Miho Suzuki: Random Thoughts from Conversations at a Hair Salon

2024/06/19

The other day, while getting my gray hair dyed at a hair salon, I overheard a conversation between the customer at the next mirror and the hairdresser. The two, who seemed much younger than me, were discussing the pros and cons of taking supplements. The customer argued loudly, "Why do supplements even exist? Shouldn't people just eat a normally balanced diet?" and went on to dismiss teas that lower blood pressure and yogurts that lower cholesterol one after another. If it were me, I would have wanted to talk back, asking, "What exactly is a 'normal diet'?" or "Are there no additives in the tea you're drinking?" but the hairdresser nodded along skillfully, drawing out the customer's personal theories. Gradually, the topic shifted to skincare, and the customer began introducing various cosmetics to the hairdresser. I felt a bit impatient, thinking, "Cosmetics are the epitome of artificial chemicals; that contradicts your belief in natural foods," but then I reconsidered, thinking, "Overall, this is just a health-conscious person," and suddenly felt a sense of warmth toward them. And I was impressed by the hairdresser's listening skills.

The next customer appeared to be slightly older than the hairdresser and was talking about baseball using more polite language than the previous customer. At first, the customer responded while choosing their words somewhat hesitantly, as if it were a bit of a bother, but they gradually got into the hairdresser's rhythm. The hairdresser, who had been a complete listener with the previous customer, was now leading the conversation, and the speaking time for each was about fifty-fifty.

Even after returning home, I couldn't stop thinking about this hairdresser's communication techniques, so I searched for academic papers using a database. I found a study showing a correlation between an increase in a hairdresser's listening skills and an increase in the number of repeat customers who request them (Matsumoto et al., 2014). It reportedly showed no clear correlation with small-talk skills. The primary work of a hairdresser is the technique of "beautifying appearance through methods such as permanent waves, hair styling, and makeup" (Cosmetologists Act), and it seems that training facilities do not provide much education on communication. Certainly, whether I would request this hairdresser depends on my judgment after having my hair cut. It seems necessary to reconsider why we emphasize communication in basic nursing education, what "listening" in nursing is, and what its outcomes and measurement methods are.

I wasn't intentionally eavesdropping. Passing the time while waiting for hair dye to set can be quite pleasant.