Is your hairdresser really your therapist?

Is Your Hairdresser Really Your Therapist?

I read somewhere that people are more honest with their hairdresser than their doctor — and I believe it. First-hand, I’ve done it myself. When asked by my doctor about my weekly alcohol intake, I shaved a few units off. When asked about pain, I’ve been known to add an extra digit just to skip the endless NHS queue.

But when you're in the barber's chair? There’s something about the scissors, the mirror, the atmosphere — people open up. We’re like confession boxes with capes.

At Woodstock HARE, I often referred to the left rickety red chair where I stood for six years as “the chair of truth.” I say “painfully” with a cheeky smile, because it was incredibly fun and wisdom-inducing — but also physically and emotionally raw.

We’d play silly games to keep the spark alive: “How much info can I get from this person?” or “How many times can I say the word ‘penguin’?” We’d try rhyming it or slipping it in mid-sentence to win our discreet competition. Afterwards, we’d have full-blown debates over whether “that counted” or if something was “even a real word.”

One week I got so competitive I researched penguins to one-up George. Did you know male penguins gift female penguins with rocks to woo them? Or that they’re one of the most streamlined animals in the world? I used those facts to win. Worth it.

At one point, I even started doing whole haircuts standing on one leg — just to challenge myself and break the routine. You get creative when your feet are screaming at you every hour.

But what we built at Woodstock was something more than a job, it was a beautiful brotherly boisterous bombardment of humour and entertainment. Playful arguments, big laughs, inside jokes that echoed through the shop. I genuinely get emotional thinking about those times. I feel so lucky to have such an amazing brother I trust with everything.

It was a performance, a team sport, and a daily dose of joyful madness.

We cut the hair of everyone — from the local bobby to wannabe gangsters selling weed, lawyers to freshly released felons. Sometimes in the same morning. It made for a lively but edgy atmosphere. You had to read the room. Quickly.

I developed a game where I’d guess someone’s career — sometimes even their school. Body language, tone, style, eye contact. It became a superpower. I could read liars, sense depression, detect trauma. It often led to bonding. And bizarrely, joy.

I once told a lad he went to Abingdon Boys, studied sciences at A-Level, and opened the batting for the cricket team. Nailed it. That’s what 15,000 hours of conversation does to your brain — it rewires you. You don’t just cut hair. You read souls.

But with all that openness and human insight comes weight.

We’re not trained therapists. Doctors are taught to emotionally detach. Barbers aren’t. And empathetic James struggled with the weight of people’s pain. We are at the grassroots. We see society from the ground up — the illnesses, debts, divorces, small wins and quiet breakdowns.

And it chips away. You want to help. You offer kind words or advice. But eventually, even the thickest skin and the strongest spine begin to buckle.

That’s where plantar fasciitis kicks in. The constant standing, unforgiving floors, ten-hour shifts, it’s not just metaphorically painful. It’s physically draining. My heels burned daily, my back ached, my legs felt like concrete. But that was nothing compared to the emotional exhaustion that crept in silently, through the cape and behind the clippers.

I’m convinced this helped fuel my drinking problem. The free beers we served didn’t help either. But mostly, it was the emotional role we played — half confessional, half sponge. And after enough years of soaking in pain, it starts to leak.

I’m not Gandhi. I don’t glide around in flip-flops, floating in the present. I’m reflective, western, and prone to over-analysis — especially about people. I study behaviours, dissect patterns, and try to learn from others’ mistakes. That’s probably why I’ve never been married, and why I spent most of my youth single.

You hear things. Especially about divorce. Custody battles, financial ruin, mental trauma. It’s enough to scare even the bravest into hesitation.

Did you know around 50% of marriages end in divorce? Pair that with our archaic court system and confused government policies and you’ve got chaos. We’re trying to solve modern problems with outdated tools. Like plucking pubes with tweezers, slow and painful.

And yet — despite the wear and tear, there’s magic in this job.

It’s in the interaction. The people in the chair. Watching juniors grow into skilled artists, and hearing Oxford dons drop philosophical bombs while pensioners throw cheeky curveballs about politics or love. Sometimes in the same breath.

