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BIZ BUZZ

REXBURG

Curly hair is complicated and this salon owner knows how to cut it

REXBURG – Getting a haircut can be a challenging task for someone with curly hair. Just ask Kylie Howard, who was born with curly hair.

The 32-year-old Parker woman owns Collective Curl Salon & Suites at 556 Trejo in Rexburg. The business opened in June 2021 and specializes in helping customers with curly hair look their best.

Prior to opening up shop, Howard tells EastIdahoNews.com many women drove to Utah for these services — herself included — because they weren’t available in Idaho. Since opening day, she’s tripled her clientele.

“We have a couple hundred clients right now,” Howard says. “We get clients from Star Valley. We have a regular that comes from Montana. They come from all over just to get a certified curly haircut.”

Becoming certified specifically for curly hair was an eye-opening experience for Howard and she says it was a completely different approach to cutting hair.

“I didn’t even understand what went into my own hair. I’d gotten used to blow-drying it, straightening it and cutting it,” she says.

With straight hair, the normal process is to wash it and brush through it before cutting. But when it comes to curly hair, Howard says you never want to get it wet prior to cutting.

And it’s a time-consuming process.

“The appointment can last up to two hours, depending on the needs and how thick it is,” she says.

Focusing on texture is important, she says, and the idea is to avoid the tree shape look where it’s wavy and frizzy on the corners of the face.

The demand for her services quickly took off and early on, she couldn’t take on all the clients she wanted to because of the huge demand.

Now, she has a team of stylists at her salon, allowing the business to grow and thrive.

She says it’s rewarding for first-time clients to come in and walk away happy.

“Some people don’t realize how curly their hair really is and many will leave in tears of gratitude because they’re able to embrace themselves (and how they look),” Howard explains.

Still, Howard says there are many people who could benefit from her services who aren’t…