Shannon Jewell, owner and stylist of Luscious Salon, answers questions about how to care for one's hair, tips at home, her offerings and more. (Jennifer M. Howell/News-Sentinel)

Beauty and the buck

Economic downturns don't need to hinder hair care, says Lodi stylist

Shannon Jewell opened Luscious Salon a mere two months ago with an emphasis on quality service. Though the economy has forced some people to stretch out their time between visits to the stylist, Jewell and her colleagues are combating that slowdown by giving clients the most for their beauty buck.

Jewell took the time in a recent interview with Business Editor Marc Lutz to explain different ways people can save on hair care but still look their best.

Q: What's the most popular style right now?

A: Everyone's still getting the A-Line. A lot of people are still asking for that. Or the classic bob.

Q: Do people still get perms?

A: The older ladies do. That's something they stay consistent with. Not too much longer the perms are going to start coming back (in style) for the younger ladies. It just depends. Whenever you see a movie star and her hair is curly, then you'll see people coming asking for perms. I charge $60, the same price as a color.

Q: Is it customary to tip a stylist? How much should a patron tip their stylist?

A: It's generally goes by the same rule as restaurants. 15 percent. People generally tip.

Q: How does a place like Supercuts compare to a place like Luscious Salon?

A: The biggest difference is the customer service. We really try to exceed our clients' expectations, and take our time and go above and beyond. For a haircut, I take about an hour. I always do a scalp massage and shoulder massage for all my haircuts at no cost. For color, it's about two hours.

Q: What's the best way to spruce up your look for the least amount of money?

A: I like to show my clients different ways to style their hair while they're here to give them different looks while they're at home. Some cost-effective ways to change your look, if you come to the salon to do it, is to have an all-over color. That would completely change the look, rather than have color and highlights. Or just a different haircut and style.

Q: Even though the economy is hitting pocketbooks hard, are people still going to come to salons?

A: Yeah. I think that everybody still comes to get their hair done. They just stretch it out a little further in between appointments.

It's slowed down. One thing we're doing right now is offering 50 percent off to all new clients to help out during the economic times. We always have some type of special going.

Q: Is it more expensive for people to do their own hair rather than come to a salon?

A: First of all, it's bad for your hair (if you do it at home). Nine times out of 10, they'll do it at home and mess it up, and then they'll have to come and pay twice as much at the salon to get it fixed. So it's a lot better just to have it done right the first time with quality products.

Q: Who does your hair?

A: Ashley (Clift), one of the other stylists at Luscious.

Q: What are some inexpensive ways people can maintain their salon-fresh look in between appointments?

A: The best way is to follow up with salon-quality products, and that should keep your hair looking good until your next appointment. The stylist should recommend shampoo and conditioner and styling aid that will work best for the client.

Q: Are there any specific brands that aren't costly, but they are effective?

A: The brand I carry, Enjoy — I really like it — it's a high-end line, but it's priced a lot less than a lot of the professional lines. They have everything you need.

Q: What's probably the most common thing people ask for?

A: Haircut and color.

Q: Can people sell their hair? Are there places that will buy it?

A: I don't know if you can sell it. ... I know you can donate it. Which I guess, in turn, could probably be a tax write-off. There's guidelines that the companies go through. Your hair can't be chemically treated, and it has to be 12 inches long before you can donate it.

Q: Is there a treatment you can do that will make your hair feel more healthy?

A: You can do a clarifying treatment, and you can have something done like a deep conditioning treatment, which I always do. You replace the carotin in your hair, then you do the deep conditioning treatment and it leaves the hair 10 times stronger. It's pretty popular.