SHOP TALK

Most Area Barbers And Hairstylists Have Heard It All

By Angie Kay Dilmore

On the wall at Kim Sonnier’s hair salon hangs a plaque with a saying Sonnier claims as her shop motto. “Who you see here, what you hear here, when you leave, let it stay here.”

It’s a well-known fact that barber shops and hair salons are often dens of chit chat. There’s just something about sitting in that comfortable swiveling chair, and having the hair washed, combed, cut, and styled, that prompts people to open up and share tidbits they might otherwise never tell their best friend.

Kim Sonnier at Kim’s 3D Tans and Hair

Most barbers and beauticians would say they’ve heard it all. Sonnier, owner of Kim’s 3D Tan and Hair in Moss Bluff, says, “Sometimes I feel like a bartender,” which is another profession that verges on counselor and confidante.

What exactly DO people talk about when they’re in the chair? And why do they divulge so much?

It’s More Than Just The Weather

Conversations between client and coiffeur vary from shop to shop. Over in Westlake, at Pousson’s Barber Shop, Gervis Miller has been cutting hair since 1966. He says Pousson’s is a common workingman’s shop. “If they come in with a hard hat and sweaty hair, I can cut their hair. If they come in wearing a tie, I don’t know what to do,” says Miller.

Many of his clients work in the industrial plants. Talk in his shop centers around hunting, fishing, football, work issues and overtime, and the Sasol buyouts. There’s some talk of national politics, but not a lot. The customers mostly talk about local issues.

At Salon W in Moss Bluff, where most the clients are women, the shop talk is decidedly different.

“We talk about medical problems, relationship issues, holiday experiences, families, babies and kids, grandkids, vacations and trips, life changes, cosmetic surgery, nip/tucks, beauty tips, diet trends, reality TV, local happenings and events,” says owner Wesley White.

Although it might seem as if he and his clients talk about anything and everything, there are some conversations he shies away from. “We try not to talk about politics or religion. And we’re not big on gossip. I don’t like it. As far as celebrity gossip, we’re all about it; but local gossip, no. You never know who’s sitting in the next chair, and if they know the person you’re talking about. It makes for a very awkward conversation.”

White says it’s a misconception that hair shop talk is about gossip. “It’s deeper than that. We’re about relationships.”

Wesley White working on Mariel Sanchez at Salon W

Sonnier agrees and tries to keep her shop gossip-free. “Some clients will come in and ask me, ‘Well, what’s the gossip?’ I say, ‘I don’t know any.’”

Sonnier, who’s both a hair stylist and certified barber, sees a mix of clients, both men and women. In her shop, she hears a lot about the economy, the school system, Obamacare, and the price of gasoline. But they aren’t her favorite topics of conversation.

“We have no control over those things, so why sweat it? Let’s talk about the good stuff — weather, family, grandkids.”

While she may downplay the political talk, she welcomes conversations about faith and God. “When I attended barber college 20 years ago, we were taught to keep religion and politics out of our businesses. But some days, there are clients who ask me for prayer. I stop their haircut right there and we pray.”

Barber Kelvin Williams works at Jan’s Hair Care on 18th St. in Lake Charles. Like Kim, he is comfortable with sharing his faith. Often, his clients tell him about marital or relationship problems or other personal struggles. “I do my best to encourage them. I give them my perspective, based on what I’ve learned in church.”

Kelvin Williams at Jan’s Hair Care

Barber shops especially often seem to be social scenes for the locals. The barber holds court, shaving whiskers and cutting hair, while clients, whether they’re getting a trim that day or not, sit around, shoot the breeze, and catch up on the latest news.

Williams sees this phenomenon in his shop. “We often have people stop in. Maybe they just got their hair cut yesterday, but they pop in just to say hi or follow up or find out what’s going on. They check in to see how we’re doing or if we need anything. It’s like a family within a family.”

Opening The Floodgates of Familiarity

What prompts a client to spill their deepest darkest secrets to the hair dresser? “Clients relax in the chair,” says LeighAnn Moreau, a stylist at Salon W. “It’s a personal experience. People tend to open up when I’m working with their appearance.”

White adds, “The salon is like a sanctuary. People come here to escape. It’s a time of relaxation, laughter, and fun. We take their minds off their problems and troubles. They especially open up while getting shampooed.”

Carly Bertrand is a regular client at Salon W. “I’ve been with Wesley since he was just out of hair school,” she says. “I talk to him because he’s my friend. He makes me feel comfortable. We talk about what’s going on in each other’s lives, news stories, internet stuff, boys and relationships, school … we catch up when I come here every six to eight weeks.”

Hair dressers are often cheerleaders as they cut and curl. White’s been styling Mariel Sanchez’s hair for nine years. “He encourages me when I’m stressed with school,” says Sanchez. “He says, ‘You can do it!’”

Clients may open up to hairdressers because they feel they can say anything and there’s nothing to lose. Clients can share something shocking or scandalous with their hair dresser, and the hair dresser will remain their hair dresser and friend. “I do hear some jaw-dropping stuff,” says Sonnier. But there are no repercussions while sitting in the salon chair. “It’s a no-judgment zone,” says White.

A Matter of Trust

Both clients and salon workers cite trust as the primary reason for the no-holds-barred communication in barber shops and salons. “When someone opens up to me, it’s personal,” says Sonnier. “They trust me to not put their business on the street.”

“Our clients look to us to help them,” says White. “They believe in us. They say, ‘I trust you.’”

And that trust leads to a bond. Both hair dressers and clients say their relationship with each other is much more of a friendship than a business relationship. Liz Touchet, a stylist at Salon W, says, “When a client is here for two hours and we’ve done her hair for years, we form a bond. They become a part of our lives, like family.”

In the hair business, there’s a tremendous degree of loyalty. Miller, after working in the same location for 48 years, has now been cutting the hair of some family members to the fourth generation. “I know my clients’ families and know pretty much everything about them,” Miller says. Anthony Edwards (pictured) has been seeing Miller in his shop since he was a kid. He now lives in Ragley, but still goes to Westlake so Miller can cut his hair.

Gervis Miller working on Anthony Edwards at Pousson’s Barber Shop

Sonnier says, “My clients are not just a customer or a buck; they are my family, and if not for them and their loyalty, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I’ve been in business almost 20 years. I’ve relocated a time or two. But they always tell me, ‘As long as you don’t cross the bridge [out of Moss Bluff], we’ll be here for you.’”

White and his partner recently adopted a baby. They were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, support and gifts from White’s clientele. “Clients aren’t just clients,” White says. “They become friends and family. Maybe it’s a southern thing, or maybe it’s true in salons across the nation, but we like to be involved in each others’ lives. That’s what I love about my career.”