Working With Elderly Clients

Whether full time or occasionally,  at some point in your career you

will be working with elderly clients.  Aging does not stop the need to look and feel good about oneself. A youthful clientele keeps you trendy but an older clientele can bring the steady income you can count on!

I have worked in salons that had a large elderly clientele.  The work involved a lot of perms,

wash and sets, color and haircuts.  They are dream clients in the way that they make appointments and keep them.  There are hardly any surprises except they have a medical emergency.   

As with all clients there are challenges, when working with elderly clients some

of them are:

• Because of changes in body structure, some have difficulty sitting in the shampoo chair;
• Some cannot lay back or they become disoriented/light-headed.
• Back and neck problems require some accommodation for comfort.
• Aging may mean giving them a booster seat because of a shorter neck.
• Care has to be taken to ensure hearing aids were removed before any water services.
• Draping clients with larger waterproof capes to avoid a shower if they were not laying properly.
• Checking with them if they were under a hood dryer for long periods.
• Providing cotton to prevent water getting in ears.
• Asking about any special requests in case there are parts of the head they are sensitive about cutting too short
• Asking about any changes in hair, skin, speaking or family/personal issues as a precaution.

Elderly clients are some of the best clients because:

• Their incredible sense of humour and  candor.
• They are usually direct which can be scary but it shows their maturity.
• Know what they want.
• Are usually happy and not complicated
• Are mostly accepting of trainees because they have lots of time
• Give the best advice on relationships and life.

Do not avoid working with elderly clients because you feel you are too young – you will have to one day.  Better to do it now and broaden your skills for the future.

By Paula Barker, Silkie Locks Hair Design

Books:  “Talking Hair”, “Filling My Head” &”Dreadlocks – A Hairstylist’s Manifest”.