Work areas inside The Hair Co. in Chehalis are seen on Tuesday.
Business cards sit on display inside The Hair Co. in Chehalis on Tuesday.
The Hair Co. is located at 91SW Chehalis Ave. #103, in Chehalis.
Lauren Sayers a stylist at The Hair Co. smiles and poses for a photo in Chehalis on Tuesday.
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When Kailey Hanson opened her hair salon The Hair Company three years ago, it was more out of necessity than desire.
Hanson had been operating a booth out of a hair salon in the same space as her current salon on Southwest Chehalis Avenue for seven years when the owner decided against renewing their lease. Hanson, along with her coworkers, didn’t have another job to fall back on, so she took a giant leap of faith.
She was in the process of having a house built and it was just before Christmas. So she decided to open her own hair salon, The Hair Company.
“It was really unexpected and really horrible timing,” Hanson said. “But in the long run, it all worked out.”
Not including Hanson, there are five other hair stylists operating out of The Hair Company: cosmetologists Kayla Bradley, Katelynn Hadley, Lindsey Crawford, Tiffany Lischka and Lauren Sayers. There is also one esthetician, Ginny Quinlan, who does facials, skincares, waxing and other services.
Hanson’s interest in hair care started at a young age, something she said she’s fortunate for. While others may not decide on a career until college, Hanson knew she was going to be a hair stylist by the time she was 5 years old, around the same time she tried French-braiding her hair for the first time.
She comes from a family of teachers and medical professions, so naturally her father wanted her and her sisters to be either teachers or nurses.
“There was never any question that I was not going to go to beauty school,” Hanson said. “That was always just what I was going to do … I said, ‘Nope, I’m doing hair,’ and I’m glad I did.”
Both of her sisters are currently in nursing school, while Hanson attended and graduated beauty school. She’s now been a licensed hair stylist for 10 years.
Business was great when Hanson opened her salon three years ago, but the pandemic presented some challenges when it hit in March 2020. The Hair Company was closed for three months, from March to the end of May.
“That was really, really tough, not just on all of us girls who work there but our clients, too,” Hanson said. “Most of them are used to seeing us on a pretty regular schedule. We were really excited when we were able to get back in there.”
One of the biggest changes the salon had to make to follow state health guidelines and protocols was requiring clients to wait in their vehicles for their appointment to begin, rather than sitting in the waiting area like previously, and the use of masks inside the salon.
Trying to style or work on hair around a mask has been a little challenging, Hanson said. There have been a few times where Hanson has accidentally caught a client’s mask while combing their hair. One time, one of the hair stylists was doing a men’s haircut with clippers and accidentally cut the string on the client’s mask around their ears.
The Hair Company was already following some of the guidelines before the pandemic hit, such as sanitizing all surface areas and equipment between clients.
“We’ve finally gotten used to all the new rules and restrictions that we have to abide by if we want to be open and we’re moving forward,” Hanson said.
Luckily, most of the regulars and previous clients returned after the three-month closure.
The day the Hair Company finally opened, the day after Memorial Day, the phone was ringing nonstop. People from as far away as Seattle were calling to see if they could get an appointment because King County salons were not yet able to reopen at that time. Many were in dire need of hair care, some even electing to use boxed hair dye from the grocery store to get by.
Some of the older clientele, ages 70 and up, still haven’t returned. About half of those are people who refuse to wear masks in the salon, while the other half haven’t returned yet for safety concerns.
On the bright side, the salon had a new stylist open her booth in mid June, about two weeks after The Hair Company reopened. It was about the best time to open a booth in the history of hair styling. She didn’t have to worry one bit about building a clientele base.
“That definitely was kind of a blessing for her,” Hanson said.
The Hair Company’s location can be difficult for some people to find, Hanson said. It is located at 91 SW Chehalis Ave., #103, in Chehalis, in the same building Thorbeckes Wellness Center is located. The salon is on the northside of the building, where people don’t normally go.
The Hair Company is currently open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Friday, and by appointment only on Monday and Saturday. Earlier and later appointments are available, as well.
“We are very welcoming to all kinds of clientele and we just want to make people feel their best,” Hanson said. “When they leave feeling like a new person, that’s super rewarding.”
More Information on The Hair Company
Owner: Kailey Hanson
Location: 91 SW Chehalis Ave., #103, Chehalis
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Friday, and by appointment only on Monday and Saturday.
Phone: 360-748-4248
Website: thechehalishairco.com
Social media: facebook.com/chehalishaircompany
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Reporter Eric Trent can be reached at etrent@chronline.com. Visit chronline.com/business for more coverage of local businesses.
