The silent treatment

It’s every introvert’s nightmare. Being stuck in a salon chair for hours getting their hair done while having to make conversation with the stylist. And it’s not just them, but for many others — stressed out employees or exhausted mothers — salon time is usually me time, meant to be enjoyed.

Keeping this in mind, a salon in Philadelphia BLO/OUT Blow Dry Bar is offering customers the “zen experience” a chance to get a service in silence. Aside from some quick initial questions about what the client wants, one can spend the time listening to music, reading a book or catching up on emails in peace.

The Bauhaus salon in Cardiff, South Wales, too, offers what they call a Quiet Chair option as they found that not everyone wants to chat every time they go to the hair salon. We ask hair experts across the city what they think of the concept.

‘It’s the client’s decision’

Sapna Bhavnani, hairstylist and founder, Mad-O-Wot Salon, feels everyone is different. “Some people like to talk and some don’t. Ultimately, it’s the client’s decision. Our salon is called a hair temple and has been spiritually inclined for a long time. We serve no fancy lattes, nor do we have a television. In fact, we only recently got a WiFi connection. Most of our clients don’t touch their phones. They just fall asleep on the chairs. I tend to be quite forgetful of names, so every time I meet a client, it’s a new conversation. I think people like stylists not being so familiar. I like to maintain a thin line of respect and mystique,” she says.

‘Impossible for me’

“This is actually a super idea, but is impossible for me as I love talking to my clients. I talk to them about everything from daily experiences in their life to the last film they watched, their vacations, goings-on in the world, etc. I think a client wants to build a personal rapport with the stylist – a sort of trust. The client looks at the stylist as more than just a doer of a service and wants to know they’re in trustworthy hands. If a client specifically says they want some peace and quiet, then they shouldn’t be probed further. I’d rather the client state that as sometimes small talk can be awkward,” explains Natasha Naegamvala, hair stylist and director, Nalini of Nalini and Yasmin Salon.

Good to have quiet time

Placid Braganza, hair expert and owner of Placid Salon, says everyone visits salons to relax. “A lot of treatments take a lot of time and this is a good opportunity for clients to unwind. Not everyone wants to chit-chat all the time. It’s good to give people an option, especially for those who may not be in the mood to talk. We do have a quiet corner in our salon away from the busy area where we do hair spas and foot massages with less noise.”

SALON TALK

‘Lovely idea’

Shaheen Abbas, jewellery designer

I go to Kanta Motwani at Kromokay, she’s been doing my hair for 20 years now and aside from the initial consultation, we leave each other alone. It’s nice to have some quiet time. I usually carry a book to read. I think we all need a little quiet time in our lives, to be with our thoughts and this is a lovely idea. After all, how much can you talk?

‘Minimal conversation’

Pria Kataaria Puri, fashion designer

The biggest reason I avoid going to salons, is because I don’t want to have a conversation. I prefer calling a stylist over at home. I like Dessange because it’s spacious and no one talks to you. I totally believe in this concept of quietly sitting, listening to music and keeping the conversation to the minimal. At the most, the stylists might need some inputs for a particular look, but otherwise no small talk.

‘Depends on the service’

Bhavna Pandey, luxury consultant

I like to talk to my stylist during my appointment and don’t look at it as quiet time. They’re your friends at the end of the day and I meet them all the time, so I have a rapport with them. I think it also depends on what service you’re getting. If I’m getting a head massage, I like some peace and quiet, as the motive is to relax.