We’re not just hairdressers. We’re mirrors. Journals. Confidants. Performers. Legends. And yes — maybe, just maybe — a little bit therapist too.

And hey, next time you sit in my chair, just remember: I might know your deepest secrets…
But I’m probably too busy seeing how many more times I can say “penguin” under my breath.

The Truth about what’s going on in the barbering world.

Barbering’s been around longer than sliced bread. Ancient Egyptians were trimming fades before we even had electricity. In medieval times, barbers didn’t just cut hair, they pulled teeth and drained blood. The iconic red and white barber pole is not just for show, it dates back to when barbers doubled as surgeons, performing haircuts and bloodletting in the same chair.

Fast forward to the 1980s, when salons, started turning their noses up at clippers like they were weapons of mass destruction. “Sorry, we don’t do clipper cuts.” So what happened? Men went back to the barbers, where they actually knew what a taper was. That’s when barbering had its comeback tour and it’s been thriving ever since.

Now, let’s talk about the elephant in every town: the endless stream of Cheap barbers popping up like mushrooms after rain.

Some of them are very good, flame-in-the-ear, threading-your-eyebrows-without-consent, head massage that makes you question reality… and all for £14. Seems magical. Or is it mathematically impossible, considering a high street location in Oxfordshire can range from 18k-25k a year.

In April 2025, the National Crime Agency raided 265 "cash-only" businesses, most of them barbershops and froze over £1 million.

Why? Alleged drug trafficking, modern slavery, and money laundering ? So yeah, you might’ve thought you were walking in for a skin fade, but apparently you were three feet away from a crime scene.

The Times even dropped a piece in 2023 claiming some of these shops weren’t even cutting hair they were just fronts for washing dirty money.

You know it’s serious when the barbershop has a sign that says “Cash-only,” but hasn’t had a customer since lockdown.

Not every budget barber is dodgy, some are killing it in the right way. But too many are operating under the radar: no tax, no training or qualifications, no receipts, and no clue how to do a fade that doesn’t start halfway up your head.

Meanwhile… at HARE.

At HARE unisex barber shops, we do things differently. Actually, we do them properly:

•⁠  ⁠We pay our staff legally and fairly, no backdoor cash nonsense.

•⁠  ⁠We invest in training and development. We’ve got five NVQ assessors, three apprentices, and two newly qualified stylists getting mentored and supported daily.

•⁠  ⁠We’re big on staff wellbeing funding driving lessons, gym memberships, health checks, even private sessions on posture and back care.

•⁠  ⁠We encourage our team to grow, perform on stage, build their socials, and actually have a career, not just a job.

•⁠  ⁠And yes, we pay our taxes. We play by the rules and support our economy, we even run charity events and sponsor Witney Rugby club.

•⁠  ⁠We even recycle your hair and have a sustainability driven studio build policy.

So Here’s the Deal:

Support your local barbers.

The ones investing in people, not finding creative ways to balance the books. We don’t just do great hair we do it right. If you’re after a haircut from a team that genuinely cares, about you, your style, and the industry, come to HARE.

Hair on Your Terms: Why We Ditched the Booking System.

Soooo, we had to think long and hard about this one. Do women really need a booking service? Do you? Why is barbering historically a walk-in system, while hairdressing has been shackled to appointments?

Is the modern woman not too busy for rigid scheduling? Pulled in all directions, juggling work, life, and everything in between why should you have to plan your day around a haircut?

What if we said, chill—come in, grab a fancy coffee, hang out for 30-40 minutes. Bring clean hair (saving water, saving your time), and we’ll remove the fluff from the salon experience, leaving you with a fantastic cut in half the time.

We believe the freedom of a walk-in service fits hairdressing just as well as it does barbering. What if you wake up one day and want to switch things up? What if an event suddenly pops up and you need a quick tidy-up or a blow-dry? When did we lose that impulsivity in the industry? And why are you being sold your next appointment six weeks in advance? Who decided that timeline?

It’s just sales, a clever way to keep you locked in.

