Christy Johnson has been using her talent as a hair-styling artist to enhance the appearances and lift the spirits of her clients for more than 30 years. Now, the owner of Exclusive Clientele Salon, located in the Cross Creek Center plaza on Cross Creek Blvd. at Kinnan St. in New Tampa, wants to use state-of-the art technology and knowledge to promote hair and scalp wellness a few miles south of Wesley Chapel.
Exclusive Clientele Salon has gained a reputation in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel communities as an upscale, full-service salon offering a wide range of services, from basic cuts and colors, blow drying to weaves, in a comfortable, clean and friendly environment. Johnson and her staff take the expression, “Look good, feel good,” to a higher level.
“I want all of my clients to feel like they are exclusive,” Johnson says. “We’re all about making people feel good from the inside out, spiritually and beautifully.”
That approach has earned Exclusive Clientele Salon a loyal customer base and plenty of positive online comments, such as Dana Barnes’ Google Review.
“Christy is my stylist at Exclusive Clientele Salon,” Barnes writes. “Her customer service is always great when I am there. I highly recommend (this) salon.”
The ambiance of Exclusive Clientele Salon is more like a relaxing spa than a bustling hair cuttery. Paintings illustrate natural scenes throughout the salon and the subdued lighting in the dryer room complements the “Quiet” sign posted there.Â
Johnson says her focus has always been on promoting healthy hair, and that has a lot to do with why she’s venturing into the field of trichology — the scientific study of human hair and related disorders, including hair loss and scalp problems.
How Trichology Can Help You
“We know that a lot of people are suffering from hair loss from alopecia, chemotherapy, radiation and medicines, and that there’s also a lot of elements in the environment that affect skin and hair,” Johnson says. She also cites improper maintenance of some hair styles as causing scalp and hair problems.
Johnson and stylist/hair wellness consultant Kenya Bryant-Long have earned certificates for completing trichology courses taught by Rodney Barnett, a pioneering practitioner and teacher of trichology.
“He’s known all over the world as one of the best trichologists and teachers,” Christy says.
In addition to learning trichology, Christy is outfitting her hair restoration and wellness center with the latest technology (photo, right) to put that knowledge into practice. A client’s introduction to trichology begins with an extensive consultation in a private room. Christy says it’s important to have a space that’s conducive to discussion and analysis of what might be affecting someone’s hair and scalp health.
“Everything we do will be behind closed doors,” explains the 14-year New Tampa resident. “You don’t have to worry about anyone else knowing your business.”
And, Kenya says a lot of the conversation will revolve around the client’s lifestyle and health habits.
“We’ll do an in-depth consultation with them about what they eat and what kinds of medications they’re on,” she says.
Clients will able to get a good look at their hair and scalp with a digital scope that magnifies a view of their head surface and transmits it to a 50-inch monitor. To find out what’s going on inside the body that may be affecting their hair’s health, a biochemical assessment will be conducted using a trichological device known as a compass which, according to Kenya, “reads biomarkers in the body.”
One of the treatments administered at Exclusive Clientele Salon uses what is called an “oxygenator” to hydrate and cleanse the scalp and hair follicles with a nutritional solution.
Trichology is sometimes characterized as a para-medical practice, bridging the fields of dermatology and cosmetology. One way that relationship comes into play is with platelet rich plasma (PRP) hair restoration therapy administered by a dermatologist. PRP therapy works by injecting platelets from a patient’s blood into their own scalp. Human blood contains stem cells and other products that assist in tissue regeneration and healing. The therapy is based on the principle that growth factors in the platelets stimulate hair growth in follicles that are not producing hair but are still viable and capable of doing so. Post-procedure monitoring and maintenance of the scalp and hair is done by a trichologist.
But Wait, There’s More!
Other technologies used by Exclusive Clientele Salon are cool, low-laser treatments which Kenya says, “will help stimulate hair growth,” a micro mist treatment that she says will, “restore the moisture and help retain it,” and an exfoliating mask that loosens and removes scalp debris.
In cases where hair rejuvenation in bald spots does not occur, Johnson offers a non-surgical hair replacement option with hair prosthetics. A hair (or cranial) prosthesis is a more exact fit than a wig and often incorporates considerations in terms of material allergies and scalp sensitivities such as the sensitivities cancer patients may have.
It’s a family affair at Exclusive Clientele, with Christy’s daughter, Ariel Glover, and Kenya’s daughter, Asia Wilson, both working at the salon. The two daughters have spent their young lives following their mothers’ careers and finding not only inspiration, but also their own professions, from the experience.
Ariel, who does a lot of the hair coloring and extension work, shares her mother’s holistic approach to the business.
“We make people feel good on the inside by making them look good on the outside with an exclusive experience,” Ariel says. “It creates confidence in the client and brings out the best in them when they feel beautiful.”
Like Ariel, Asia decided at an early age to follow her mother’s example of a career in the beauty industry and according to Kenya, “[Asia] can pretty much do anything” in the salon, including hair coloring, highlighting and extensions.
Johnson adds that, “Asia has a warm spirit and makes everyone feel comfortable and relaxed.”
As a family business, Johnson credits her husband Thomas for much of Exclusive Clientele’s success. Thomas is the CEO of Capital Financial Services and, according to Christy, “really motivates me and gives me that push I really need.”
Whatever the motivation, Johnson says Exclusive Clientele Salon’s venture into hair restoration reflects the approach she takes toward personal and professional growth.
“We’re not just stuck behind the chair,” she says “We’re keeping up with technology to help men and women with their hair problems.”
Exclusive Clientele Salon is located at 10026 Cross Creek Blvd. For more information, visit ExclusiveClienteleSalon.com, call 994-2393, or see the ad on page 24.
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