After ten years of cutting their own hair because they didn’t feel seen at the salon or comfortable at the barbershop, Jules Heron created the kind of space they’d always wanted to go to—Hair for Humans.

At their Portland-based salon, the goal is for clients to walk out with a custom cut that makes them feel like the best version of themselves. “It’s about meeting people where they are at, and helping them find where they want to go,” says Heron.

Heron wants to show stylists that you don't have to fit your business into the binary of a masculine barbershop or feminine salon experience. Instead, they center the individual client experience, empowering everyone to embrace their unique selves with a gender-affirming style. 

“It doesn't matter what your gender identity is, it doesn't matter what your sexual orientation is, as long as you feel good in that cut,” says Heron. “Even if other people think it looks weird, if you feel good and like yourself—that's a gender-affirming cut.”

Today, Heron shares their personal hair journey, their two-part definition of a successful haircut, and how top surgery empowered them to feel like their authentic, confident self. 

short cuts, long impact 

When I was a kid, I got a lot of short cuts. I remember my mom asking me if I was sure I wanted to go short, and every single time, I would say yes and never look back. I always wanted short hair—it felt like me. 

When I was a preteen, I grew my hair out as a security blanket. I had just moved up to Portland from California, and I was insecure and shut down being away from all of my friends. I lost my sense of identity and the core of who I was when I moved, so I wanted to blend in.

Going through puberty at the same time and having things grow that I didn't want to grow, that made me feel even more insecure, even more disconnected from my body. It made me experience the world like I was walking through with a blanket over my face. I didn't know how to navigate the world or my feelings because I felt so disconnected from myself.

When I was 17 or 18, I felt ready to cut my hair short again, and felt a lot better. The power that a haircut has on your identity is so real.

after top surgery, I felt like myself

Growing up in the ‘90s and early aughts, we didn't have a lot of trans representation. I didn't know what was an option for me. I hadn't thought about being trans or presenting more masculine, and I struggled for probably 15 years to find who I was and what felt like me. 

Once I had top surgery, I felt this immediate connection with myself. I went on this friend breakup journey and broke up with anyone whose friendship didn't feel good to me anymore.

Top surgery helped me feel the confidence to have that validation within myself that I didn't have before, and stand up for what I needed from myself and those around me.

every single cut should be a gender-affirming cut 

I believe that no matter what kind of hair you want to do, every single cut should be a gender-affirming cut.  This comes down to understanding haircutting techniques customized to each client, instead of memorizing haircuts like they teach you in beauty school. 

A lot of instructors will say: “This is a women's cut,” and “This is a men's cut.”  They don't broaden the horizon that this is a haircut for this person. 

It’s about developing your technique to bring out what each client loves about themselves, and creating cuts to suit their face shape, lifestyle, etc. To achieve this, the way it should be approached is: “This is how you build sharper angles,” and “This is how you remove sharper angles.” 

I have two rules for a haircut. One, does the client like it? And two, how does it grow out? Both of these factors influence their sense of self. Everything about our outward appearance reflects things that we feel on the inside, from our clothes to our hair. A gender-affirming haircut is if the client feels good in the cut. That’s it.

it all starts with the consultation

We're big on the consultation, understanding what a client needs and wants. I take time to clarify what each client is asking for. Understanding what they're bringing in and what they're wanting to walk out with, instead of just having them show the haircut they want and then I just do it. Instead, I break down the cut with them, ask if they want less weight on the sides, or more weight on the back, or texture on top. 

We talk through what they want to see to make them feel confident, which is what I want for every client. I want everyone to leave feeling grounded in the core expression of who they are. 

There’s no wrong way to be in this world. It’s okay to experiment with what feels good. What would it feel like to do this, or what would it feel like to present yourself in that way?

it’s not about the cut, it’s how you feel in that cut

I was two years out of beauty school, and saw a picture of Zac Efron with this blonde disconnected cut. I decided to give that to myself, and I hated it. I realized I wanted to feel as confident as Zac Efron in that photo. It wasn't about the cut. It was about how he felt in that cut. 

When you're trying to live based on other people's opinions, that causes a lot of internal turmoil. When you can feel good in your expression and how you present, it's easier to feel calm internally. Then you can deal with the chaos as it comes, rather than just living in perpetual chaos because you're not living your true, authentic self.