Today we meet Anaïs, a hairdresser who works from home.
We chose to ask him a few questions to help you discover his work and his world.
Anaïs is passionate about her work, and it's this human touch that stands out most in our conversation. We invite you to discover everything Anaïs shared with us during this pleasant half-hour chat.
Hello Anaïs,
Could you introduce yourself in a few words?
Hello everyone,
My name is Anaïs, I have been a mobile hairdresser for 7 years, including 3 years in the Villé Valley and its surroundings.
Are you originally from the Villé Valley?
No, I am originally from Hunawihr on the wine route, but I fell under the spell of the valley, its reliefs and its green setting which invites calm and serenity.
You are a mobile hairdresser. Could you tell us a little about your background and how and why you chose to work this way?
I completed a 4-year school course to obtain my CAP and my professional diploma, then I worked for 5 years as an employee in various hair salons.
The idea of becoming self-employed came to me when I realized that I wanted to deepen the relationship with the client, take my time to provide her with a quality service and thus create a bubble of well-being where she could be pampered and decompress from her daily life, which is often very busy!
What do you like about hairdressing?
The closeness to the person, the well-being I bring them, the quality exchange during an appointment, the beautiful encounters, the added value that we bring to a face with a beautiful hairstyle.
If you had to define the hairstyle, what words and description would you use?
It's a hair care profession! Hairdressers practice a technical profession that involves cutting, blow-drying, perming or highlighting, which requires skill and a certain artistic sense.
You've already told us a little about what you think on the subject, but can we compare hairstyling to a form of sculpture and therefore say that there is an artistic side to hairstyling?
So yes, that's exactly it, a sculpture that must be adapted to each person because art being subjective, in hairdressing, the result must please immediately without raising any questions!
What equipment do you use?
I use all the necessary equipment to work conscientiously and meticulously.
This includes everything from clippers and hair dryers to inflatable dryers for blow-drying styles. I also have a portable, freestanding shampoo basin. This allows clients to be comfortable during shampoos and various rinsing procedures, whether it's for highlights, color, or balayage.
There is equipment that we prefer and enjoy working with.
To stay on a similar topic, what products do you use? There are so many brands and product lines available today. Are people concerned about the quality of the skincare products you use?
I decided to prioritize quality by selecting products with innovative formulations because I'm truly focused on preserving the hair fiber. Every time you color, highlight, or balayage your hair, you put it through a bit of stress.
That's why my hair color and highlighting range uses this technology that nourishes the hair from the inside out while protecting it from the outside. It's a bit like a shield that blocks the unwanted effects of the coloring or bleaching process.
As a result, the hair is strengthened, shiny and healthy.
Anaïs, can you tell us a little about your daily life as a mobile hairdresser?
How does that work?
People usually book an appointment by phone, and I come to their home with all my equipment; the client doesn't need to provide anything. Then we discuss what hairstyle they want, and then I proceed with the cut!
Of course, any service that has not been performed is not charged, whether it's a blow-dry, a shampoo…
Who are your clients?
Are there more elderly people who have difficulty getting to a salon, or on the contrary, young, active people with little time?
My clients can be busy people who have a free moment during the week, who take advantage of it to relax quietly at home and get their hair done at the same time.
There are also families for whom it requires less preparation and logistics to have me come to them rather than going to a hair salon. The children can play with their toys, which makes the haircut easier.
I also have elderly people who prefer to stay at home because they have problems walking.
That's good, because you can interact with all age groups.
In terms of prices, is hairdressing at home more expensive than in a salon?
Hairdressers who come to your home are generally cheaper than a hair salon for the simple reason that we don't have the fixed costs of a hair salon, such as water, electricity, rent, etc.
Since I also stay within a 20km radius of the valley, I don't charge for travel. That's the nature of doing home visits; you know you'll have to travel!
What services can you provide at home and offer to your clients? Can you do the same things as in a salon, or are there things you can't do?
