Short back and sides – gender no object under new hair app

Jess Palfrey first realised the power of hair when she was ordered to shave hers off.

As a young British army recruit, she was told her cropped hairstyle did not meet regulations and would have to go.

The “traumatic” shave was not the only time Palfrey had struggled because her hairstyle did not meet norms: she has frequently been turned away by barbers who do not cater to women in a business riven with gendered divides.

Those experiences led her to launch an app offering cuts for all without the baggage of gender stereotypes, part of a growing movement towards unisex and LGBTQ+ inclusive hairdressing.

“Haircuts are really important to me and to most people in the LGBT community, because it’s a way of expressing ourselves,” said 27-year-old Palfrey, who is a lesbian and still wears her reddish-brown hair short.

“I absolutely think there is discrimination towards people that don’t want gender-norm haircuts.”

Most hairdressers charge more for a woman’s cut than a man’s, while some will only serve one gender.

That can leave women overpaying – particularly if they prefer a short cut – and alienate people who identify as neither male or female or whose style falls outside gendered norms.

Having trained as a hairdresser on leaving the military, Palfrey had a lightbulb moment when she saw spiking salon chair rental costs and rising demand for mobile hairdressers after Britain’s first coronavirus lockdown in 2020.

In response, she created the Dooo app, which allows people to book a mobile hairstylist to come to their home or work and sets charges according to the length of time their cut takes instead of their gender.

Customers also have a space to add special requests, such as their preferred pronouns or any support they may need to manage disabilities during their haircut.

The app aims to be an “Uber for hair”, accessible to people whose disability or anxiety prevents a salon visit and which also challenges gender stereotypes in the beauty industry.

“I’ve had clients … they’ve never been confident enough to really go for short hair and to express themselves,” Palfrey said as she described the impact of inclusive hairdressing.

“And then when they do it is a very, very emotional time for them. I’ve had a lot of clients cry and hug me and be amazingly emotional.”

The post Short back and sides – gender no object under new hair app appeared first on GAY TIMES.