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Explore your benefits at ahphair.com 65 T he beauty industry is in a unique position to support an aging population because hair professionals oen have something many other professionals don't: repeated, personal contact with clients over many years. We oen know our clients' stories—and sometimes their families'— better than most outside their homes. As this population ages, those relationships will become increasingly important. e Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about one in nine Americans age 65 and older are living with dementia and an additional 11 million Americans provide unpaid care for someone with Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia. 1 For those families, finding a salon that says, "Yes, we can work with you," can be enormously meaningful. As the owner of Illuminate Hair & Spa in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, I wanted our team to become better equipped to serve clients at every stage of life. is led our team to become dementia certified through Ozaukee County's dementia-friendly business training. For us, the certification was about more than adding another credential to our wall. It communicated that someone living with dementia or a family member caring for them could walk into our salon and know that our team had taken the time to learn how to meet them where they are. It gave our clients and prospective clients something incredibly important: trust. START WITH THE PERSON— NOT THE DIAGNOSIS One of the biggest changes a hair pro can make is also one of the simplest: Don't let the diagnosis become the client. Dementia's effects can include changes in memory, communication, reasoning, judgment, and the ability to navigate everyday activities. But dementia doesn't erase someone's personality, history, preferences, or dignity. e client is still the person they've always been. e National Institute on Aging notes that grooming—including hair, makeup, and nails—can help people living with Alzheimer's disease feel more like themselves. 2 at's powerful for hair professionals to remember. We aren't simply performing a cosmetic service. We may be helping someone maintain identity. A guide to dementia-friendly hair care by Lindsey Greenwood unsplash