Salon Concerns for Clients over 300 pounds

People of all shapes and sizes need salon services at one time or another.  For most people, the salon visit is routine, but if a client falls into an "excessively obese" category, then it can be awkward.

1) Shampoo capes may be too small to secure around the client's neck.  A "Jumbo" cape has to be on hand. I do have some plus size clients that I know to pick up my largest cape in order not to cause embarrassment when a regular cape will not close around their neck.  I would rather error on "too big" than to have to try different capes to find one that will drape the client.

2) Platform dryers and styling chairs have armrests.  Luckily, I purposely selected styling chairs with some seat width to accommodate plus size clients.  I have heard of clients breaking the armrests of chairs due to their weight.  I have to admit that the hydraulic lift of my styling chairs have been challenged at times.  Usually, pumping up the styling chair is effortless, but occasionally, I do get a client that I have to really put some "leg grease" to pump them up.  Typically, for these clients, I try to limit using the hydraulics because their weight could cause some equipment damage.

3) Finally, there was situation in the nursing home where the client was in a wheelchair and she was too big to come through the door.  She literally had to be briefly transported out of the wheelchair sideways into the salon and the wheelchair had to be folded to get through the door and then open it back up for her to sit down.  Of course, at the finish of the hair service, she and the wheelchair had to get through the door separately again.