By Emily Leinfuss
You might think it trivial – two girlfriends bemoaning the sorry state of their hair while the world was experiencing a global pandemic. But that’s what Linda and I were doing in early June while we sat safely six feet or more apart in her spacious art studio.
My naturally curly hair was a mess. It had grown long and frizzy and, I swear, birds were eying it to use as a nest. To top it off, after months of coloring over the grey myself, it had turned dark and dull. Linda’s straight hair had become lifeless – her blond had faded, with grey blending in, and the ends hung limp around her shoulders.
We both wanted, no we needed, to do something about it: not for others…for ourselves! With months of quarantine and social distancing behind us, and no end in sight, we wanted to feel normal or, at least, to love our hair when we looked in the mirror.
Then I recalled how impressed I was with Cutting Loose Salon. I’d visited the University Park location when writing about it for 2019’s “10 Best Companies to Work in Sarasota-Manatee.” I’d felt it was clean and bright and really well run.
Linda and I immediately pulled up the website at cuttingloose.net on our respective phones, clicked on <Team> and quickly and easily identified the best stylists for our type of hair. I was super excited to see that Katie Steiner was a specialist in the method of cutting curls that I prefer. Linda felt that Sydney Dry would know exactly how to blonde and brighten up her hair.
I emailed Cutting Loose Salon owner Coral Pleas for input and got a good idea of how strongly she’d prioritized safety for her employees and clients. The next thing I know I’d booked appointments for Linda and me. We’d wanted to go together but at least we were able to get the same day, just not the same time – nearly three weeks away!
Finally the day arrived. Linda’s appointment was in the morning, and when I checked in on her (I was permitted to drop in only because we knew I would write this blog) she was well on her way back to shiny bright blond hair and a cut that had body and lift. “I looked in the mirror and saw a more joyful me,” said Linda.
When it was my turn, Katie and I eventually decided to go for it – she cut a lot of length off to give me a fun inverted bob and then she applied gentle pretty highlights. Bonus factor: my hair is off my neck during this sweltering summer.
Linda and I both were pleased beyond expectations. It really is amazing is how uplifting a great cut and color can be. By giving ourselves permission to go to Cutting Loose Salon, we’d accomplished a bold and effective act of self-care.
