‘I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, and more than just the haircut’: a thematic analysis exploring how the social and emotional aspects of client relationships impact upon hairdressers' psychological wellbeing

Emotional labour refers to the process of managing the self to fulfil the emotional requirements of a job, particularly with regard to interactions with customers, co-workers and clients. Previous research has identified that client relationships, in particular, can lead to a strain on emotional labour. This is of particular concern for the hairdressing industry in Scotland, given that it is unregulated and consequently no formal support or essential training is provided to support hairdressers to navigate client relationships. The current study therefore sought to explore how hairdressers navigate the social and emotional aspects of client relations and how these impact upon psychological wellbeing. Interviews were conducted with seven self-employed Scottish hairdressers before reflexive thematic analysis was applied to the data, generating themes of Safeguarding the salon via client vetting, Follow the client's lead, Supporting clients through personal problems and Social fatigue. These findings identify the unwritten but complex social process used by hairdressers to safeguard their own wellbeing and the impact that this can have when this is not accomplished. Future research should consider the impact of emotional labour on employed vs. self-employed workers to further explore how job autonomy influences the social and emotional challenges that hairdressers experience.