Bailey Lavender (@thebaileylavender) is a hairstylist and social media influencer, best known for her TikTok series where she shares her “Salon From Hell” experiences.
If you want to learn how to handle any messy salon conflict, you should always take advice from the best. Below, Lavender shares her recommendations for how to best handle any confrontation you experience with your coworkers and how to recognize an isolated incident from a repeat pattern of behavior.
Beauty Launchpad (BLP):Have you ever had disagreements/conflict with your salon coworkers? How did you handle it?
Bailey Lavender (BL): Early in my career I worked as an assistant for a stylist who treated myself and the other assistants horribly. Many comments were made about my weight as well as conversations informing me that I would never succeed in this career without her. Finally deciding that it was time to leave was the best decision I made for myself. Many times stylists stay in an unhealthy environment simply out of fear, which is trapping them from their potential!
BLP: What advice do you have for stylists who are experiencing conflict with their coworkers? What tips do you have for handling that confrontation?
BL: Proper communication is extremely important in any relationship, especially with people that we spend so much time together with! Having these conversations are never fun but they allow the needed growth in the workplace.
BLP: What advice can you give stylists for knowing how to distinguish between conflict being an isolated incident or a repeat pattern of behavior, potentially indicating a need to switch their salon home if it proves to be a toxic environment?
BL: I look at these kind of incidents as first time may have been an accident, second time was a choice and third time was a pattern. A conversation HAS to be had at every occurrence, to bring attention to what has made you unhappy or uncomfortable.
BLP: What should stylists look for in a salon home, so they can try to avoid confrontation and a potentially toxic environment from the start?
BL: When you go in for an interview, ask to stay and shadow for around two hours after. Pay attention to how the stylist, owner and any staff interact. Ask yourself if this is the place you and your clients will feel safe and welcomed. Your salon becomes your second home – make sure you love it!
