LGBTQIA+
We are proud to welcome everyone to our salon, and to be an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community, understanding of ND folk & those with disabilities
We hope you will agree that we offer a secure and discreet environment where you can be assured of both a warm welcome and a fantastic wax, regardless who you are.
We are extremely proud to say that many of our clients belong to the LGBTQIA+ community. When I first trained, I expected that most of my clients would be cis-women or gay men, but how uneducated I was! I now see many lovely people across the entire gender spectrum and have been on a journey of education as a result.
While I don’t profess to be in any way an expert on LGBTQIA+ issues, I do consider myself an ally and indeed am lucky enough to call some of my clients, friends. I have learned about so many trailblazers and influential people, such as Marsha P Johnson and Loren Rex Cameron and have been lucky enough to attend workshops held by Born UK and Be Trans Aware.
As Joshua Collins, owner of the wonderfully named LunchBox Wax says, “[The] sad truth is the body waxing industry… generally will not service our trans community, or men from the waist down.… People are judged for being [fat], judged for being too skinny, judged for being part of the LGBTQ community, judged for the color of their skin. Enough is enough!”
I have definitely found, the longer I’m in the industry the more horrified I am by some of the off-the-cuff comments I hear. It’s not easy to find a salon that is inclusive of everyone, and sadly there are too many who bar service to others from genuine ignorance. My aim has always been to welcome absolutely everyone to my salon. I am trained to wax pretty much anything on anyone, having undertaken my intimate wax training from Wax Daddy, Andy Rouillard at Axiom and I am proud to be able to treat people across the whole spectrum.
My only sadness with this part of my role is how many secrets I keep. I look forward to a day when I’m not a confidante because my client doesn’t feel they can let anyone else know that they are gay or CD or any other defining letter, and can simply be who they are, fearlessly.
Neurodivergence
We are pleased to welcome ND folk to our safe, inclusive space that values diversity. We strive to accommodate the unique needs of each person who walks through our doors and are here to provide a comfortable and relaxing experience tailored just for you. We look forward to meeting you and making your visit enjoyable!
With multiple diagnoses in the household, neurodivergence is one of our favourite topics of reading and conversation! We are very experienced in adjusting to accommodate different needs, be that sensory seeking/avoidant folk, those who like a quiet appointment, those who like to info dump their favourite topic or people who just want to keep their socks on (seamless ones, of course!)
If you have any needs that you'd like accommodated when you come to the studio, just drop us a WhatsApp (I'm not very good at answering the phone - maybe you can relate?!) and let us know what you need. I'm a chatterer, so if you want a quiet session just let me know and I'll dig deep and button it for our time together!
When I first began waxing I had no idea how useful it could be to our fellow NDs. It wasn't until my eldest son grew older (and hairier!) and began to be able to better vocalise his sensory issues that I realised how it can help. The feel of hair can be a massive sensory issue for some ND folk and my son discovered that the feel of his leg hair was so distressing it began to prevent him from sleeping.
He began to shave, but as we all know, shaving creates prickles and prickles also = bad! So he took a deep breath and dived into a wax. Now, I won't pretend that waxing is easy for someone sensory avoidant, however by taking it slow and steady, we got there in the end and his sleep is so much better as a result. We now make sure to wax every four weeks to make sure it's as comfortable as possible for him.
We now see many ND people who like to wax for various different reasons. Many have sensory issues like my son, and prefer to feel smooth skin than the rough, moving sensation of hair, but the reasons people choose to come and see us are myriad.
Some folk find they do not have the executive function (spoons) to shave as frequently as they'd like. While they may prefer to be smooth for either sensory or social reasons, the sheer number of steps involved in shaving can be overwhelming. Autistic inertia, task switching issues and dysgraphia can all play a part in making shaving nigh on impossible for some. Having an appointment in the diary is a commitment every month to deal with the issue, and then not have to worry about it again for a few weeks. As time goes by, the hair growth reduces and things become much more manageable.
While we won't deny that a wax can be a difficult experience for some ND people, it seems that 20 mins of discomfort overrides the difficulties of hair removal at home. We will always try to make the process as easy as possible for you and we genuinely do understand the difficulties that present with attending an appointment such as this.
Disability
Welcome! We are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible studio for all, including our clients with disabilities. We aim to ensure your experience is as comfortable as possible and hope you will be assured of a great service with understanding and patience.
We are fortunate that our studio is located on the ground floor of a modern home, however there is a small step to pass through the front door (see photo below). Our treatment couch is electric and height adjustable, making it easy to sit or transfer on to. We can also easily add arms rests to help with balance and a feeling of security if needed. Your legs can be flat or inclined at the knee for your comfort.
Alex has experience in treating many people with disabilities, including people with Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, and people with an amputation. Please do contact us if you would like to discuss your needs prior to booking, or just let us know if you have any specific requirements that will make your treatment more comfortable. Personal assistants are of course more than welcome, and can have a cuppa while waiting for your treatment to finish!
According to the BBC, there are around 7 million people of working age in the UK with a disability. So why is it that we rarely see any campaigns in the beauty industry specifically targeting those people, making everyone feel part of the picture and included? An Elle Magazine piece tackled some of the questions I have, pointing out that some of the big brands are just now beginning to appear more inclusive in their marketing. But I’m interested in this issue on a grass roots level.
I know of people who have had to be carried into a salon for a basic treatment, due to lack of wheelchair access. I’ve seen conversations on forums where professionals are reluctant to provide extra time for those who may need it, because time is money and it will affect their bottom line. These are extreme examples, but at the very least should we not be doing something to let people know that we can (and will) accommodate differences should it be needed?
We are fortunate that our home salon is in a modern built house and on the ground floor. We have an electric bed that can move in all sorts of different ways to accommodate different bodies. But I think herein lies another problem – for many abled bodied people, having a disability immediately conjures up the image of someone in a wheelchair. Many will not think about the people who may have an ostomy that they are nervous about exposing, or the amputee who has not yet had a beauty treatment since losing a limb, or indeed one of the myriad conditions that are not overtly obvious. While of course, everyone is different, I know of more than one person who would love to have seen some indication on a beauty salon’s website or Instagram to let them know that they are inclusive of as many people as possible.
I hope this content will not come across as patronising in any way and, as always, I welcome feedback for areas where I can learn. I am committed to learning, and also to including everyone I possibly can to try to make a small difference and ensure as many people as possible can access the treatments that they want to have.