Valerie Nebbia’s job as a stylist and owner of Salon Xtraordinare seems to be just as much about community as it is about hair.
It is about the sense of community within the salon, where Nebbia, who has been styling hair for 32 years, works with a group of experienced stylists that form the salon’s foundation.
“Most of us have worked together for a long time: 17 years, 19 years, 16 years,” Nebbia said.
The team of stylists offers a variety of services including haircuts, styling, color, waxing and manicures and pedicures.
The salon uses mostly Redken products, and its services are moderately priced, Nebbia said. A haircut costs $37 for women and $20 for men.
Salon Xtraordinare is also active in the hairstyling community. Nebbia said the salon’s stylists attend seminars around the country, including one that Redken hosts every couple of years in Las Vegas. At those seminars, stylists discuss new techniques and styles, Nebbia said.
Some of the most important relationships, however, seem to be those that the salon forms with its customers.
Nebbia said she has had customers follow her throughout her career and has been working with some of them for 25 or 30 years.
“They’ve seen me get married, my kids grow up, and you become part of their family too,” Nebbia said.
Interacting with her customers is one of Nebbia’s favorite aspects of her job, and she enjoys the intimate, small-town atmosphere of Salon Xtraordinare.
“Everybody that comes in, we get to know them and we enjoy their company, and that’s what we want them to feel when they come in here after working all day. To come in, sit and relax, talk to people, get to know everyone,” Nebbia said.
Nebbia strives to create an environment that is welcoming and family friendly. She said they often have snacks available for customers and have a room where clients can relax and watch television while getting their hair colored.
“People come in here, even if they haven’t had a good day, you cheer them up, you make them feel good about themselves and they’re happy,” she said.
The work done at Salon Xtraordinare is also about reaching out to the greater community. Nebbia said the staff enjoys helping others. The salon collects toys for Womanspace during the holiday season and Nebbia has recently become involved with the Give Back Foundation based in Allentown. She participates in the program by providing free haircuts to children whose families cannot afford those services.
The salon also hosted a group of women with breast cancer for a lunch and special event. Stylists provided manicures, pedicures, hairstyling and makeup. They helped those who wore wigs to cut and style them, if they desired. Nebbia even baked homemade chocolates in pink, the color for breast cancer.
The interaction with clients and the community makes the job fun and exciting, Nebbia said.
“After 32 years, I can say that there isn’t one day that I get up and say ‘I don’t want to go to work,’” Nebbia said. “It’s just an exciting business to be in. Styles constantly change, you can be creative, you get to share new things with people. If you’re excited, they get excited, and it’s a fun job.”
Nebbia said the salon works mostly by appointment. Its hours of operation are Monday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The salon is located at 2357 Highway 33 and accepts cash, checks, American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Discover. Gift certificates are also available. For more information, call (609) 259-1099 or visit the salon’s Web site at salonxtraordinare.com.
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