Shears and Secrets: Confessions From a Hairstylist

by Christi Goodwin

Have you ever wondered what goes on in a hair stylist's mind or the secrets they keep?

Get ready to enter the wild world of hair salons, stylists, and the clients they encounter. Shears and Secrets is a collection of true, unfiltered, short stories. Prepare yourself for outrageous clients and the insane situations stylists are faced with. You'll be taken on a journey from salon chairs, and break room gossip, to a stylist who worked in prisons and morgues. Brace yourself for a variety of emotions as you are thrown into a career full of color.

Possible trigger warnings to those who are sensitive to subjects dealing with death, or domestic abuse. Some chapters will refer to sexual situations, as well as the use of drugs and alcohol. Subject matter might not be suitable for those under the age of 16.

113 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 13, 2024

About the author

Christi Goodwin was born and raised in Southern California. After working in salons for a few years she and her husband moved to Northern Virginia, where they currently live. She holds both a Virginia and California cosmetology license, and has been awarded multiple specialist certifications.

Even from an early age Christi has enjoyed writing. Over time this has resulted in published poems and magazine articles. Christi juggled the salon life while raising her three children; two boys and a girl who are now grown. Over the years her family has enjoyed hearing the stories from her industry which has evolved into Shears and Secrets.

Reviews

[S. Bavey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shears and Secrets is a collection of memoir-style stories about experiences had by different hairstylists while they were working. Everyone knows that stylists have to be discrete due to the secrets they are often told by their clients –but what would you do when faced by a customer telling you he is having an affair with one of your other clients, when you also regularly style his wife’s hair? Or how would you handle knowing that a customer was suffering from domestic abuse, if you witnessed robbers coming into the jewelry store next to your salon, or if you were asked to style the hair of a corpse? Or discovered lice on your customer’s scalp? These are some of the situations described in this wonderfully entertaining, yet short anthology, and there are plenty more where those came from. There is also a hilarious chapter about the things people say when they do not stop to think first. Christi writes in a companionable style which makes you keep turning pages, keen to see what will be the next story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[diann bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun Quick read! I’m a stylist who appreciates these stories but I will say I’ve had a less exciting career than this author. That being said, I definitely recommend this book to my stylist friends!

[Alyssa Frazier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun read! Christie is one seriously talented hair stylist and also a very talented author! <3

[Jennifer Peer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. The language is conversational, and the narrative is easy to follow. If you have always wondered what about the relationship between a hairstylist and client, then this is the book for you. The stories have a wide variety of themes condensed in short stories. Some are humorous and others deal with more serious scenarios. This was a quick read that held my interest.

[Cleo Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great novella, that tells a series of short stories about clients, salon managers, stylists and the world of hair cutting. I would have loved a little more detail in some of the stories but it is great for anyone who would enjoy a light read.

[Lyndsay Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING book!!! Such a short & quick read to learn all about all the craziness that goes on in the life of a hairstylist. Includes heartfelt stories with humorous ones. Overall, a very entertaining read for all!

[Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good & quick read!

[Luke Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, fun stories and helps you get a better picture of the beauty world.