The Sale salon going from strength to strength after opening during the pandemic

A Sale hair salon is celebrating its second birthday, after defying the odds to grow and thrive in an industry rocked by the pandemic.

Owned by Sam Holland, Keratin One on Ashfield Road is the UK’s first Keratin-only salon, offering clients a stylish, comfortable and private environment in which to get this popular hair-smoothing treatment. 

After taking over the unit in July 2020, Sam and the team’s hard work has paid off after the uncertainty caused by the pandemic and this week celebrate being open for two years. 

Worldwide appeal

As a Keratin-only salon, Sam’s clients come from all over the UK – and beyond – for treatments. When we caught up with her last month, she said: “Just this week we’ve had clients come from Germany, Dublin and Majorca. Thanks to the power of social media, we’ve been able to get our salon in front of a worldwide audience which has been amazing.”

Sam, who has lived in Sale all her life, was committed to providing Keratin treatments after trying them herself.

“When I worked in a salon in Sale Moor, my employer offered to do a Keratin treatment on my afro-textured, extremely thick, tight curls. I was blown away by the results, so they taught me how to do the treatments – that was over 10 years ago and I haven’t looked back since.”

“As a stylist, you are told that the standard cut and blows and regular colours are your bread and butter. But honestly, I don’t have a passion for doing colours – my passion is Keratin, so in 2017 I decided to stop doing colours altogether and become a Keratin-only stylist.”

It’s a decision that could have gone either way, but with an additional two stylists now on the team at Keratin One, Sam is looking to the future and has ambitious plans for how the salon can continue to grow. 

“I’d love to stay in Sale if possible and secure a bigger unit – we are consistently busy at the moment, especially during the summer, and moving somewhere larger will allow me to employ more Keratin-trained stylists and ensure that we don’t have a long waiting list for loyal clients.” 

What does Sam think about the regeneration of Sale? 

“I’m really impressed, it’s great to see – Stanley Square especially is now so open and it’s a pleasure to walk through, whereas before it was quite dark. I also love all the opportunities that are opening up for small businesses like my own – I hope the town just gets better and better, and I say that as both a resident and a business owner here!”

Keratin One is open Tuesday – Saturday. 
5 Ashfield Road, Sale M33 7DY

To find out more about Keratin treatments, or to book an appointment at Keratin One, visit keratinoneltd.co.uk.