After months of overgrown roots, disaster box dye jobs and self-cut fringes we’re still trying to grow out, Dundee hairdressers are doing a roaring trade in fixing the mistakes we made while they were closed during lockdown.
None are more enthusiastic to be back at work than the team at WILD on Blackness Road, who have just been awarded the title of Salon Design of the Month by Salons Direct – the first salon in Dundee to be featured.
The accolade is given each month to the salon with the best, most Instagrammable interior design across the country.
Samantha Joyce launched WILD after feeling uninspired in her previous role and had always dreamed of having a space to show off her own creative vision.
She says: “I always wanted to go off and do my own thing but I was always a bit nervous to do it.
“I felt like there was a gap in the market in Dundee for a salon that was a little bit different.
“We were seeing them in London and even Edinburgh – just places that were doing things a little bit differently, but we didn’t really have that here. To me it always felt there was something missing.
“My goal was to have somewhere in Dundee that was unique and that could give clients an experience in the salon that was so much more.
“The fact that we’re the only Dundee salon that has been featured, it must mean we stand out a little bit. It means that I’ve achieved what I set out to do.”
Daring to be different, Samantha opened WILD as a place clients can go to relax, get pampered and even have a cocktail or two as they get ready for a special occasion.
Samantha continues: “I was so happy when we were named Salon Design of the Month.
“I was excited because it was really important to me that I created a space where clients could come and relax in and enjoy. For that to be recognised, it felt like a really big achievement.”
For many, getting a haircut is a chance to refresh their look and embrace some much-needed self-care; for others, it’s so much more.
Samantha explains: “Waking up in the morning, it’s so rewarding. It makes such a difference to your mental health when you do a job you love and you’re passionate about.
“Some of the clients I’ve been speaking to live on their own and for some who’ve come back into the salon, it’s their first proper outing. I think some have found it quite hard being on their own.
“Getting your hair done, it really makes you feel better about yourself, so a lot of clients say they’ve really missed it and they can’t believe how much better they feel afterwards.
“I think getting your hair done plays a huge role in how you feel, because if you look good, you feel good. I think people have definitely missed it.”
For those who have been missing the hairdressers but aren’t quite sure if they’re ready to head back to the salon yet, Samantha has some advice:
“Hairdressers and salons are doing everything they can to make it as safe as possible for clients to come in.
“We’re totally clued up on what we need to be doing and I’m sure other salons are as well.
“Going and getting your hair done is a good in-between step to take before going out properly again.
“Clients shouldn’t be afraid to get back in the salon chair – I think it will make them feel much better.”