And let’s talk about attachment to stylists. If the consultation is solid, if we listen, if we understand your hair and your vision—your cut should never go wrong. That’s why we’ve built an app and a detailed record system to ensure consistency, no matter who picks up the scissors.

Beyond the haircut, we’re passionate about the next generation of hairdressers. At HARE, we don’t believe in the old-school hierarchy where juniors spend years washing hair, waiting for their turn. We throw them straight in. Ruby did a cut on her first day. Free haircuts, then discounted ones—real opportunities to build skill and confidence. The walk-in system fits perfectly because it encourages clients to trust the new generation instead of always defaulting to senior stylists. And trust us, these kids are talented.

So, here’s to a new kind of hairdressing experience one with freedom, flexibility, and a whole lot of heart.

Restoring Beauty, Resisting Waste, our Sustainability Mission

George and I recognised early on that the building industry and salons were far from sustainable. We work diligently to ensure our projects are as ethically sustainable as possible.

For instance, many salons wash hair colour down the sink, which is an environmental hazard. Similarly, the building trade has a reputation for poor recycling and reuse practices, often favouring replacement over preservation. We actively challenge this wasteful approach.

Where have we gone wrong with the ‘replacing culture’ that seems prevalent in all areas of modern Western society?

Is it marketing and trickery? A lack of education to fit modern needs? And has it led to the demise of family values and religion? Perhaps this same mindset—where newer is always better and fixing what we have is seen as too much effort, has fueled our throwaway culture. We see it everywhere: fast fashion, promiscuity, single-use plastics, and in construction, where buildings are rudely patched up rather than restored. But what if we shifted our thinking? What if we embraced craftsmanship, longevity, loyalty and the beauty of materials and relationships that already exist?

When did the British natives loose their religious values ? Anyway, back to HARE, I got a little excited.

Our studios incorporate recycled scaffolding boards treated with natural seasoning and oils. We repurpose metals from previously loved furnishings, and our insulation is made from horsehair boards. All our paints are ethically sourced, and we even use homemade stencils for our branding to avoid plastic waste. Our flyers are printed on recycled paper, our chairs are second-hand and reconditioned, and all products are ethically and locally sourced. Even our wash basins are second-hand. While these choices contribute to our studio’s unique aesthetic, more importantly, they align with HARE’s sustainability driven ethos.

We are also excited to recycle hair. Locally, Jack Thorne of ‘Thorne Design’ uses hair for compost and plantings, Green Salon Collective repurposes it for ocean oil spill clean-ups, and an eccentric artisan in Devon even makes hats from our clippings (don’t ask us how!). The key takeaway is that the hair gets repurposed instead of being dumped into landfills, as has historically been the case. Would you like some of our hair for compost ? please get in contact, its amazing for scaring away birds.

Our shop designs emphasise the natural beauty of each building.

In Woodstock, we restored the fireplace. In Eynsham, we spent weeks sanding and naturally staining the beams. In Witney, we uncovered a stunning old limestone wall that had been painted white. Similarly, someone had covered the exterior wooden boards with white paint, and we painstakingly multi-tooled and hand-sanded away this act of historical vandalism over several months. Admittedly, leaving the boards painted might have been easier and more cost-effective, but we take immense pride in restoring a building’s natural charm.

That said, we must take a moment to call out a certain representative from Historic England who prevented us from laying a beautiful floor in Eynsham because it wasn’t in keeping with the "nature of the horse stable." Considering 1 Mill Street hasn’t housed horses for two hundred years, this decision felt absurdly rigid.

Why is England so steeped in these nonsensical limitations?

Could this excessive protocol be holding us back? Too many rules, too much red tape, and, frankly, too much nonsense!

Where it all began.

I actually signed up for barbering course to get myself into Australia, and fell in love with the trade furthering my studies to ladies, and recognising the entrepreneurial opportunities, it’s funny how things work. But I never intended on being a hairdresser.

This led us to become the original boozy hipster barbers. We were actually the top purchasing ‘13 guns’ beer nationally, just for some perspective of how much beer we were giving away, this beer was served in Oneil’s & pitcher and piano. This period of our careers was quite the hoot.

