Hairstylists Often First Line of Defense Against Self-neglect

As the fight over health care reform continues to rage across the national landscape as people debate cost vs. quality, recent studies have noticed a unique trend. Hairstylists are a great help in steering their elderly clients to much needed health services that often save their lives.

In a recent, small exploratory study, more than 80% of Columbus, Ohio area cosmetologists and hairstylists surveyed said that older clients often or always shared their health problems during appointments.

“Hairstylists are in a great position to notice when their older clients are starting to suffer from depression, dementia, or self-neglect,“ said Keith Anderson, co-author of the study and assistant professor of social work at Ohio State University. “While not expecting too much beyond the scope of their jobs, we may be able to help stylists direct elderly people in trouble to community services.“

The study included stylists from the Columbus area who responded to mail surveys. It was reported that about one-third of their clients were 60 years old or older.

Eighty-five percent of stylists described their relationships with older clients as “close“ or “very close.“ About 72% said their role was like one of “family“ to some of their older customers.

“This is one reason why I think hairstylists are especially suited to seeing problems in their customers,“ Anderson said. “Their older clients may sit in a chair for an hour or longer while they're having their hair done, and this may happen once or twice a month. So stylists are in a good position to recognize when things change with a client, and when they may need help.“

He went on to say that stylists are in a unique position to discuss pain, depression or anxiety with their clients. The main issue Anderson is now trying to bring to the forefront is helping cosmetologists and stylists learn how to refer aging clients to appropriate health and community services.

“It seems like a perfect setup - stylists have access to older adults who may need someone to point them to the help they need. But at least this sample of stylists suggests they don't know what services are out there to help these folks,“ he said. “We can't expect them to do everything, but our results suggest that most stylists care about their clients and would be willing to help them,“ he said.

Have you ever had to suggest medical or psychological help to one of your clients? Did your beauty school teach you about signs to look for in your clients that may indicate they need your help? Tell us about it!