{"id":172724,"date":"2026-06-30T13:44:38","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T13:44:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.phorest.com\/blog\/how-to-make-your-salon-spa-or-clinic-more-inclusive-for-pride-month-and-beyond\/"},"modified":"2026-06-30T13:44:38","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T13:44:38","slug":"how-to-make-your-salon-spa-or-clinic-more-inclusive-for-pride-month-and-beyond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.phorest.com\/gb\/blog\/how-to-make-your-salon-spa-or-clinic-more-inclusive-for-pride-month-and-beyond\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make Your Salon, Spa, or Clinic More Inclusive for Pride Month and Beyond"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For some clients, booking a salon, spa, or clinic appointment is exciting. For others, it can come with a checklist of worries: Will they use my preferred name? Will they understand what I\u2019m asking for? Will I be stared at? Will I have to explain myself before I even sit down?<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not exactly the relaxing, confidence-boosting experience you\u2019re aiming for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Sarah Sewalelot, founder and stylist at Frequency Collective<\/a> in Washington, USA, puts it: \u201cInclusivity means creating systems that ensure every client feels seen, respected, and welcome from the moment they book until the moment they leave.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why true inclusion isn\u2019t just a Pride Month post, a rainbow in the window, or a \u201clove is love\u201d caption \u2013 lovely as those can be. It\u2019s the everyday details that make people feel safe, respected, and welcome from booking to checkout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can a salon or spa be more inclusive for LGBTQ+ clients?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Start by removing unnecessary assumptions. Use inclusive language, offer gender-neutral services and pricing, respect preferred names and pronouns, and train your team to listen first. Small changes can make a big difference, and yes, your clients absolutely notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What \u201cinclusive\u201d looks like in practice\u2026 and why it matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Inclusivity isn\u2019t one big dramatic gesture, but the tiny moments that tell a client, \u201cYou\u2019re safe here.\u201d It starts before they even walk through the door: how services and bookings are made, what questions are asked, and whether your team listens without making assumptions. From consultation to checkout and follow-up, inclusive salon, spa, and clinic practices are about creating an experience where clients don\u2019t have to explain, defend, or shrink who they are just to get a moment of self-care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laura Johnson, owner and stylist at Dogobees Hair<\/a> in York, UK, shared the story of a client at an old place of work, who felt anxious about booking appointments, because services were split into \u201cMen\u2019s\u201d and \u201cWomen\u2019s\u201d pricing. The client, a transgender woman, knew what she wanted \u2013 a feminine cut \u2013 but dreaded walking into the salon and feeling watched or whispered about. No one should need a bravery badge just to book a blow-dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For owners, this matters on every level: human, emotional, and commercial. Clients return to spaces where they feel respected. They recommend businesses that make them feel comfortable. In these situations, trust is the real loyalty programme. In an industry built on trust and word-of-mouth, that can really make an impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s be honest: a great client experience rarely stays private. People talk and tell friends. They leave reviews, and post on social. Those recommendations carry serious weight. Nielsen research found that 88% of consumers<\/a> trust recommendations from people they know above all other forms of marketing messaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Online reputation matters, too. BrightLocal\u2019s Local Consumer Review Survey<\/a> found that 97% of consumers read reviews for local businesses, with 41% saying they always read reviews when browsing for businesses. Add in the fact that social platforms are increasingly part of the discovery journey, with Sprout Social reporting that 76% of users<\/a> say social content influenced a purchase in the last six months, and the message is pretty clear: the way clients feel in your space can travel far beyond the salon chair, treatment room, or reception desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That sense of safety can have a lasting impact. Dee James, a trans woman and long-standing client of Brooke\u2019s Beauty and Spa<\/a> in Cambridge, UK, shared: \u201cEvery visit I made, and every treatment I had, improved not only my looks but also my confidence and ability to engage with the world in the way I\u2019d always wanted to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That line is powerful because it shows the real-world impact of an inclusive beauty or spa experience. So yes, inclusion is the right thing to do\u2026 but it\u2019s also part of building a business people trust, return to, review, and recommend. In these situations, trust becomes the real loyalty programme. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The biggest unlock: remove gender from pricing and services<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If there\u2019s one practical change that can instantly make your salon, spa, or clinic feel more inclusive, it\u2019s this: stop making clients choose between \u201cmen\u2019s\u201d and \u201cwomen\u2019s\u201d services, when what you really mean is time, technique, length, density, or complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because hair, beauty, and self-care aren\u2019t gender-specific. A short haircut isn\u2019t automatically \u201cmen\u2019s\u201d, and a restyle isn\u2019t automatically \u201cwomen\u2019s\u201d. No client should have to pick the least uncomfortable box just to book an appointment. We\u2019ve all got enough admin in our lives without turning a haircut into an identity quiz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A gender-neutral service menu helps remove awkwardness before a client even walks through the door. It also makes life easier for your team: appointments are booked more accurately, stylists and practitioners have the right amount of time, and clients know they\u2019re being charged fairly for the services they receive \u2013 not for who they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Christina Kirby, owner of Pinup Studio<\/a> in North Carolina, USA, puts it, \u201cHair isn\u2019t gender-specific.\u201d \u2013 which is simple and correct. No notes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sarah says one of the most meaningful changes Frequency Collective has made is \u201cmoving away from gender-based haircut pricing\u201d. As she explains: \u201cWe charge based on time, not gender. Hair is hair. What matters is the time, skill, and service required, not whether someone identifies as male, female, non-binary, or anywhere else on the spectrum.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Price by time and complexity, not gender<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A gender-neutral pricing salon structure means charging based on what the service actually involves. Think: a 30-minute cut, 60-minute restyle, clipper cut, colour consultation, long\/thick hair add-on, or advanced treatment appointment. All these are clear, practical, and fair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laura explains it perfectly: \u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t [you] charge on the time spent on clients\u2019 hair instead of their birth gender?\u201d Pricing this way means everyone pays for the time, skill, and care involved, while your team avoids running behind, and nobody has to decode a menu that wasn\u2019t designed with them in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you create a gender-neutral services menu and pricing structure?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n