Ina can give you a great haircut. She can fix bad hair color. And she can be your friend. That last item is not on the official list of services at Potomac Hair Design, the salon Ina has owned for 30 years, but the minute new or existing clients enter Potomac Hair Design, they sense this a place for friends. There are about a dozen stylist chairs in the salon. Ina’s is the one closest to the front door.
“I try to personally greet everyone who enters,” she says.
The greeting marks the first step in what is usually a very long relationship.
“They come here till they move or die,” she says, only half-joking. “People usually follow their stylist, and my clients know the stylists here are not leaving. They stay. They are like family.”
Ina employs nearly 20 people, and nearly all have been at Potomac Hair Design for a decade or more. Some have been there nearly since the salon opened.
“We don’t have beginner stylists,” Ina says. “Everyone is an experienced professional.”
Ina’s satisfied and loyal clientele is proof of that. They ask Ina and her team to do their hair for weddings and other special events. They share family photos. Some have been coming since they were kids, and now they bring their own kids for haircuts.
Ina runs the business side of the salon, from payroll to hiring, but she is also still a stylist. And, in addition to being a wiz with scissors, Ina is known for her skill with color.
“Once I do their color, they all come back,” she laughs. “I am always busy. I fix color mistakes that happen elsewhere.”
Ina uses a variety of color products, including organic color from L’Oreal.
Clients appreciate the salon’s flexible schedule.
“People in Potomac are very busy and need flexibility,” she says. “We always try to work someone in. When people ask, we don’t turn them down,” Ina says. “We keep on schedule and don’t make people wait.”
Ina’s efficiency is also evident in the physical appearance of the salon, which also shows her knack for interior design. Dainty crystal chandeliers add glam overhead, while a brand-new wood-look floor brings a rustic touch.
“Everything is always clean,” she says. “I pick up and tidy everything.”
In addition to haircuts, color and nail care, Potomac Hair Design offers perms, waxing and facials.
The salon has something of an international vibe, as visitors are likely to hear several languages spoken among the staff and clientele.
“I love everyone,” she says. “People are all different, and I love and welcome them all.”
From first-time clients whose initial visit includes a consultation to several celebrity clients whose privacy Ina does her best to protect, everyone appreciates Ina’s kindness and that of her staff.
Clients also appreciate the salon’s longevity.
“They tell us they trust this shop,” Ina says. “I am not slowing down. I’ll keep going till I get tired. I am happy to work.”
And it shows.
Led by Ina, who owns Potomac Hair Design, the experienced, professional team of stylists at the salon (on River Road, between Walgreens and Hunter’s Inn) offer a range of services. In addition to their skills, which they hone at training workshops, the team is known for their kindness and friendliness.
