald's restaurant you choose. Research by The Sun found a Big Mac meal can be up to 30% cheaper at restaurants just two miles apart from each other. You can pick up a Big Mac and fries for just £2.99 at any time by filling in a feedback survey found on McDonald's receipts. The receipt should come with a 12-digit code which you can enter into the Food for Thought website alongside your submitted survey. You'll then receive a five-digit code which is your voucher for the £2.99 offer. There are some deals and offers you can only get if you have the My McDonald's app, so it's worth signing up to get money off your meals. The MyMcDonald's app can be downloaded on iPhone and Android phones and is quick to set up. You can also bag freebies and discounts on your birthday if you're a My McDonald's app user. The chain has recently sent out reminders to app users to fill out their birthday details - otherwise they could miss out on birthday treats.
