Friday, Aug. 29, 2008

Hair Slingers

Stylist opens new salon after old one closes

By Miranda Wycoff, The Journal Staff

Susanne Bechtel-Josselet (middle) opened Hair Slingers, 278 S.W. Blue Parkway after LDB & Co. closed because the owner decided to retire. Josselet brought stylist Mandi Stokes (left) and permanant make-up artist Patty Conard (right) with her — along with all their clients.

After the last salon where she worked closed, Susanne Bechtel-Josselet decided it was time to once again become a salon owner.

On Tuesday, Hair Slingers Salon at 278 S.W. Blue Parkway in Lee’s Summit officially opened, and as of Thursday, the salon was already packed with customers.

That’s because Josselet, stylist Mandi Stokes and permanent make-up artist Patty Conard were able to bring all their clients from LDB & Co., where they last worked to the new Hair Slingers.

“Thelma’s been with me since the very first salon I owned in 1982,” Josselet said pointing to a lady sitting under the dryer. “I’ve done her, her kids and her grandkids.”

Before working at LDB and then opening Hair Slingers, Josselet had owned four salons in the metro area. They were under the name Hairstyles Unlimited but Josselet, who has been cutting hair since graduating from high school in 1977, gave the name to her daughter.

She said her daughter wanted to open her own salon and asked for the name, so being a generous mother, Josselet OK’ed the idea.

But once LDB closed because the owner decided to retire, Josselet, Stokes and Conard wanted to have a place to cut hair.

“Both of us had a full clientele and needed a salon to do our customers,” Josselet said about her and Stokes. “It was easier (opening up my own salon) than working in someone else’s salon.”

Stokes said the last three salons she worked at closed, so for her teaming up with Josselet and Hair Slingers was a way to ensure she had a place to cut hair.

“We both knew that this is what we wanted to be doing so we decided we would do our own thing and that way we didn’t have to worry about it closing,” Stokes said.

But there was one problem, Josselet had already given her salon name to her daughter so it was time to get creative.

“Where Mandi and I worked together before hair was always slung over the floor and we’d always say, ‘quit slingin that hair,’” Josselet said. “That’s how we got the name Hair Slingers.”

If Hair Slingers’ customers are any indication, this salon is going to be around awhile.

Linda Scott, who was getting her hair done by Josselet said she has had both Josselet and Stokes cut her hair since she moved to the area from Washington.

“They are both excellent hairdressers. They are very conscientious and they were always willing to adapt to my schedule,” Scott, whose mother had recently been sick, said.

Hair Slingers offers family hair care, manicures, pedicures, waxing and specializes in color. In addition, Conard offers permanent make-up, electrolysis and tattoo removal through her business, Beauty Ever After, which runs inside Hair Slingers.

“Permanent make-up is great,” Conard said. “It accentuates the features.”

She said the eyeliner she applies is subtle and she can correct asymmetry in eyebrows or fill in sparse brows to “make them perfect.”

As for tattoo removal, the process she uses is less expensive and less painful than traditional laser removal, she said. “I use chemical extraction, which basically is tattooing the solution into the old tattoo” Conard said. “When the scab falls off, it takes the color with it.”

Like Stokes and Josselet, Conard said her regulars from LDB have followed her to Hair Slingers and she couldn’t be more pleased.

“Yesterday was my first day here, but its very nice and a comfortable place to work.”

“I think the word for this salon is ‘homey,’” Scott said. And Josselet joked, “not to be confused with ‘homely.’ “It’s homey, it’s family-oriented,” Scott added.”

For more information on Hair Slingers call Josselet at 816-419-9459 or Stokes at 816-304-0848. For more information on Beauty Ever After, call Conard at 816-547-2541, or visit the Web site at www.beautyeverafter.net.