Celebrating a decade of Love My Hair

As Love My Hair celebrates a decade of serving the Athlone community, salon owner Tina Kiernan has said the greatest achievement is the people who have made the journey possible.

Located at Unit 2, Belhavel, Golden Island, Love My Hair is built on a 25-year career, throughout which Tina has built both personal and professional relationships with her clients.

The business first opened in 2016, with a clear vision of a salon which was inviting for customers, and offered opportunity for stylists.

Some of her customers have been coming to her since the early days of her career, and over the years she has shared some of the biggest moments of their lives.

“You're part of somebody's life for all that time," she said. “I've done their hair for their graduations, then their college graduation, then the wedding."

Those long-standing relationships have helped create the community atmosphere that has always been central to Love My Hair.

The salon's team has grown alongside the business, and Tina says watching her stylists develop has been one of her greatest sources of pride.

One of those stylists is Patrice, who has been with Tina for 10 years. Tina has watched her progress from a young stylist to an award-winning hairdresser recognised for her colour work, styling and skills.

“To see what she has become is such a proud moment,” Tina says.

That success has a wider impact, with younger members of the team seeing what is possible when they commit to developing their skills and growing in confidence.

The salon has also enjoyed its share of milestones, including receiving its first award nomination within just six months of opening and later winning an award, something Tina had never expected when she first started the business.

Then came COVID, presenting one of the biggest challenges the business has faced. Keeping the salon operating safely, navigating changing restrictions and maintaining relationships with clients required huge amounts of work behind the scenes. Getting through that period became an achievement in itself.

Now, reaching the ten-year milestone provides an opportunity to reflect on just how far the salon has come.

“I never thought it would have grown to what we have now,” Tina said. “We're very, very proud of what we've got.”

She is quick to credit the people around her for making the journey possible, from loyal clients who continued to support the salon, to the team who work together during busy periods.

She also acknowledges the support of friends in business and, closer to home, her husband, who supported her decision to start a new business while they were raising their young children.

“Without them all, I'd just be a one-woman show," Tina added.

For more information, go to @lovemyhairathlone on Instagram or Love My Hair on Facebook.

To arrange an appointment at Love My Hair, call 090 647 7584, or email lovemyhairathlone@gmail.com.

Further education and training at core of salon's ethos

Education has been at the core of Love My Hair since the salon first opened, with regular training and professional development forming a major part of life within the salon.

For Tina, owning a successful hair salon isn't simply about creating great hair, it's about creating great stylists too.

“I make sure that we go on all the latest courses,” Tina said.

“Education is massive,” she insists.

Tina herself continues to invest in her own education. In 2020, she completed her Colour Masters qualification, something she had wanted to achieve for many years.

Having seen first-hand the value of continued education, she encourages her team to pursue their own qualifications and develop their skills, regardless of how long they have already been working in the industry.

One particularly memorable example was a member of the team with 40 years of hairdressing experience who decided to undertake her Colour Masters qualification.

“It was massive for her, to go back into that type of learning and exams again,” Tina said.

At Love My Hair, training isn't confined to traditional classroom learning. The team holds training sessions every Tuesday, with an emphasis on practical, hands-on experience.

Tina believes that giving stylists the opportunity to experiment, practise and learn in a supportive environment allows their confidence and creativity to develop naturally.

“It's not a classroom environment, it's a see-and-do kind of environment. You throw them in the deep end and get them to apply a tint and things like that.”

One of the most rewarding parts of the job is watching those moments when something finally clicks for a young stylist.

“You can see them learn to love it as they're learning. It's really lovely to watch," Tina said.

That commitment to education has also extended beyond technical hairdressing skills. Tina completed her own formal education qualification a few years ago, allowing her to bring even more knowledge and structure to the training she provides within the salon.

The next generation is already coming through too, with younger team members beginning their apprenticeships through LWETB. After almost a year in the salon, Tina has already noticed a huge change in their confidence.

The story behind Love My Hair

When Athlone salon owner Tina Kiernan decided to open Love My Hair in 2016, she already had 15 years of experience behind the chair and a clear vision of the kind of salon she wanted to create.

Her career began with local salon Giovanna, before she spent eight years with Lawlors, and a further five years with Color Starz.

“I was hitting 30 and I decided it was now or never,” Tina said, recalling when she decided to take the leap into salon ownership.

Having spent years working in the industry and training junior stylists, Tina wanted to create a salon where she could share her knowledge and enthusiasm for hairdressing while building a team around her. Love My Hair was always intended to be about more than hair.

“I wanted somewhere where clients could come in, have a chat, call in for a coffee and feel really comfortable, like a homely kind of place, a little family salon.”

The first Love My Hair opened in a smaller premises with just three positions and one junior stylist. Tina had initially planned for her junior to work only two days a week, but within six weeks she was almost full-time and another junior had to be employed.

The business continued to grow at a rapid pace. Within 18 months, Tina knew they needed more space, and fortunately a larger premises became available just three doors down.

The move in 2018 marked another important chapter for the salon, providing a larger space while retaining the convenient location and easy parking that had become popular with clients.

From the beginning, Tina also wanted Love My Hair to reflect her own passion for all aspects of the industry.

“I love all different aspects of hairdressing,” she says. “I wanted somewhere that I could do all that under the one roof.”