Rebecca Johnston, a 32-year-old hairdresser from Chorley, Lancashire, was told early in her career that she was not talking enough. Now, by offering silent haircuts, she has built a client base of over 300 and been shortlisted for a top industry award.
Johnston began working as an apprentice at age 17 in Lytham St Annes, near Blackpool, before moving to Manchester. She worked in salons in Altrincham and the Northern Quarter, where she began to realise that not everyone enjoys the pressure of making small talk in the chair.
From Introvert to In-Demand Stylist
“I would say I’m an introvert and probably a bit of a shy person. I’m better one-on-one or in small groups,” she said. “When I was a child I used to be so nervous going to the hairdresser and feeling like I had to talk. It was only after I started hairdressing that I built up my confidence.”
She added: “I’m not a loud person, I’m quite softly spoken, and there've been places I’ve worked in where I’ve been told I wasn’t talking enough and that I needed to be louder. But I realised people liked coming to me because I didn’t talk to them too much.”
Recognising Client Needs
Johnston said she is good at picking up when people do and do not want to chat. “If I felt like they didn’t, I would just stop. I wouldn’t keep asking them how their holiday was,” she said. “Of course it depends on the person. I don’t mind small talk, and it’s always nice to get to know your clients. But not everyone is that interested in getting to know their hairdresser. If you have got a busy life you may just want to get your haircut and go.”
She also found that many clients with anxiety, neurodivergent conditions, or sensory sensitivities found it difficult to find a hairdresser they were comfortable with. “I also found there are a lot of people with anxiety, people who just wanted to relax, or who for other reasons found it was a better option for them to come to me as I didn’t make them feel as nervous,” she said.
Going Freelance and Offering Silent Haircuts
After going freelance two years ago and building her own client base, Johnston, now based at Whitworth Street Creative Studio in Manchester city centre, decided to go further and began offering silent haircuts. “When I first put it out there I got lots of new clients,” she said. “Not everyone is the same and a lot of the time you attract clients who are similar to you. And I think they appreciated having that safe space where they knew they didn’t have to make that small talk.”
She says that just two years into her freelance career, she now has over 300 clients. The silent haircut side of her business has “grown significantly” and is “the thing clients mention most.”
How a Silent Haircut Works
During a silent haircut, Johnston greets her client, introduces herself, and conducts a brief consultation beforehand. Once they are in the chair, she does not speak unless she has specific questions about the haircut. She has also had clients who booked silent haircuts but, once they felt more comfortable, initiated conversation themselves.
“I can speak to one client and then the next client can be completely silent and that’s fine,” she says, adding that it is nice to be able to “build up trust” with clients over time.
National Recognition
Johnston has now been shortlisted for Independent Stylist of the Year at the Pro Hair Awards, run by Professional Hairdresser magazine. “I built this business around slowing things down: proper consultations, no rushing and silent appointments for the clients who need them,” she said. “Being recognised nationally less than two years in isn't something I saw coming.”
The winner will be decided at the final in London on September 7.
