Can I state no male clients?

[Loulou4]

I am in the process of setting up a mobile beauty business after having a break to have my babies (I previously worked in a salon for 8 years.)
I am wondering how I go about stating I only treat female clients without offending anyone? Can I even legally do this?
When I worked in a salon I dealt with some lovely male clients but also a small number of not so lovely ones and the thought of being alone in a house with a male who is a stranger is a little concerning to me.

 

[TheDuchess]

As a solo practitioner it is perfectly ok to advertise a ladies only service (in the U.K). You do not have to offer to visit homes to carry out services on men.

Different rules apply in salons and spas with a team of staff. Businesses can still exclude men, but they are on dodgy ground and need to have a clearly thought out rationale.

You should also consider your policy for trans people. I have non binary clients with male names coming for intimate female waxing and also clients experimenting with their femininity and clothing choices. By thinking through the “What if” scenarios in advance you can be prepared. You could also take some professional advice about how best to phrase a polite refusal.

While you’re thinking about this I’d suggest having a policy about children and pets.

 

[RosieR]

Absolutely agree 100% with TheDuchess.

A Ladies only service is your choice, it is your business, it is your safety and it is not a matter for anybody else to challenge it. I am not up for any negotiation and have no problem being firm about it.

I have said no to a male wishing to receive waxing services and suggested that he would be better going to a salon whereby they do cater for males....mentioning that my insurance as a solo therapist would be compromised, because of the necessity of having a chaperone in attendance and I wouldn't have that. Not that you should need to explain the reason why. Risk assessment comes to mind.

Check with your insurers for guidance and most of all stay safe and look after yourself.

 

[Loulou4]

Thank you so much for your replies.

TheDuchess you have given me lots to consider so thank you for that too. What do you mean about children and pets? Do you just mean not having them in the same room as I am carrying out treatments?

 

[Beauty in Bloom]

I am in the process of setting up a mobile beauty business after having a break to have my babies (I previously worked in a salon for 8 years.)
I am wondering how I go about stating I only treat female clients without offending anyone? Can I even legally do this?
When I worked in a salon I dealt with some lovely male clients but also a small number of not so lovely ones and the thought of being alone in a house with a male who is a stranger is a little concerning to me.

Pretty sure this topic has been covered before Loulou4, hopefully this clears things up for you, and best of luck with your new venture x.

I am in the process of setting up a mobile beauty business after having a break to have my babies (I previously worked in a salon for 8 years.)
I am wondering how I go about stating I only treat female clients without offending anyone? Can I even legally do this?
When I worked in a salon I dealt with some lovely male clients but also a small number of not so lovely ones and the thought of being alone in a house with a male who is a stranger is a little concerning to me.

 

[Loulou4]

Thank you so much for this!!

 

[TheDuchess]

Hi Loulpu4

Welcome - first a forum protocol suggestion.

If you “like” someone’s post they are more likely to notice and respond to any follow up questions. It’s about visibility, I don’t always return to a thread and I only spotted your comment after RosieR had liked my own comment.

In answer to your question about children and pets, I’m thinking that one of the reasons that someone might like a mobile home visit is that it saves them from having to make arrangements about their children and/or pets. This can create issues for the visiting therapist with the challenges of disruption and distraction, health and safety concerns and potential for equipment damage. This point has been discussed on other threads in plenty of detail and is Off topic from your original question so I don’t want to digress.

In my own salon I have had plenty of near misses involving children - pretty much every time I ignore my own “no children in a treatment room” rule I have a fright. Parents don’t understand that we leave caustic (to children) chemicals in easy pump containers, scalding (to children) hot wax at accessible heights and have twitching electric cables trailing invitingly all over the place which can be very tasty to nibble upon (apparently). I once explained politely to an 8 year old child that I was holding a very sharp tool near her mother’s eyes and didn’t want to be startled by a child jumping around at my elbow, only to have the mother start to hyperventilate! Sheesh!

Parents and pet owners are often horrified by a request to exclude their darlings from their treatment experience. They imagine that they can continue to supervise whilst having a service and the result is very stressful for all concerned. Unfortunately many clients don’t consider how difficult it is to pack up whilst fielding interested children and inquisitive pets and, as my daughter is constantly returning items my DGD has snaffled from my salon, the contents of your bags may become fair game!