To delve deeper into the energy component of my pre-autumn haircut, I got on the phone with NYC-based hairstylist Andrean Noir. While Noir doesn’t call herself an “intuitive” or “energy-focused” hairstylist, many of her clients and co-workers do. She admits that her salon chair (at Bumble and bumble salon) has a metaphorical ottoman for her “sessions” where clients can get comfortable before going in for a big haircut, like chopping their long hair into a chin-length bob (which has been “super popular lately,” she says). With Noir and other energy-aligned stylists, the approach does not invite all your problems (like the trouble you’re having with your boss, or in dating) into the hair appointment; that’s a slippery slope to trauma dumping on your hairdresser. Instead, it’s about unpacking and verbalising your current relationship with your hair and how you want it to evolve.