Alexei Gonçalves
(Editor's Note: This is an English Version of an article originally written in braziliian portuguese. Suggestions, corrections and criticisms are welcome)
Luana de Oliveira
Late afternoon, time to close the beauty parlor. The ideal
schedule for a reflection on the meanings of the art of producing
beauty in women's bodies, more specifically,
on their heads: haircut and hairstyling.
During the chat with Luana de Oliveira, phonoaudiologist,
actress and beauty parlor manager, exhibiting dazzling beauty and good humour
at the very end of an tiring workday, we have talked about several anthropological
and psychological aspects of a field of work in what, perhaps,
is one of the most ancient and traditional temples of feminine corporeal
projects, in which the search of a new ego image arises
as a sophisticated category in which art and corporality
relate to each other.
Right in the first minute of our talk, we were interrupted by a late customer, somewhat hesitant, in search of information about a specific product. So we restarted our chat from this fresh "case-study" of consumer experience. I asked Luana what exactly the customer was looking for - beginning by the product itself.
Luana: She was looking for a "passion fruit brush". It is being heavily searched these days, turned out into a fever in Rio de Janeiro, as with the "chocolate brush". It is a deep hair treatment that saddles the cuticles and reduces hair porosity leaving it more malleable. Depending on the kind of hair, you can observe a decrease in overall hair volume. It must be repeated monthly because it really is a treatment. The concept that flat hair is beautiful has conquered women in Brazil, so everyone is trying to smooth theirs.
Alexei: But I see that you do "permanent wave treatment" as well!
Luana: Yes we do, but it is a service much less demanded these days, more frequently by older ladies. Younger women prefer smoothing their hair.
Alexei: And to what do you credit this fashion?
Luana: Look, it is a matter of following the collective movement. Actresses and TV shows comment on the product use... That's when search increases. We have to stay tuned with the tendencies to have the products available as soon as the customers begin to search for them.
Alexei: Now, in general terms, what do the customers search in a beauty parlor, regardless of the service or product they are going to buy?
Luana: Certainly, it is psychological satisfaction. Approaching this issue from the standpoint of an actress, I notice an overall representation of an imaginary role. For instance, many women arrive here, even the richest ones, complaining about lack of money... Others come here in tears because they had just lost their boyfriend... I don't see it as a simple matter of aesthetics, something that limits itself to "get the prettiest nails", as in the case of manicure services. It relates more to a search for self-esteem improvement and I notice that by the corporeal posture with which they walk in here, their shoulders bent, and the posture with which they leave the salon, the shoulders erect, the breasts and head risen, a smile in the face.
Alexei: And what do you talk about during the process?
Luana: In general, we always talk about the same issues (laughs)... But we have adopted as a policy here to avoid discussions about polemic themes, to avoid emotionally contaminating the environment. There are people who knows how to respect different points-of-view, but there are other people that become really angry with disagreement and want to convince others that they are right. So, I try to stay connected to the customers' reactions and send eye-signals to my employees if I feel they'd better change the subject of a conversation.
Alexei: Can you give me an example?
Luana: We had a employee that was a religious fanatic and wanted to convert customers to her religion. So, I can't tell you exactly how she did it but, starting from any subject, she always managed to lead the conversation to church issues and a discussion started. She just couldn't stay in control and she has hurt many customers' feelings during the period she worked here. With extremist, radical and biased positions, it isn't possible to keep a pleasing environment among employees and, mostly, with the customers, so that they feel good here and want to come back.
Alexei: How is this pleasant environment produced?
Luana: The word mostly used by customers is "energy", they say that they feel "positive energy" in here. Look, we are not feeling well and high-spirited eveyday, that simply is not possible. Sure there are days in which something bothers us and make us not feel well. But I try to forget all about it when I step in here because the customers don't need to know that I have a problem. So, I keep smiling, make my best efforts to be as kind as possible and transmit this attitude to my employees. They know they can address me any problem they have, including personal ones, but when it comes to customer relations, we will all "dress" a smile.
Alexei: On the other hand, customers commonly open they hearts with you, as if you were psychologists, don't they?
Luana: That is true. There are customers who come here to open they hearts with us, talk about their problems, expose their lives shamelessly… They talk about everything. Please notice that it happens more frequently during manicure sessions. When we realize that they are talking secretly, not to really be heard by anyone else, we imagine that a "confessional talk" is going on. But, incredibly as it may seem, we've managed to ban gossip. There used to be much gossip here but we've worked hard to make everyone conscious that it leads to no positive consequences. So, whatever a customer tells a manicure professional, it will stay with her.
Alexei: You are implying that there is a closer relation with manicure professionals, a more intimate talk, maybe related to the physical closeness in which the work is done...
Luana: Exactly. Also there is further intimacy because of the skin touch, there is an energy trade and the woman feel as if that delicate touch were a cherish and this favours emotional proximity.
Alexei: How about friendship among customers?
Luana: It has become less frequent lately, I don't know why.
It was common to women get to know each other here and even schedule simultaneous
sessions. When one of them had to re-schedule their session for some reason,
the other would ask us "Where is that lady who is always here at this
time"? They ask us to send messages, kisses, hugs when we we meet her.
When we pass on the message, the other becomes so joyful.
Alexei: What about the meaning of the treatments themselves? For example,
you said that women with curly hair are trying it smooth
it. What exactly are they searching for?
