BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — For many women, a hair salon is a safe haven. It's a place to relax, talk with your friends, and walk out feeling refreshed. With the new social distancing guidelines leaving all of those styling chairs empty, one local hairstylist is working to bring both the service, and that fresh feeling, to your doorstep.
“I got a lot of people that were nervous about their hair... and knowing how to take care of their hair during this time,” Misty Crane, a hairdresser at Opulent Salon in Bakersfield, said.
Anybody who gets their hair cut and colored knows the process is far from simple. There's chemistry, geometry, and a lot of art that goes into each session. When the stay-at-home order was put in place, and salons across the state had to shut down, Misty said she had to get creative.
She's putting together color touch-up kits for her clients and delivering them to their doorsteps.
“So I just look up what formula I did last time. I do have them video chat with me to make sure there’s no tweaks or anything we need to make,” Misty said.
Each kit comes with the color, developer, a brush, gloves, and personalized instructions for $60. In addition, Misty video calls her clients to walk them through every step of the process.
“When we video chat I give them reassurance, they’re asking ‘is this ok?’ And it’s nice too cause it gives us a chance to connect. I’m used to seeing these people every 4-6 weeks.”
The application process of mixing the color and developer and applying it to your hair is similar for everyone. But the processing time is usually different for each client.
"I need to take a look at their roots, their hair," Misty said. It all depends on the current color, the thickness, the style, and more.
You may be thinking you're not qualified to be doing the work of a professional stylist, but these kits are designed solely to hold you over until you can make it back into the salon when the stay-at-home order is lifted.
By putting together these custom kits, Misty hopes her customers will stay away from boxed dye. She said the biggest problem with boxed dye is it's not customized specifically for you.
“With store dye you can get into trouble because it’s really hard to remove from the hair and you’re setting yourself up for a lot of money in color correction services so do not do a box dye! Haha, save yourself the trouble and the heartache. And there's more room for error with boxed dye too,” Misty said.
And while a hair touch-up might not be a top priority for everyone right now, Misty said it can provide some sense of normalcy to a time that's anything but normal.
“We still have to take care of ourselves and I know that makes me feel good. And I’m sure other people feel good," Misty said. “And it gives me a chance to connect with my people, who I miss because they’re like my family and friends and it’s like... I miss seeing them.”
Misty added she's seeing more and more hair dressers put together similar kits for their clients. She recommends reaching out to your regular stylist, and if they're not able to help, you can reach out to Misty through her Instagram page, or by contacting her at 661-496-3347.
