Staff at a new male salon in Dundee will be trained to identify early signs of mental ill-health in their clients.
Workers at The Mantuary on Commercial Street will undertake mental health first aid training before its opening later this year.
Owner Will MacPherson says he wants The Mantuary – which is taking over the former Edinburgh Woollen Mill shop – to be “somewhere for guys to go to relax and enjoy themselves”.
He said: “Mental health is such a big thing.
“Our staff will have the time to pick up on things. I’m not saying that they’re going to become counsellors but they will be able to say the right things and offer advice on who to speak to if necessary.
“We just want to have a place where people can feel comfortable.
“Staff members will undergo a combination of online and classroom training. Afterwards they will come out of it as certified mental health first aiders.
“It’s about listening to people and finding what the signs are. They won’t be medically trained, it’s just ensuring we have that approach.”
‘We want people to feel unashamed’
Will says he wants to create a space where people are generally at ease.
He continued: “If you put mental health aside, some guys like to have their nails or eyebrows done.
“They may feel uncomfortable going into a salon that has a client base that is predominantly female.
“We want people to come in and feel unashamed that they are getting something people may consider feminine done.”
Meanwhile Savannah Lockerbie has been confirmed as the general manager of the salon, bringing with her 15 years’ experience in the industry.
She said: “The Mantuary’s venerable team is looking forward to treating the city’s gentlemen to the grooming that they so deserve.
“The salon itself is like nothing Dundee has ever seen before.”
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