Letting my neighbor cut my hair

[FormerFetus]

Ok–I realize this question is not on the same caliber as many of the moral questions here, but I’d still like your (name removed by moderator)ut!

My neighbor cuts hair at her house. She is a licensed hairdresser, but is not licensed to cut from her house (she isn’t working out of any salon at the moment). Knowing that this is wrong (she could lose her license if caught) would it be wrong for me to have her do my hair? Would this make me condone illegal behavior? I already let her trim and highlight my hair before I thought about this and now I don’t know whether or not I should have–am I being scrupulous?

Thanks in advance for your responses!

 

[Jennifer_G]

I guess as long as she doesn’t charge you? My mom has a hairdressing license. I doubt that means she can’t cut my hair at home. I would guess as long as your neighbor isn’t operating a business from her house, then it’s ok. But, then again, I’m not a legal expert.

 

[FormerFetus]

Thanks Jennifer, but she IS actually operating her business out of her home and I did pay her (and her other customers pay her). It is fine for her to cut her family member’s hair for free, but this isn’t what she is doing.

 

[ohioszo]

Your question has more to do with city zoning law. Since you are her neighbor, it is ironic that you would wonder about your neighbor running a business from her home, yet, wanting her to cut your hair! But, I will tell you another story about “licenses to be a beautician.” My cousin may or may not have needed a zoning license in her country home, but, she lacked a current license to “do hair.”

My cousin trained to be a beautician and did hair for the elderly in her village. She, for instance, was given $25 for a $45 perm and style. She trimmed my hair, also, suggesting $7, and I gave her $10. One time, I went to a local beauty parlor, and made a mistake in telling another (Catholic) village resident that my cousin cut my hair last, when I had brought my mother in to cousin’s. (My cousin also sews and alters wedding garments and prom dresses.) One might forget what the law is meant to do. It is meant to protect the ordinary person from unscrupulous beauticians, that may overcharge, or may not know what they are doing. Just like law and doctor’s licenses. My cousin also did not benefit from the credit one receives from Social Security points. No it is NOT a sin. Just don’t spread it around in order to get the neighbor in trouble and, make sure you pay her decently unless you need charity.

 

[KCT]

My neighbor cuts hair at her house. She is a licensed hairdresser, but is not licensed to cut from her house (she isn’t working out of any salon at the moment).

Ask her to come to your house! —KCT

 

[wcknight]

IF you want to abide by the absolute letter of the law, then you may want to refrain from having her cut your hair at her house. But chances are she needs the extra money to make ends meet.

Most beauticians don’t make much in way of salary. Cutting out the middle man (aka the beauty shop owner - and Uncle Sam the tax man) helps to supplement their income.

Morally, on a scale from 1 to 10 where one is very slightly sinful and 10 is wickedly sinful, I would rate it at less than one and greater than 0.

 

[mary_bobo]

IF you want to abide by the absolute letter of the law, then you may want to refrain from having her cut your hair at her house. But chances are she needs the extra money to make ends meet.

Most beauticians don’t make much in way of salary. Cutting out the middle man (aka the beauty shop owner - and Uncle Sam the tax man) helps to supplement their income.

Morally, on a scale from 1 to 10 where one is very slightly sinful and 10 is wickedly sinful, I would rate it at less than one and greater than 0.

And you don’t really know whether she declares her intake on her income taxes or not. I see nothing wrong with it.

 

[Celia]

IF you want to abide by the absolute letter of the law, then you may want to refrain from having her cut your hair at her house. But chances are she needs the extra money to make ends meet.

Most beauticians don’t make much in way of salary. Cutting out the middle man (aka the beauty shop owner - and Uncle Sam the tax man) helps to supplement their income.

Morally, on a scale from 1 to 10 where one is very slightly sinful and 10 is wickedly sinful, I would rate it at less than one and greater than 0.

Agreed.

 

[batteddy]

Sounds like a ridiculous law. Why are beauticians licensed at all?! Useless beauracracy…probably pushed through by a Special Interest Group!!

It’s not like a doctor or dentist where you take real health risks.

You risk you’re beauty…but I think that’s something mature adults should be allowed to decide to risk.

Hair styling is certainly a service that, on a small scale, someone should be able to offer from their house to neighbors for a fee. Like shovelling snow, raking leaves, selling items online or through the classifieds…

So…you, as her neighbor, I don’t think should feel bad. I think that’s “fair use” as it were…though not a copyright obviously

Now…if she has customers en masse from all over who aren’t her friends, neighbors, or family…then they should probably feel guilty. The “public” shouldn’t do it, probably. But I think you can.

I think it is within the reasonable boundries allowed by law for her to trim some hair for a neighbor, just as much as I can privately agree to sell my lawn mower to my neighbor. It’s when it becomes a public bussiness that it becomes a problem with zoning, etc. But that’s her worry.

 

[Celia]

Sounds like a ridiculous law. Why are beauticians licensed at all?! Useless beauracracy…probably pushed through by a Special Interest Group!!

It’s not like a doctor or dentist where you take real health risks.

You risk you’re beauty…but I think that’s something mature adults should be allowed to decide to risk.

Hair styling is certainly a service that, on a small scale, someone should be able to offer from their house to neighbors for a fee. Like shovelling snow, raking leaves, selling items online or through the classifieds…

So…you, as her neighbor, I don’t think should feel bad. I think that’s “fair use” as it were…though not a copyright obviously

Now…if she has customers en masse from all over who aren’t her friends, neighbors, or family…then they should probably feel guilty. The “public” shouldn’t do it, probably. But I think you can.

I think it is within the reasonable boundries allowed by law for her to trim some hair for a neighbor, just as much as I can privately agree to sell my lawn mower to my neighbor. It’s when it becomes a public bussiness that it becomes a problem with zoning, etc. But that’s her worry.

I work in a salon. Stylists are licensed to protect the customer…there are instances where the health and safety of the customer could be at risk from an untrained, unlicensed stylist. (dirty combs/equipment, using chemicals improperly, etc…) If you get inspected and you’re not up to your states standards, you can lose your license for a period of time. If they didn’t do this then customers could be at risk, walking into a dirty salon or who knows what.

Being licensed to operate your salon from home is a whole different banana from that stuff though. (In my salon the stylists all booth rent-something else which may or may not be allowed, depending on what state you’re in- and they have two licenses that they are required to display: their cosmetology license and their renters license.) I don’t think it’s a big deal morally on the client’s part in this situation, but the stylist herself is risking her cosmo license if she gets caught, unfortunately. She should just pay the $50 bucks, have her home salon inspected and set up shop! Obviously people are willing to come to her at her home.