INTERVIEW
BY PAULINE VAN DER ZIJDEN
Bad hair is located in a beautiful bright space hidden from the busy Princess Street, full of gorgeous green plants and a cozy vintage sofa. Laura created a welcoming and homely salon. Her talent, creativity, honesty and humour got her a loyal client base, she finds it very important that her customers can be themselves and feel comfortable. When Laura was little she wanted to be a hairdresser, a lawyer, a tattoo artist or an art teacher. Luckily hairdresser was the one that she always came back to. Her career as a hairdresser started at a very young age when she volunteered in the hair salon of her late grandmother. It was also her grandmother that gave Laura an ad for an apprenticeship and motivated her to apply, for which Laura is still grateful for. Out of 75 people Laura was chosen for the apprenticeship. She worked in different salons before opening her own salon at the age of 24.
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What is the story of bad hair?
Laura: I think there were so many things that went into the final push to become self-employed. Part of it was the naughty part of me that had to know why, when my boss said, do it this way, why? The other part was working in a trade that is so heavily female dominated. It often seemed to be that our skills were more judged on how polite we were doing it, how we looked doing it, not necessarily on the quality of our work. But other creative jobs, like tattoo artists and chefs, are known to be angry at the back of the kitchen, or a bit sweary or a bit of the pirates of the world. And then hairdressers who are also as creative, must then be almost sterile. The more uncomfortable you look while you’re working, the better of a hairdresser you must be. And when I was an apprentice, we watched a video, it was about Vidal Sassoon revolutionizing hairdressing. And he revolutionized it because he made it about service. And it really became this snappy, snazzy, elegant thing. But in the long term, that created hierarchy and bad behaviour. And so I decided that I wanted to revolutionize hairdressing, and I wanted to make it about the hair, and not how well I could mind my manners while I was providing a trade. And very quickly, I noticed that a lot of my clients used to tell me that they hadn’t previously found a hairdresser that they
felt they could go back to so easily because I had treated them as a person. Something changed when it became about the hair. And so that’s how it became bad hair.
“Something changed when it became about the hair. And so that’s how it became bad hair.”
-Laura
What is the story behind the name “bad hair”?
Laura: I guess it goes back to if you can get your head around bad hair, that when you arrive, you will like me, you will like what I do here. Because it’s about the hair. It’s not about the tea and the coffee and the yes, miss, no, miss, three bags full. It’s about your hair. And it’s really about that. I came up with so many names, but Bad hair was the first name that I came up with. But in the back of my head, it just seemed like a bad idea. And then I started asking people, would you go to Bad hair? And everybody said, I would, but I bet you somebody wouldn’t. But I never found the person who said they wouldn’t. And I think it’s been quite fun. I do think it’s been quite fun.
What are the most important values of Bad Hair?
Laura: I think that first of all, the most important thing is to make people feel comfortable, because I think when people feel comfortable, they’re more likely to be able to tell you what they want. I think it’s much easier to get a good consultation out of people who feel really comfortable and at home. And because I have such a small salon, I can easily make people really feel at home. And once people are here feeling comfortable, the next most important thing is the condition of people’s hair, the integrity, maintaining it. If you want something done to your hair, but your hair can’t take it, it’s not happening. Not here. And then thirdly, I think bad hair’s main thing is having somewhere that you can come feel comfortable, trust that what you want to happen is going to happen. And you can just be yourself while you’re here.
What makes bad hair unique?
Laura: Mainly in the way that I work alone, which means I can be very accommodating to people, whether or not they are anxious and don’t want to be in a big salon or they like the privacy of having more intimate conversations with the hairdresser. I personally get quite nervous if I go into a big environment like that, especially if there’s lots of people. And so I’ve tried to make an environment that I would feel comfortable walking in to and coming back to.
“I think I’m really lucky that I found hairdressing, actually,
because they have been my little family” – Laura
Who are your ideal customers?
Laura: My ideal clients are people who know what they want but don’t know how to get there. If you show me what you want, I’ll figure out how we’re getting there. I think good clients don’t take control of the service. I think good clients are good communicators, actually. I’ve become so lucky because I’ve had some of my clients for so long that they’re a bit like, I will let Laura do it. But now, every now and then, I have a new client, and it’s a bit like, Oh I have to really ask a lot of questions because I have to build the trust for you before we get to the stage of you just do what you like. But equally, it’s really nice having both. I’ve had some of my clients for such a long time that they’re really the family that I have never had. So I think I’m really lucky that I found hairdressing, actually, because they have been my little family.
How do you want customers to describe their experience with you?
Laura: I want people to leave feeling lighter, happier, like they paid a fair price, and we’re just comfortable. I feel like people can be themselves here. I’ve tried to make something that everybody can resonate with, whether it’s the edgy part of my personality or the soft part of the plants or the privacy of the salon. There should be, hopefully, something that makes everyone feel welcome here.