I moved from trendy East London, and George, the energetic Cowley Road native, saw a gap in the market for premium gents’ hairdressing. This was long before the Turkish barbers' boom, back when barbering was still respected as a fashionable craft.

Both of us earned our Ladies’ and Gents’ qualifications in London before jumping at the opportunity to set up shop in sleepy Woodstock.

It didn’t stay sleepy for long…

Woodstock Barbers quickly became the top destination for men’s grooming in the Cotswolds, with loud indie music, swearing, heavy religious debates, and philosophical discussions adding to the boisterous atmosphere.

With a strong community spirit, we threw ourselves into local life, forming rugby and cricket teams, hosting charity events, and raising over £15,000 for local causes.

We understood early on that the key to people’s hearts is creating a supportive network, a nurturing environment for both staff and clients. Some of our proudest moments have been on the sporting field, especially when we beat the fire service, and absolutely smashed the police (that one, in particular, I enjoyed). To everyone who contributed thank you.

Five years on, we expanded to Marston & Eynsham, still offering premium barbering but noticing an influx of unqualified, lower-skilled competitors. The quality of men’s haircuts was declining, and we needed to adapt. That’s how HARE was born—our move into the female market.

Still staying true to our ethos of a no-nonsense, walk-in service, we started investigating the gender price imbalance in hairdressing.

We quickly realised that women were paying a premium for a service that, technically, is often easier than gents’ barbering.

Sure, blow-drying can be time-consuming, but is it really necessary? Do women need to look like they’re off to the theatre every time they get their hair done? We saw an opportunity for affordable, efficient hairdressing—without the unnecessary fluff.

At the same time, as we were defining our direction, I was traveling through Holland in my 1994 Rover convertible, King of the Hipsters, right? That’s when I stumbled upon a unisex salon in Zandvoort. If you haven’t been, it’s beautiful—wooden shack-like beach vibes, boutique restaurants, and an abundance of ridiculously attractive Dutch people. But be warned: if you're under six foot, your feet won’t touch the ground when you use the sit-down number two. That was quite the shock.

That trip sparked something. I discovered a salon in Zandvoort was offering a no-blow-dry service, and this inspired me to make the blow-dry optional and isolate the services as we do today. With heavy use of Google and a few late-night brainstorming sessions, we realised that salons were overcharging for unnecessary services, pushing clients into time-consuming washes and blow-dries they didn’t always need. This time and money saving, sustainable approach became the foundation of HARE Studios.

And so, the journey continues.

The secrets to creating your perfect haircut.

Gone are the days of a simple wash, trim, and set. Now, there are at least ten different types of skin fades! Low fade, drop fade, burst fade (god knows who came up with these names), by the time your cut has grown out, we’re back to square one.

I’m sorry to break it to you, but…

We don’t actually remember what we did last time. We pretend we do, but most of the time, we haven’t got the foggiest. Sure, we can get a rough idea, but "the same as last time" doesn’t quite cut it, especially with modern short haircuts and how open are you to your stylists interpretation and advice. Bring us some ideas.

The Truth? It’s All About Communication.

The success of your haircut depends on how well you describe what works for you before, or what’s been driving you mad.

Does your crown stick up like devil horns? Is your fringe constantly dropping into your eyes, giving you an accidental emo-Avril-Lavigne look when you were aiming for ‘polished yoga mum’?

Speaking of which, to the 45-year-old Volvo-driving mum who looked like she’d just dropped her kids off at Dragon School and gave me the wa**** salute outside Blenheim Lodge because I momentarily made you wait while overtaking a parked car due to being in my van with poor breaks, what’s wrong with you? I think you need a deeper chat with your therapist.

But back to hair… The more details you give us, whether it’s about your lifestyle, career, or hair struggles, the better we can tailor your cut. A reference photo doesn’t hurt either!

Creating Consistency with Our App.

To make life easier, our app lets us take pictures and attach a detailed stylists description, ensuring we work towards creating your perfect look. By being present on our app you will also receive discounts and HARE updates, making you part of our community.

George Jokes - What do you call a group of rabbits hopping backwards? A receding hare line.

Thank you for supporting HARE.

Big love always.