Haute Couture Drycut

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. If you want to make sure not to make a mistake in choosing a hair stylist, first schedule a consultation (not the actual service to be delivered). Use the consultation to ASK questions of the stylist. Request pictures of his or her work. Ask what he or she would recommend for you and why. If they cannot tell you why, I would think seriously about continuing my search for the perfect stylist elsewhere!

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. My background is marketing, so I've stuck my toes in countless industries over the years, but I've never been in one like the beauty industry.

I wish all clients understood how few stylists really care about their work enough to seek out continuing education from artists who really know the art and craft of hair design.

Most designers still use the basic technique they learn in cosmetology school without ever going beyond the basics. How sad.

Kenneth will forget more than other designers will ever care to learn. He shares his wealth of knowledge with those designers who care to learn from him. He has launched countless careers in the area, and Cincinnati is the richer for it.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. Beauty consumers should always ask for recommendations from friends. Beyond that, with the internet, you should be able to learn a lot about a salon by checking out its website, its Facebook page and if it has one, by reading its blog. We didn't have these resources when I was younger... what a treasure trove of information up front! When a new client tells me she's read my website, my Facebook page AND my blog, I KNOW she knows she's in the right place!

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. Kenneth offers the true drycut using his own technique developed over 50 years of cutting. This is NOT cutting hair dry (which is what most other salons do). Drycutting hair is a specific technique used to create hairstyles that move like liquid silver, frame her face without obscuring the woman's face and save her time in her morning preparation for the day.

We are one of only two salons in the Queen City that offers Chromastics professional color, a premium color that women with style and distinction prefer for its ability to give them an individualized color design. Angela, our Director of Color, often works with Master Colorist Tom Dispenza, the creator of Chromastics. Tom is is regarded as one of the leading Hair Colorists in the United States and his wealth of knowledge and experience with hair coloring techniques has earned him recognition on four continents as a true Master Colorist. Tom is also the President of Worldwide HairColorists Association and retired Worldwide Senior Manager at Clairol.

We are the only Cincinnati salon offering a true 100 percent formaldehyde-free Brazilian Keratin Smoothing Treatment. Sarah, our Keratin expert, is a national educator for the manufacturer of our keratin solution. She explained in a recent interview with TV-9 News the difference between our service and the others and why women want to stay away from formaldehyde at all costs.

We install more DreamCatchers extensions than any other salon in the country and Angela, who is also our extension expert, is a national educator for the company. Ask any of the Cincinnati Ben-Gals NFL cheerleaders why they wouldn't go anywhere else for their extensions! And we also offer the newest extension craze sweeping Hollywood: FeatherLocks (tm) feather extensions as worn by Stephen Tyler, Americal Idol judge.

And as if that isn't enough, we are a qualified DevaCurl salon, offering services to the naturally curly. All Cincinnati Curly Girls come here to enhance their natural curls naturally with Sarah who is also our Curly Girl expert!

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. We like being the most honest salon in Cincinnati.

Long hair is in vogue right now, and we help our clients grow their hair. They know that at Perfections, with a Kenneth drycut, they need visit us only once every three months... not every 6 weeks the way every other hairdresser insists on. Of COURSE they do... that's how they cover their mortgage and pay for their new car! We prefer keeping our clients pleased and happy. They get free bang trims in between their 3-to-4 visits a year and before they know it, their hair is long!

If a client wants a color or style that will not enhance their individual beauty, we tell them their request is not in their best interest. We don't leave them hanging, however... we offer them an alternative solution that will make them even more beautiful with healthy, shiny, bouncy hair.

When a client purchases a product in our boutique, if she is not happy with it, we encourage her to bring it back for a full refund. We'll help her find another product that works for her. And if she wants to try a product she's never tried before, if it's possible, we will sample it for her. That way, she'll know for sure if she wants to buy it!

And I personally love writing my blog (Sensuous Hair: http://perfectionssalon.blogspot.com) where I share with my readers what we are doing, what projects we are working on, adventures that happen on a daily basis, and before and after photos of many of our clients. We try to share our knowledge, tips and tricks about hair and beauty with our clients through the blog.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. As Managing Director, I wear about 56 hats so I'm always moving while I'm in the salon. But my background is marketing and public relations. I married into this industry. Met my husband on a blind date the third week I was in Cincinnati and we are just beginning our 20th year of marriage!

I've learned so much from Kenneth... there is nothing he has not faced, no adventure he has not taken, no challenge he has not risen to, no hair problem he could not fix. In 51 years of cutting, he has proven he has more passion for his craft than any other designer in Cincinnati, more talent, more accomplishments, more clients who would move heaven and earth to get to him... and I never get tired of watching him cut!

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. If you want to become an accomplished stylist, find a salon with a leader who has talent, experience and expertise. You won't learn what you really need to know in cosmetology school. But if you apprentice yourself to someone who has the knowledge you seek, you will learn from the best and will be able to become your best! Don't listen to those who tell you "booth rental will give you freedom." If you don't want to work, you won't succeed, it's as simple as that! But if you want to learn, join a salon team with excellent stylists and give yourself a boost to the top by working along side them!