Transgender woman opens salon to help others transitioning

A transgender woman has opened a hair and beauty salon in Hull to support other people who are transitioning.

Ria Cooper underwent gender reassignment surgery to become a woman when she was 14 however, having initially struggled with the change, the now 24-year-old wants to help others going through the same experience to feel comfortable in their skin – and is doing so by having opened a safe space salon.

The Hair & Beauty Lounge By RC offers hair styling, make-up services, nail treatments and a range of other beauty treatments including waxing, lashes and brows.

“The salon is about giving people a safe place where they can come and feel good about themselves, no matter who they are,” Ria told the Mirror Online. “I know how difficult it is to get rid of facial hair, how hard it can be to style a wig and how tricky it is to apply make-up properly when you first start transitioning.

“We get men from cities outside Hull using the service because most cross dressers do it in secret and won’t go out and about where they live as a woman.

“The salon is about giving people a safe place where they can come and feel good about themselves, no matter who they are,” – Ria Cooper, owner of The Hair & Beauty Lounge By RC.

“But we encourage customers who aren’t LGBT as well. We want everyone to feel really chilled out and relaxed and really feel comfortable. I call the salon inclusive rather than exclusive.

Ria continues, “The journey [of transitioning] isn’t an easy one though. Something as simple as walking into a beauty salon can be filled with anxiety. As soon as anyone walks in a hairdressers, all heads turn to look and that can be particularly daunting for people who are transitioning.

“I know a lot of transitioning people who have been asked to leave women’s hairdressers and visit the barber. It can be humiliating. Having somewhere like this is great.”

Check out Hair & Beauty Lounge By RC here and here!

Lead image c/o Andy Commins/Daily Mirror.