Hair stylists training to spot signs of domestic abuse - 13abc.com Toledo (OH) News, Weather and Sports

Hair stylists training to spot signs of domestic abuse

Leaders in Sandusky County are enlisting hair stylists to help fight domestic abuse.

October is domestic abuse awareness month because cases spike in the winter months.

So Sandusky County is leaning on salons by training hairdressers to look and listen for signs of trouble.

The stylists at Hair Plus in Clyde hear a lot of stories from clients while at work.    

"You're just never bored, never bored in this business," says Peggy Billings, a hair stylist at Hair Plus.

Women feel a sense of intimacy in the hairdresser's chair. It's a sense of trust to spill secrets.

"When they're sitting in our chair, we could be their best friends," says Wendy Weinheimer, a hair stylist at Hair Plus.

But sometimes stylists notice something dangerously wrong.

"I've already come across a woman, a client of mine that has had her hair pulled out of her head by her boyfriend," says Weinheimer.

"Bruises, cuts, abrasions, sometimes hair missing," says Billings.

That's why in October these women are going through special training with the Sandusky County Department of Job and Family Services called "Cut It Out." It's a program to help them identify and connect domestic violence victims with support.

"We've had over a thousand calls intake calls this year already," says Melanie Allen with the Sandusky County Department of Job and Family Services.

Allen says domestic violence is on the rise in the county.

"I think we're seeing a lot more violent domestic violence where it's very dangerous situations that our families are in and we're looking to reach out to families so they can find services that will help them," says Allen.

 Soon these hairdressers will not only be changing looks, but lives as well.

They'll train to spot signs of abuse and gently persuade the women to take action.

"There's really nothing you can do except to give her the correct information of where to get help if she does not want to go to the police," says Weinheimer.

17 stylists are signed up for the free training on October 1^st at the Sandusky County Department of Job and Family Services in Fremont.  It is voluntary. To register call 419-334-8708.