‘It’s part of my personality’ fumes hairdresser as she’s told to dye her hair to get job

A HAIRDRESSER has been left fuming after being told to dye her hair to get a job.

Sarah Innes, from Edinburgh, considers her bright pink locks as "part of her personality";.

So she was stunned when a salon boss told her she would have to change it at a recent job interview.

Sarah, 33, has worked in the hair industry for 15 years and admitted the request has left her "upset and deflated".

She's spoken out about the incident in the hopes of encouraging employers to be more accepting, but has chosen not to name the salon to avoid a "pile on".

Recalling the interview incident, she told : "She [the interviewer] was telling me the number of hours they could offer and then she pointed to my hair and said 'You'd need to change that'.

"I was shocked. Hair salons are meant to be a creative space.

"I explained that I always get compliments on my hair from my clients and I even get stopped in the street by people telling me they like my hair.

"It just felt like it was discrimination. It's a part of my personality and to cover that is to cover a part of myself.

"I didn't argue during the interview because I've been brought up to be polite and well-mannered, but I was actually quite disgusted."

She added: "It's like telling a tattoo artist not to have tattoos, it was very odd to hear.

"It's 2024, I thought more places would be more accepting. The colour of my hair doesn't stop me from lifting my elbows and cutting and styling hair, from doing the job that I love."

And if Sarah's experience isn't warning enough to be picky about choosing a decent hair salon, listen up.

A hairdresser has revealed the five red flags you should watch out for when choosing the right person to look after your locks.