Public engagement and climate change: exploring the role of hairdressers as everyday influencers

Briony Latter; Sam Hampton; Denise Baden; Stephanie Hodgson

doi:10.1057/s41599-026-06781-4

Public engagement and climate change: exploring the role of hairdressers as everyday influencers

Briony Latter, Sam Hampton, Denise Baden, Stephanie Hodgson

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Public engagement has a key role in the social transformations needed to address climate change, one form of which is climate conversations. This research focuses on a widespread and conversational space - hair salons. It engaged with sustainable salons across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland to explore these conversations in two studies. Thirty salon owners/directors were interviewed about hairdressers’ engagement with clients about climate change and sustainability (GoZero), and an intervention was conducted with 25 salons using eco-tips on mirrors to prompt sustainable hair care conversations (Mirror Talkers). The results show that hairdressers already have a strong understanding of public engagement, are able to ‘read’ clients and maintain trusting relationships. Climate and sustainability conversations are happening in sustainable salons and impacting clients’ mindset and behaviour, with the intervention viewed positively. This paper argues that hairdressers are a prime example of ‘everyday influencers’ on climate change, but their potential has not been fully realised.

Original language	English
Article number	415
Journal	Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
Volume	13
Issue number	1
Early online date	26 Feb 2026
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-06781-4
Publication status	Published - 26 Feb 2026

Data Availability Statement

The datasets generated during the current studies are not publicly available due to the risk of individual identification but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to everyone who gave up their time to participate in the research. The GoZero research has been enabled by funding from the UK Energy Research Centre Phase 4 Programme (Grant Ref: EP/S029575/1). Mirror Talkers was funded by UKRI and Green Salon Collective (Grant Ref: ES/T502029/1). L’Oréal, Wella, Aveda and Toni & Guy provided letters of support for the UKRI funding application, and Wella funded the dissemination event for the project.

Funding

Thank you to everyone who gave up their time to participate in the research. The GoZero research has been enabled by funding from the UK Energy Research Centre Phase 4 Programme (Grant Ref: EP/S029575/1). Mirror Talkers was funded by UKRI and Green Salon Collective (Grant Ref: ES/T502029/1). L’Oréal, Wella, Aveda and Toni & Guy provided letters of support for the UKRI funding application, and Wella funded the dissemination event for the project.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 13 Climate Action

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Business,Management and Accounting
General Arts and Humanities
General Social Sciences
General Psychology
General Economics,Econometrics and Finance

Access to Document

10.1057/s41599-026-06781-4Licence: CC BY

Cite this

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abstract = "Public engagement has a key role in the social transformations needed to address climate change, one form of which is climate conversations. This research focuses on a widespread and conversational space - hair salons. It engaged with sustainable salons across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland to explore these conversations in two studies. Thirty salon owners/directors were interviewed about hairdressers{\textquoteright} engagement with clients about climate change and sustainability (GoZero), and an intervention was conducted with 25 salons using eco-tips on mirrors to prompt sustainable hair care conversations (Mirror Talkers). The results show that hairdressers already have a strong understanding of public engagement, are able to {\textquoteleft}read{\textquoteright} clients and maintain trusting relationships. Climate and sustainability conversations are happening in sustainable salons and impacting clients{\textquoteright} mindset and behaviour, with the intervention viewed positively. This paper argues that hairdressers are a prime example of {\textquoteleft}everyday influencers{\textquoteright} on climate change, but their potential has not been fully realised.",

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Public engagement and climate change: exploring the role of hairdressers as everyday influencers

Abstract

Data Availability Statement

Acknowledgements

Funding

UN SDGs

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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