Luana: They tell us they want "change their faces" (their looks). They say they are tired of their hairstyle, of looking always at the same face in the mirror and want to change that. There are customers that ask us if the results are lifelong lasting. I tell they aren't, their hair will grow and will come back to what it was genetically determined. Some customers say that they are going to a job interview and they want to look prettier, other allege that curly hair is not adequate for some occasions...
Alexei: If we take a closer look, this expression, "to change my face", although it is a cliche to which we are so familiar that we don't even notice, it implies very interesting thoughts in the way it expresses some kind of deeply heartfelt desire, doesn't it? Because, if we take it literally, this wish of "changing faces" reminds me of that film, "The Mask"!
Luana (laughs): That's for sure, they tell
us they are tired of their hairstyle and their own "faces".
Alexei: I notice you, as in every beauty salon, exhibit visual references
for haircuts and make-up, like posters
and magazines. Do clients ask hairstyling that looks "identical"
to the ones they see in a magazine?
Luana: Normally, TV shows are a more frequent source of hair styling demands.
Alexei: That is the point: technically, it is impossible to reproduce identically a haircut, every hair is different from the other...
Luana: And every face is a different face.
Alexei: So, it is really impossible for a haircut to be "identical"
to that one on the magazine or from a TV show star...
Luana: It is a delicate situation because there are customers that become upset when we say that a certain hairstyle is not suitable for her face. We have to give detailed explanations about why we are saying this and offer other options that suits her better. Because, if the face were a painting, the hairstyle would be the frame. There are also some customers that ask for technically impossible things - if we did what she asked, we would ruin her hair and, in the worst cases she could even become bald! In those cases, when the customer insists, we adopt firm attitude: we don't do it here. Some of them get really upset, leave the salon cursing us, but it is better than destroying a person's hair.
Alexei: When it is possible to give the customer what she wants, the fact that the final result will not be identical to what she has imagined won't be cause for frustration? How to deal with those situations?
Luana: You have to pay sharp attention to the client's personality. If you are dealing with a perfeccionist type that wishes to reproduce the minimum the details of a specific hairstyle, we must explain her why the final result will not perfectly match her expectations. For example, I will have to explain that her hair has more volume than that of the actress' and this and those details will not result identical for that reason. We have to be extremely cautious and explain every little detail so that, in the end, she gets satisfied with the final result.
Alexei: In summary, when a customer expresses the desire of
being hairstyled identically to a TV star, certainly she wants to have something
in common with the actress or the role she is playing in the show. Somehow,
she is tellign us "I am like that too". This expectation may lead
to frustration and you deal didactically with those situations.
Luana: Yes. I have never seen a customer leave this salon feeling sad with
the result because if we provide detailed explanations about why and how the
result will be like this or that, even the most perfecctionist customer begins
to understand the professional's work, the limits within
he has to work and consequently she ends up satisfied with the result. To
deal with hair is a very serious field of work,
much harder than nails treatment, for example. I am not saying that manicure
doesn't deal with self-esteem but that, if you make a mistake in a
haircut, you will face a very angry customer.
Alexei: Tell me a little about that mythical entity, The Hair...
Luana (laughs): It is a very serious affective liaison. It may not seem but men are as much or even more demanding than women. They worry about the nape, sideburns length, look and evaluate every detail sharply… I find it difficult to talk about this issue.
Alexei: Ok, so please talk about your relation with your own
hair.
Luana: After spending so much time in here, I kind of lost a little interest.
Sure I take good care of it, I brushed it last weekend. My hair is curly and
everyone likes it that way, including myself. Curly hair
gives an aura of innocence, while brushed hair
has a more "femme fatale" appeal.
Alexei: So, even liking your curly hair, you also decided to "change
your face"?
Luana (laughs): Yes, last weekend I felt like brushing it and asked my mother
to do it for me. Sometimes it feels good...
Alexei: Is this "face change" decision
impulsive?
Luana: Personally speaking, well... My mother works in this field for more
than 30 years…I don't like people messing with my hair. I don't like
to change the haircut and I detest when someone says that will remove my curls.
Sincerely, when someone decides to change the haircut he/she has to
think seriously about it. For example, when someone asks for a "permanent
brush", we ask several times if that is what she really wants. We explain
that her curls will go away and it will be useless to cry or come back here
asking for her cute little curls back because it simply will not be possible.
The same principle applies for radical changes in the haircut, because a different
haircut causes radical changes in the overall looks and will possibly shock
her.
Alexei: As for the artistic side of the work? I liked a lot
your comparison of haircut and styling with the frame of a painting. Can you
talk about the technical side of aesthectics, face and haircut
composition, in summary, what do you consider to produce beauty,
fashion and trends aside?
Luana: We must observe the client as whole. For example, sometimes we meet
a shy client asking for a radical haircut.
We explain that what she is asking does not match her personality and that
she will not like the result after a short while. Then, we offer a haircut
that really matches her personality. Another situation is that of women who
live a very dynamic life and, threfore, will need a more practical haircut
that does not demand her too much time to make it look good. If the professional
observes closely the customer's personality, he/she will
conquer her. If he/she doesn't that into account, he will lose her, it is
simple like that.
Check previous editions on "Arquivos Géh - Arte, sexualidade e corporalidade!"