Yes, overall I can provide many services at home. It's really on a case-by-case basis, and that's what I like about it: being able to take the time to properly guide and advise the person in their choice of hairstyle.
We offer a wide range of services, including blow-dries, men's haircuts, children's haircuts, women's haircuts, highlights, balayage, coloring, styling, perms, and updos. I also offer wedding hairstyles and makeup, so the bride doesn't have to travel.
I can do almost the same things as in a salon, but I try to focus on the essentials. There are some things I don't do, like full head bleaching or Brazilian straightening, because there are too many successive steps and it takes too long.
How did you adapt to COVID-19?
I've adapted with the necessary protective measures: wearing a mask, changing and washing gowns, and disinfecting tools. We're taking precautions to protect the client.
Do you have a catalogue with hairstyle models or is it a work of imagination and creation?
Yes, I have a catalogue of models for those who need photos to visualize themselves in a new haircut.
After all, not all haircuts suit all faces, that's why I also have a job of execution and imagination because it is necessary to propose haircuts adapted to each face shape.
How do you know which haircut will suit a face?
Thanks to my hairdressing/facial analysis diploma, I study the features, characteristics, and morphology of each face. This is why I can create a custom hairstyle for each client.
Every face has its angles, its hollows, its shadows. You really have to adapt to best meet the request and tailor the hairstyle to the individual.
What do you prefer to do for your clients?
What I love most is haircuts, all styles of haircuts, because I really enjoy seeing the quick change a good snip of the scissors can make. You can see the change immediately, and I love seeing the client's reaction when the magic of the transformation has happened, when I've understood their expectations perfectly and hit the mark. When everything goes like that, you see the sparkle in their eyes, and that's really great—that's what I love most about my job!
What is the gesture or technique that you really enjoy performing or putting into practice?
It's really about the cutting technique, a truly well-done, well-executed cut! That's what I like, having well-executed technical movements in cutting!
It's the speed! There's no pause to see the result, the transformation. With a single snip of the scissors, you see the change immediately!
Are there any hairdressing competitions, and do you participate in them?
Yes, there are hairdressing competitions, and yes, I participated in some during my vocational high school studies. They're really great experiences because they demand high standards and concentration. Since then, I've dedicated my time and energy to developing my business, but it's true that competitions are challenges we set for ourselves!
In the long term, do you want to open a salon or do you enjoy being a "mobile" hairdresser?
For now I like being in the privacy of my clients' homes, I like it a lot but I don't rule out the idea of creating a salon later, in my old age so to speak, when I no longer have the strength to transport all the necessary equipment to come to my clients' homes.
After that, with this idea in mind, customers would have to take the initiative to come to me! In addition, I will have a small corner in my house, this corner is already there so yes, the project is in the works… for later.
What is the most unusual request you have ever received?
My clients are quite sensible in their requests. I create beautiful transformations, lovely hairstyles, beautiful chignons, and easy-to-wear cuts for everyday life, but I haven't had a truly dramatic hair change like Lady Gaga's yet!
Let's change the subject a little,
What do you like about the Villé Valley?
I love its tranquility and beautiful landscapes. I really appreciate the calm and soothing atmosphere of the Villé valley.
What is your favorite place in the Valley?
It's in my garden, where I can recharge my batteries because I can hear the river flowing below. These are the simple things in life that I enjoy. I don't ask for much to be happy!
Anaïs, if you had to be a tree, which one would you be and why?
Birch, for its flexibility and adaptability to almost all soils!
If you were a country, why?
France, for its wealth and heritage, and besides, the French language is a language that speaks to me well (laughs!!!)
If you were a saying?
"The beauty of the sky is in the stars, the beauty of women is in their hair!" Italian proverb
Anaïs, if you had to give one piece of advice to a young man or woman wishing to become a hairdresser, what would it be?
It would mean never giving up and pursuing your dreams to the end, because hairdressing is truly an artistic profession, and giving yourself the means to make a living from hairdressing.
passion and his art!
Anaïs, we thank you for the time you have given us and we wish you all the best for the future.