February 22, 2021 You have just sat down at your regular hairdresser’s chair and shown them a picture of what kind of mullet you want. You two are getting pretty comfortable after a few sessions together, so the conversation is free-flowing and you feel like you can talk about nearly anything. But an issue has come up: Your hairdresser feels the same way. As they whip their shears around your head, they start talking about their thoughts on the COVID-19 vaccine—and not in a way that makes you feel great about being there with them. So what now? What is the smoothest path to take to get out of this conversation and into your new mullet? The Chronicle reached out to experts to figure out how to turn a conversation with your hair stylist—or any other acquaintance—from hostile to apolitical.