Linda Parker has spent nearly three decades in the hairstyling business — including 26 years as owner of her own business, A Cut Above Salon in Spa — and through the years, she has never stopped developing her hairstyling and hair-coloring techniques for women of all ages.
“I’ve owned my own business since I was 20,” she says. “For so many people, I started cutting their hair when they were young, and as they’ve gotten older and they’ve changed their styles, I’ve perfected all those cuts.” She specializes in detailed precision cuts, razor cuts and short feminine cuts, dry detailing, dimensional color, creative formal styling and keratin treatments. She is also a specialist in working with curly and fine hair.
A Cut Above, in the Manors shopping center in Lawrence, offers haircuts and hairstyling for women, men and children. There are five styling stations and three coloring stations, and while they will accommodate walk-ins when they can, most service is done by appointment.
A Cut Above’s staff of professional stylists does foiling, Balayage and dimensional color. Dimensional color “is almost naturally highlighted,” Parker says. “You see different tones in the hair from one service. It gives our clients a more youthful look.”
Another specialty at A Cut Above is their keratin smoothing treatments, which Parker says they have been doing longer than any other salon in the area. Keratin, Parker says, is naturally in our hair, but as we age we have less of it. The all-natural treatment from Pureology allows for next-day washing, a convenience that her customers enjoy. The treatment lasts about three months.
“It smooths the hair out. It’s great for summertime because it really reduces blowdrying time,” Parker says. “It’s good not just for wavy hair, to smooth it out, but also for people who have frizzy hair.”
Parker said she makes sure she and her staff are up to date with the latest hairstyling techniques. She brings artists and educators into the salon to teach the staff new methods in coloring and cutting, and also encourages staff to attending classes and seminars outside the salon.
Three brands of hair-care products that Parker recommends to clients are Pureology, Phyto and Redken. These product lines are available in the salon, ready for purchase.
“I won’t bring a new product into the salon until I’ve used it and tested it,” says Parker, who lives in Pennington. “Everything I sell I have used on myself or clients. I know what everything does and how to make recommendations.”
In addition to Parker, A Cut Above Salon and Spa has a staff of six. Melissa Manfredi, Parker’s sister, specializes in curly hair and straight blowouts and highlighting and keratin. Alba DePaola is an experienced stylist who cuts hair for men and women, and also does coloring, highlighting, formal styles and keratin treatments.. Marsha Nirenberg, who has been with Parker the longest, is very experienced in mens’ barbering cuts, coloring, cutting and keratin.
Cara Knudsen is a junior stylist who does formal styles, braiding and Balayage. Keara R. Deveney, the salon’s newest assistant, is also training to go on the floor. She does shampoo, blowouts and formal styles. And Angie Mastroianni has been working as an assistant for many years. She applies color, does shampoos, processes perms and does blow outs.
Parker and her stylists take pride in working with clients to make sure they look good and feel good about their hair. When working with someone for the first time, they set out to learn as much about that client’s preferences — and their hair — as they can.
“You want to find out things about them, like do they blowdry their hair, how much time do they like to take on their hair,” Parker says. “We learn the texture of their hair. When they come back for their second visit, we listen to them, ask them for feedback. That allows us to perfect the service by the second or third visit.”
For long-time clients, Parker and her stylists already know the texture of the hair and which tools and products to use, how it responds to coloring. When clients go in asking for a new style or color, they are able to counsel them as to how well a new look is likely to turn out.
“It’s all about creating something beautiful and interesting to make the customer feel good,” she said.
More information about A Cut Above Salon and Spa is online at acutabovesalonandspa.net. Phone: (609) 896-2500. A Cut Above is located on 160 Lawrenceville-Pennington Road in Lawrence.
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