What is your long-term vision for bad hair?
Laura: I would like to expand my business a little bit in the next few years. I’ve absolutely loved working by myself for myself for the last seven and a half years, but it is not very sustainable. And so I would like to look at having an apprentice or staff in the future. But at the same time, I know that what I have built here, it’s almost like a wee sanctuary. The people who come here and hang out with me are so used to our conversations, the privacy. I almost would be so afraid to harm this to do that, that I’m actually considering having them both and having the big cell and support this little one. There’s a big bad hair down there, and the little one’s still up here.
“Giving people things they were never allowed is really fun”
– Laura
Favourite haircut:
Laura: I really like the variation, because even if I was doing the same haircut on different people, at least it’s on a different person, right? And giving people things they were never allowed is really fun, especially like, “oh, mom said I couldn’t have it” and it was never allowed when they were a little girl.
Laura’s hair routine and favourite products:
Laura: I love washing my hair. If anything, I probably over wash my hair. But shampoo is my best friend. But I do think healthy hair starts with healthy hair follicles. So washing your hair is actually a very good start. My favourite ingredient is keratin. It’s just magic. It does something great for everybody. I think the product that everybody should have one of is a leave-in conditioner because shampoo and conditioning your hair in the shower is awesome, but adding in that leave-in conditioner that has that extra time to sit in your hair, I think really makes a massive difference. People think it takes a lot of time or effort to make the hair look nice. But I think learning to use a paddle brush with some leave-in conditioner, everybody should have nice hair in five minutes.
Advice when you go to a hairdresser:
Laura: Sometimes people get themselves in trouble because they’re like, I didn’t do my hair because you’re going to do it for me. If you wear the clothes you would normally wear and you have done your hair how you would normally do it, then we can see why it may not be working as well as it could, what we could improve. I can see how much maintenance you do or don’t want. I think bringing in photos is amazing. I think people get caught up on trying to find one photo that has everything that they want in it. You could have five photos of fringes you like. Equally, you could bring me five photos of fringes you don’t like. Photos of things you don’t like are way more helpful than photos of things you do like sometimes. And you can definitely never bring too many of something because the more information we have, it’s like following a recipe that’s really well written. You almost can’t get into trouble if the recipe is written well. And If you like what you have, it’s great. No pressure to have something different.
Hair trends
Laura: I think that the ‘90s is about to meet the early 2000s. I think the parts are going to start moving over slightly. I think those curtain banks are going to start to become little wee swept side fringes, little bits of shape around the face, which is going to lead into a full-on side fringe. Straight hair is really coming back in. That beachy, textured look, I think, is on its way out. I think
that melty, darker to lighter is here to stay. It’s really not going anywhere. I think the variation, the colour gradient has just changed. It’s just not as dark to as light, but there’s still a bit of that melty-ness. And probably cold colours might actually start to come back in. We’ve seen some warm blondes, which are my personal favourite. A little bit sad that the colder ones might creep back in. And volume. We’re going to see some more of that, especially in shorter hair, and just short hair in general.
Hair don’ts:
Laura: If perms are done correctly, there should be no harm to the hair. However, they are so technically difficult that I would never perm hair I wasn’t willing to shave. If you’re going to dye your hair at home, you can dye it darker. You cannot dye your hair lighter. Don’t even go there. Don’t go anywhere near it. Equally, if you are in a pinch and you can’t afford a hair appointment or something’s really gone wrong in your life and you’re like, I don’t know what to do. I can at least do my own hair. I’d much rather help people before they do the box dye than afterwards. If that’s the option. That is why I do have my prepaid system, so that people can do their weekly payments in advance so that it doesn’t make it difficult to put themselves first.
“I think people should take their hair way more seriously”. – Laura
Hair advice:
Laura: I think people should take their hair way more seriously. People are quite rough with it, like rough when they’re brushing it and rough when they straighten it, straightening it too hot. And if you brushed it really roughly and ironed it too hot once, it would be fine. But we do it every day, after day, after day. And then people are like, why isn’t my hair doing this? And I cannot
sell you any magic oil or product or a hairbrush or straightener that is going to fix that, make that look smooth, healthy or anything. Things like going in the chlorine, straightening your hair too
hot, tying it up when it’s wet, especially, that’s a really bad one. Brushing your hair when it’s wet. Like wet paper towels are hopeless, so is your hair. It’s all the stretching and breaking.
You can comb it when it’s wet, but you can’t brush it. And if you have to brush it, start at the bottom. It’s just when your hair is wet, the brush will get in those knots and it will pull them before they break, and then it will stretch them. And so then when it’s broken or the other hair, it will go back up frizzy, like elastic. And it’s just that stretch and break. And if you’ve got a hair clip, though, you’re noticing lots of you getting stuck in the spring, throw it out. It’s just going to keep breaking your hair in the same place. And you will probably end up with a wee spot.
