It’s always important to approach your craft as a hairdresser from the standpoint of health and wellness. Not only is it a hot topic these days, it is actually essential to offer your clients a feeling of safety and security, knowing their health is your top priority. This extends far beyond the reaches of the pandemic and the special care and precaution we must take…it reaches into how you approach the care of their hair and their experience in your salon. My mantra, that I share at each and every class I teach, is to maintain the quality, integrity and condition of the hair while providing a positive, mood lifting experience for my clients. And, the overall wellbeing of my clients begins the very moment they walk into my salon.
Wellness is defined by the World Health Organization as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” So, we need to ask ourselves, how can we positively impact the overall wellbeing of our clients for the limited amount of time we have them in the salon? If we make a conscious effort to focus on delivering a positive experience and vibe, we will help to ensure both immediate client happiness as well as future loyalty.
There are many ways to incorporate wellness into the salon experience. One way, that has multiple applications, and a tremendous track record of success, is Aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is the inhalation or bodily application of fragrant essential oils for therapeutic purposes. Basically, the use of aroma will enhance a feeling of well-being. It is very easy and inexpensive to install an essential oil diffuser in your salon to infuse a subtle, pleasant fragrance throughout your workspace. Lavender, chamomile and jasmine are wonderful examples of fragrances that promote relaxation and peace while helping to relieve anxiety.
Aromatherapy can also be something you offer in your add-on salon services and aftercare products. Marco Haircare incorporates wellness ingredients into its products such as Rosemary Mint, French Lavender and Coconut. These ingredients help to promote positive feelings such as infused energy or relaxation. Deep conditioning treatments using aromatherapy products are a great add-on service that you can offer to your clients. Challenge yourself to offer a deep conditioning treatment to each and every client – especially on your slower days. Be sure to include a wonderfully relaxing scalp massage, and explain the benefits of massage on the scalp and how this can help the scalp and hair health. Marco Collagen Hair Reconstructor is a wonderful choice to use when deep conditioning as it works to effectively strengthen the hair with protein. We often think of moisturizing dry hair – but we often forget to strengthen the elasticity of the weak, damaged hair.
At the end of each treatment, offer at-home aromatherapy products using a non-offensive, non “salesman” approach. When you fail to offer products, or educate on products, it’s similar to the waiter not offering you the dessert tray at the restaurant (when we can all get back to eating like we used to at restaurants, that is!). It’s always best to offer the full package, and this includes offering your client products that keep the hair healthy between visits. You’ll be surprised at how many clients take you up on your offer.
In the end, performing add-on wellness services to your clients increases your overall ticket value while at the same time pampering your client. A win/win! So, take a look throughout your salon when you have some down time, and browse through your book of clients. Find creative ways to infuse health and wellness into your services! And start making it a point of conversation, too. You can begin when you take their temperature and offer them hand sanitizer on their way in!
