Salon Reminds Kids They Are Beautiful
About the last thing you would have expected to see in this high-tech, upscale, black-and-chrome atmosphere was a vanload of teen-agers. But there they were.
At Estetica Salon in Tarzana, these 11- to 17-year-olds arrived Wednesday night, six or eight at a time, from Sylmar’s Hathaway Children’s Services, a long-term residence for children with the kinds of backgrounds, problems and abuse that most of us would rather not think about.
For the last 10 Decembers, Hathaway residents, ages 5 to 18, have been taken to Tarzana for shampoos, cuts, styling, manicures, makeup--in other words, general make-overs.
This unnamed program is the brainchild of stylist Dan Fierstein. Begun in 1984 when Fierstein owned his own salon, it was inspired by cut-and-comb-out conversations with Fierstein’s client, Laurie Singman, an avid Hathaway fund-raiser and member of the agency’s board of directors.
For the first six years, Fierstein and his staff volunteered one evening each December to brighten the holidays for these children. After he closed his salon and moved across the street to Estetica, he approached owner Tony McCourt about continuing the program. McCourt readily agreed.
Fourteen stylists, two manicurists and two makeup artists stood at the ready with brushes, blow dryers, nail polish and eye shadow Wednesday night. The first van arrived at 6 p.m., unloading four teen-age girls. One headed straight for the makeup chair, two to the shampoo room and the fourth to a manicure table.
By 6:15, the next van had arrived carrying six boys. By 7 p.m., this softly lighted, usually sedate salon had more than 20 teens peering anxiously over the stylists’ shoulders, high-fiving each other’s new looks, taking furtive peeks in the mirror, picking holiday nail colors or looking pleased, but slightly embarrassed, by the professional makeup jobs.
“It’s a great experience,” McCourt said. “They come in looking a little scared and 30 minutes later, they’re hanging on your arm. It’s wonderful!”
For the male members of the group, the step cut, the fade and the tail were this year’s preferences. The female clients were less exacting, leaving some decisions to the stylists--with one proviso: Don’t cut off too much!
Said Fierstein: “I believe in putting back. My trade has been very good to me. I think everybody has something they can do to help others and the payback is great--we get much more than we give.”
While that may be true, this well-mannered and appreciative group seemed happy with their end of the bargain--if their overheard comments are any indication:
“They treat us like kings.”
“They really know how to cut hair!”
“Who cut you? Richard did mine. He’s really cool!”
By 8:30, the vans were loaded for the return to Sylmar. The thank-yous from the kids to salon staff were numerous and sincere.
Walking along Ventura Boulevard, the teens could have been any group of junior- and high-school students on a pre-holiday outing, but these young people won’t be home for Christmas. They will, however, be with new friends. And they will greet the holidays looking their best.
