When I Was a Hairdresser

Back when I was picking a "career" I wanted to work as a Hairdresser.

Why?

I think because I liked the pretty long hair, the updos, the braids and all the creative stuff you can do with hair.

I love being creative and figuring things like that out. It's also a physically demanding job where you are on your feet all the time, working in awkward positions with your shoulders forward.

I tended to see my Chiropractor a fair bit to try and keep my body in alignment from a previous injury, which hairdressing tended to irritate, again the forward shoulder position.

I really loved meeting people, talking to them, and making them look better because if you look better you feel better right?

It's amazing how much consistent maintenance you need to do to keep up in that field.

At least I had to. I was consistently weightlifting to help keep my posture where it was supposed to be, regular Chiropractic care, lots of water, good food, and proper shoes.

Oh, the shoes! I worked in a pretty casual salon my first four and a half years, I couldn't do that at the salon in Vancouver though.

There it was dressy and dressy shoes! Those shoes nearly killed my feet.

There are quite a few issues hairdressers suffer from, thankfully I wasn't in the industry long enough to worry about most of them.

Bunions typically occur from the shoes you wear, not always, but usually, that's the reason. Hammer Toes can also be an issue for hairdressers.

Then there is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome because you have to use your wrists and arms a certain way all the time, and no surgery isn't a great solution.

Then of course there are Rotator Cuff injuries from the shoulder positions you have to hold.

And the allergies to chemicals! I have talked to a lot of hairdressers over the years who have quit hairdressing because of the chemicals and how those have affected their health as well negatively.

The allergies they developed from perm solution. I remember my hands just aching by the end of the day because I had rinsed out 3 or 4 perms that day, and my poor fingernail beds hurt too!

I don't regret working as a hairdresser for 6 years. I enjoyed it, despite its discomforts. I learned a lot about people and business.

I also don't regret leaving the industry behind either, and now I can help ease the discomfort for other hairdressers!