The Salon
Every haircut tells a story
From Beirut to Tokyo, London to Johannesburg, a simple haircut can spark conversations about race, sexuality, age, class and dreams.
Step inside these salons to eavesdrop on some surprising, moving, funny and frank stories.
Tokyo: A tale with a tail
Department store worker Mami goes to a salon where her dog Mini can get a trim at the same time. But Mami's love for her pet masks a story of longing.
Beirut: Curly-haired rebellion
Miriam is colouring her naturally curly hair a deep red. It's an act of minor rebellion in Lebanon where the style is for ultra-glamorous sleek, straight hair - and plastic surgery to match.
Manchester: First cut since chemo
When Daniele lost her hair during chemotherapy, her altered appearance challenged her sense of identity. It was a painful experience for Daniele and her hairdresser husband Graeme.
One of the first things I thought was, ‘Oh my God, I'm going to lose my hair' Daniele
London: Natural with a twist
In London, Cameroonian CeCe explains to stylist Pearl why she wants a natural hairstyle to show the world she is African. But the definition of "natural" is up for debate.
Johannesburg: Township styling
Zimbabwean Sharon has set up a salon in a shipping container in her shanty town community in Johannesburg. She has plenty of clients but life as a migrant worker is tough.
See more stories from The Salon next week
Credits
Videos produced by Charlotte Pritchard, Christine Jeavans, Gertrude Kitongo, Kent DePinto, Marwa Al-Nagar, Vibeke Venema
Filmed and edited by Neil Meads
Additional editing: Amanda Gunn, Peter Roach
Production co-ordinator: Janet Staples
Executive producer: Charlotte Pritchard
Editor: Richard Knight. Commissioning editor: Steve Titherington
Web design and production: James Offer, Punit Shah, Scott Jarvis
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