By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
THE Linden Place Hair Shop in Doveton will no longer take male ’walk-ins’ for waxing after an incident recently when a man exposed and touched himself prior to a leg wax.
Owner of the salon Lauren Hodgson said the incident left her in complete shock and fearful for other salons in the area.
“I was in disbelief that someone could be so disgusting and disrespectful, but I thought it was a bit weird when he asked for one leg to be waxed from the knee up to about footy shorts length,” Ms Hodgson said.
The man told Ms Hodgson he wanted to compare shaving results with waxing.
The incident occurred at around 2.30pm on Wednesday 16 July.
When Ms Hodgson asked the man to remove his trousers, she was surprised to see he wasn’t wearing underwear.
“I gave him a towel straight away and asked him to cover up which he did willingly and as I was getting the wax ready he was laying on the bed and I noticed one leg was already bald.
“I couldn’t tell if it had been waxed or shaved and as I went to check I saw him playing with himself.
“I asked him to please stop that and he said ‘what’ and I repeated myself and he said ‘I thought we had an understanding’.
“I told him to please stop and leave and I walked out and left him to get changed,” she explained.
Having worked and owned the Power Road salon for a total of 16 years, Ms Hodgson said she has never experienced an incident like this before and was concerned the man may have tried it at other salons.
“Hairdressers and beauticians were warned about a man who was asking for waxing and exposing himself about eight years ago and when this happened it all came straight back to me and I thought maybe this is him.
“He may have shaved his own leg or tried it somewhere else and only got so far and finished it himself but I am so thankful my apprentice was at school yesterday,” she said.
Ms Hodgson said the man did not act aggressively towards her or her staff member, but was worried what he might do next.
“He walked out and drove away – I am kicking myself for not getting his registration number but I was in such shock for about half an hour after.
“I called the police and reported the incident because I wouldn’t want this to happen to anyone else, especially an apprentice.
“There is a school just down the road and I was worried he might be capable of exposing himself because I knew he had no underwear on,” she said.
Since the incident Ms Hodgson has decided the salon will no longer take male walk-ins for waxing, but she will continue to serve her current male clients.
“We waxed men regularly until yesterday,” she said.
The man was driving a small silver hatchback. Anyone with further information is urged to contact the Dandenong police on 9767 7444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
