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Story: Personal grooming

Women's hairdresser

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Women's hairdresser

In this 1976 photograph of New Plymouth salon, Renee Hairstyles, three hairdressers work on customers –  two women and a man (on left). A fourth hairdresser (perhaps an apprentice) is busy at an adjacent bench. Working as a hairdresser meant regular exposure to various chemicals and (particularly for apprentices) frequently wet hands. Dermetitis, allergies and infections were common reactions.

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Puke Ariki - Taranaki Museum & Library, Swainson/Woods Collection

Reference: WD.025742

This item must not be copied or reproduced in any print or electronic media without the prior permission of Puke Ariki Museum and Library. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

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How to cite this page

Bronwyn Dalley, Personal grooming – Hairstyling and hair removal, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/38755/womens-hairdresser (accessed 3 June 2026).

Story by Bronwyn Dalley, published 30 November 2012.