A Buenos Aires Hair Salon, Evita’s Bun And The Benefits Of Female Group Therapy

-Essay-

BUENOS AIRES — “It’s a brief moment of time when we forget our problems…” The woman sitting next to me is waiting for her turn at a local beauty salon in the Argentine capital. As she’s talking to me, she’s also sorting through a small pile of magazines on an empty chair: “Besides, I catch up on the news I didn’t have time to read.”

There’s something timeless about hair salons, as we share a moment of intimacy with people we may never meet again. Of course, not all establishments offer that comforting atmosphere where you leave not just with better hair but also cooking recipes, gardening tips, information about Pilates classes, family stories told with the details of a church confession, and the latest news or gossip from the neighborhood.

Many here in Argentina, the nation known as the world’s “therapy capital,” consider a trip to the hairdresser like visiting a psychologist.

Laura, my hairdresser, achieves this particular ambiance thanks to her sweetness and intelligence when dealing with clients — and her professional beauty know-how, of course. It took me years to find her place, and I wouldn’t trade it for any of those faceless places where you’re served by one person one day and another the next, where they play loud music to discourage conversation and no magazines can be found because it’s assumed a smartphone is the only way to pass time.

Many here in Argentina, the nation known as the world’s “therapy capital,” consider a trip to the hairdresser like visiting a psychologist. If you pay attention to the conversations taking place there, it’s not far off.

Leaving responsibilities in someone else’s hands

Successful stylists have honed their listening skills, knowing that the sense of wellness with which you leave the salon is not due only to a successful cut and color. There is also singular relief in leaving our head in another person’s hands: for once, beauty depends on someone else and is no longer that heavy responsibility we carry daily.

On top of that, it is therapeutic: as if by letting down our guard, we freed ourselves of bad thoughts without even having to share them. That’s when a unique bond can be established with that person. It’s a matter of trust that goes beyond that specific service, which can explain that propensity among actresses and celebrities to share their griefs and secrets with their stylists instead of friends or partners. There’s a reason why our iconic first lady Eva Perón‘s hairdresser, Julio Alcaraz, the creator of her signature bun, was interviewed so often: he saw a different Evita.

In my neighborhood, there is an increasing number of barbershops, and I always wonder if the same atmosphere exists among the guys sipping coffee — or perhaps drinks — while waiting for their turn.

Things that can’t be done online

There must be something similar getting a haircut or beard trimmed, being one of those rare remaining things that can’t be done online. And such activities are sadly decreasing: with dating apps replacing bars, clubs or the random places where love was supposed to suddenly strike, as well as online yoga and exercise routines that are draining gyms of their customers, virtual doctor’s appointments, food deliveries so you don’t have to leave the house, and a host of other services that keep us away from face-to-face contact.

It’s good that there are still places where we are forced to exchange ideas, where we hear opinions and stories we would never have imagined.

In other words, it’s opening the possibility of something different every time… 

It’s good that there are still places where we are forced to exchange ideas, where we hear opinions and stories we would never have imagined, and which force us to break out of the glut of the same old sameness, which the algorithm is turning into our daily fare.

Worldcrunch 🗞 Extra!

Know more • Eva Perón, an actress of humble origins who rose to become the glamorous First Lady of Argentina, was a true international icon.

Beloved by the Argentine people, Perón was known for her kindness towards the poor and “decamisados” (ones without a shirt), and ran a charity foundation, the Eva Perón Foundation. She made no secret of her opposition to the aristocracy and oligarchy.

One of Perón’s signature legacies is the low chignon (hair bun), which not only served as a hairstyle, it was a political symbol. The tight bun projected control, elegance, and humility — all values she wanted to associate with her service to the people. — Rein Arnauts (read more about the Worldcrunch method here)