Some things in rural town are just, so… American. The barber shop. The coffee shop. The place that
has the blue plate specials. A place of worship. The fraternal order of whatever’s clubhouse. The
range. And the hair salon. Oh those visions of beehive hairdo’s with big drop down helmet dryers
while bespectacled local ladies read the latest women’s magazine or gossip paper.
That stuff is over. Or at least, has been seriously updated.
Today’s hair salons are salons, not beauty parlors of the past. You can get everything from hair
extensions to skin replenishment injections or a pedicure and more in many of them. And today,
cosmetologists are not just “hair dressers”, they are artists. True, professional, artists. All you have to
do is look around to see the careful sculpting and creative coloring done in today’s every increasing
myriad of individualistic styles and you will know you are looking at a lot of expertise in cutting,
layering, frosting, coloring, bleaching, weaving, razoring, and so many other technical skills that it is
boggling.
Some things do not change, though. Today’s hair salons are still a gathering place, a ritual for both
men and women to come do something for themselves that ranges from necessary to dazzlingly
special. Need a cut for a job interview? Check. Need your hair spectacular for the prom? We’ll make
you beautiful. Need a familiar face that you have known and trust with one of the most identifying
and individual things that is “you” – your hair? We are your trusted friends.
In a community like Colorado Springs, hair salons become nearly an extension of the family. We do a
lot of military work, too, so it is like sending a member of the team out when students graduate from
the Academy or duty stations change. We have a lot of folks who come into town for their weekly –
or monthly – shopping from the farm and ranch community that book their hair appointments well in
advance as part of the important things to get done.
A hair salon Colorado Springs trusts has to be made up of locals. The reason is Colorado Springs has
some pretty unique weather. You might wonder what that has to do with hair, but think about our
heat and dry, low humidity, versus our winter weather, with often dry air. Both those extremes are
hard on hair. What Colorado kid has not pulled off a winter stocking cap and looked like a plasma
ball? It is the dry static caused by our high altitude and wind patterns. Dry hair can lead to hair
damage, and being out in the elements unless your hair is protected and taken care of makes it
worse.
It is important to feel like a person and not a number at a quality hair salon. Your cutter gets to know
what you want, and how you like it. They know if you have allergies to products. And they know how
to suggest things when we just cannot see that our flying wedge and mullets are out of season. They
should carry a good quality line of hair products and have confidence to suggest them when needed,
especially masks and hair treatments to keep your hair healthy during the Colorado winter and
summer sun. Find someone you like and you can talk to, that you can build trust with. You will be
glad you did, and you will end up looking great.