I am writing this because I refuse to stay quiet about the blatant disrespect and discrimination I experienced at Great Clips in Poway, California.
On September 8 at around 1730, I walked in and politely asked if they accepted walk-ins. They said yes. I then asked if they charged for blowouts, and they confirmed they did. I told them honestly and upfront that I had some hair spray in my hair, that there would be a little residue, and that they were welcome to shampoo my hair first if needed. I was transparent, respectful, and clear.
When I sat down, the stylist (a white woman) removed my hat and hair tie, and from that moment her behavior became completely unprofessional and degrading. Every time she touched my hair, she made rude faces of disgust as if my hair were dirty or contaminated. She then asked me what spray I was using I told her it was just a cheap Walmart spray. Instead of simply proceeding like a professional, she acted as if I had lice, and even told her coworker to come check my head.
Let me be clear: I told them from the beginning what was in my hair. It was product residue, not lice. I am a grown adult, and a teacher. I know the difference between hairspray residue and an actual medical concern.
The humiliation didn't end there. When I got up, took off the apron, and said I was not going to tolerate this, I left in tears and in anger. I later had a friend go back in to tell them how unacceptable their treatment was. My friend specifically told them: "She's a paramedic and a teacher she's clean, she knows what she's talking about, and she doesn't have lice." Even after being told that, the staff still doubled down and shrugged it off with, "Oh, people have lice."
Manager had already left!
That made it worse. They had been told by someone advocating for me that I was a medical professional and educator who had already explained the residue in my hair. They chose to ignore the truth and instead stand by their disrespect, stereotyping, and humiliation. That shows me it wasn't about "health precautions" it was about judgment, bias, and discrimination.
I cannot ignore the racial undertones of this incident. I am Mexican. This salon is in a predominantly white area. I can promise you that if I were white, dressed differently, or "looked the part," I would not have been treated with such disgust, suspicion, and stereotyping. Instead, I was judged, disrespected, and humiliated in front of others as if my ethnicity, appearance, or choice of hair spray somehow made me dirty. That is discrimination, plain and simple.
I will not stay quiet. This experience was not only offensive, but it was also traumatizing. No customer should ever walk into a salon a place that is supposed to be welcoming and professional only to be treated with open disgust, accused of having lice, dismissed when raising concerns, and then further disrespected even after clarification from a friend.
Great Clips Poway, you should be ashamed.
* Train your staff on basic professionalism and respect.
* Train your staff on cultural sensitivity and anti-discrimination.
* And most importantly, remember that when people walk through your doors, they are customers deserving of dignity, not subjects for judgment, stereotypes, or mockery.
I will be filing a formal complaint with the California Civil Rights Department and considering further legal action under the Unruh Civil Rights Act, which protects customers in California from racial and ethnic discrimination in businesses.
You lost a customer for life, and I will be sharing this story widely. I hope this serves as a wake-up call that racism and discrimination will not be tolerated not in Poway, not anywhere. read more