A Trip to the Beauty Parlor

The first time I heard about “the pill” was at the beauty parlor with my mother. I was far too young to know what that was but I did know, from all the excited talk between the customers and beauticians, that it was big news, something of big importance.

It was in the beauty salon that I heard all about Jackie’s suits, scandalous love affairs of actresses and the perfect oven temperature for pot roast. Yet, it was also the place I first learned who Nikita Khrushchev was and why the space race was so important and why everyone thought that Dr. Salk guy was such a hero.

It was an exotic place full of the sweet scent of hairspray and the pungent odor of perm solution. It was the only place I got to enjoy a cold five-cent cola and the only place the women didn’t bother to talk in hushed voices just because I was there. Basically, I was ignored, free to get a sneak peak at the world of adult womanhood.

Long before Steel Magnolias hit the stage and big screen, our mothers knew one of the best places in town to get together with other women was the beauty parlor or salon. This was a time when there were few venues for the stay-at-home mom to meet and talk to other women. And, no topic was taboo. From sex to religion to politics, everything was fair game.

For those who worked at and owned these salons, they offered opportunities unavailable to many women in other professions at the time. Women started salons in their houses, perfecting their craft and their entrepreneurial skills on neighbors and friends. A few branched out and opened additional salons; all honed their business skills. And, they provided a forum space for both neighborhood gossip and serious discussion about world affairs.

—Betty

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Check out Betty's article "Hair We Loved (and Sometimes Hated)"

Here's some fun Boomer era hair history links:

Hair Archives features styles from the past with instructions on how to recreate some of the looks.

Fun teen hairstyles can be found on The Fifties Web.

Hairfinder offers a list of vintage hairstyle resources on its site as well as connections to information on the latest hair styles.

Hair Boutique features hair related news and tips from all over as well as a collection of articles on retro styles. Lots of celebrity style news.

The University of Texas at Austin has a great article by Dr. Tiffany Gill about the history of the African American hair salon and its importance in the community.

More Hair Fun:

"Hair We Loved and Sometimes Hated"

"Ode to the Toni Home Perm"

"Tressy: Best (Hair Dressed Doll"