“Dear PoPville,
I’ve been going to a haircutter for 2-3 years, even though the salon is a schlep, and the price has gone up significantly since I started with them. The haircutter does a superb job so I keep going back.
We don’t chat much. She works quietly, I read in the chair. We’re cordial. I respect her work and tip well.
But by chance, I recently discovered that I have been losing hair growth on parts of my scalp. It wasn’t falling out, it was failing to grow. The loss is not obvious when my hair is dry, but I noticed something one day after shampooing and took a picture and sent to my doctor (and yikes, it looked way worse than I’d realized). A blood test showed I’ve had an iron deficiency. While the deficit was not severe, it did need attention. (FYI hair loss is often a sign of insufficient iron intake.)
My haircutter could not have
missed the paucity of hair on my scalp as I sat wet-haired, directly under her gaze, these past 2+ years. Yet she never said boo to me! She just did her usual good job and pocketed her pay and tip. She’s been in the profession for 36 years, she’s told me.
Maybe she’s been advised not to provide health advice. Or perhaps other factors mitigate her failure to say anything, who knows. To me, though, it feels like a breach of trust.
This is why I post.
I’d like to understand if I am completely on my own here. Can’t I reasonably expect more support from a licensed professional whose service I pay for, and who is uniquely positioned to offer it?
“Hey, you’ve lost some hair. Talk to your doctor.” Is it out of line for a haircutter to say that? Is it entitled to expect that kind of engagement? I truly don’t know.”