SaSa Salon — Local services in Trumbull

When I sat down in Stephanie's chair on May 31, 2021, I had not had a haircut since July of 2019. And while COVID shutdowns had caused my initial reluctance to schedule an appointment, they weren't want kept me away month after month. It was a deeper fear.

My beloved hair, always my favorite physical feature, started falling out in 2018, and my hair loss has only increased with the stress of the last few years. Even before that, though, I always had some trepidation surrounding haircuts. Early attempts at curl-focused haircuts during my teen years had left me with choppy styles that always ignored my preference for keeping my hair quite long (one disastrous request for a trim resulted in an unanticipated chop --7 inches and innumerable tears later, I vowed never to get a 'curly cut' again). And even stylists who would honor my "as long as possible" preference did so by treating my hair like straight hair -- not a fault on their side, just a lack of expertise -- resulting in long, but largely unshaped, hair, that eventually grew out to look unruly.

All of these fears and experiences weighed on my shoulders as I walked in to meet Stephanie. And all of them evaporated within a mere moments of speaking with her. As I relayed my concerns, she listened deeply, with a empathetic smile and bright eyes that belied an eagerness to help me. She could see the potential in my hair, and knew that she had the tools to help me achieve my goals. The more we talked, the more at ease I felt. The more she worked, the more excited I became.

She is truly a 'curly coach'. Throughout my appointment we talked process, products, and all things curl. But we also discussed whole-body wellness, community, and the complexities of finding time and space for connecting with oneself and one's own needs in what feels like an increasingly hectic world. While we talked, she worked intently on shaping my hair with deliberately placed, seamless layers; treating and soothing my dry scalp according to its needs; and sharing products and application methods she knew would balance my penchant for minimal-time wash days with high-yield results.

And those results? Hair that feels healthier, fuller, bouncier, and shaped -- and still plenty long. And a heart that feels lighter.

That she could achieve such a big change in my hair, without making it feel like a big shock to my system, speaks volumes of Stephanie's expertise as a stylist. She is truly invested in what is best for her clients' curls, but also deeply understands her clients' emotional needs. And miraculously, she has the skill to meet both. I truly feel safe in her hands.

Which is why I am going back today...

My daughter is 8 and is of mixed ethnicity so I have never known how to do her hair properly in all these years. Heba taught me so much in just one visit that I now finally feel confident doing her hair AND most importantly my daughter now feels confident and proud of her curls when she looks in the mirror. Heba taught more than just how to do her hair. My daughter has always felt different and wanted to just blend in with the rest of her friends. Heba taught her “We are meant to take up space and be noticed” and “We are not meant to blend in”. She taught her what she needed to learn but I never even realized. This was an experience far more than a haircut - I can’t say enough about Heba as a person as well as her skills. My daughter now looks in the mirror and I can see in her face that she is proud of who she is. I can’t thank Heba enough. You have a...

I came to Stephanie at a time when I was desperate to get my extremely thick, coarse and curly hair (that has consistently been a struggle) in shape. There hasn’t been a stylist that has been able to manage it until Steph. She has absolutely transformed my hair to the point where I regularly receive compliments - something I would never have expected in the past! She is a true artist who knows exactly what my hair needs and I trust her completely. Not only that, she is a compassionate person and an intelligent...