The Indian Salon
A quick guide on how to select a salon* that’s right for you.
Like all self-respecting Indian women, I go to the salon occasionally for grooming. It is not as often as I would like, but it is respectable enough to count me as a certified aunty. Salon visits are essential for a thriving soul. It’s where you catch up on me time and get away from husbands, kids, in-laws, playdates, other parents, and to-do lists.
I may come across as independent, confident, and no-nonsense, but in my heart, I am a girl who loves glitter, golden stilettoes, the smell of expensive shampoo and conditioner, and golden-brown highlights. While I have yet to fully embrace the glitz and glamour of being a fancy city girl, my visits to the salon allow me a small window to be just that.
It is a different world—the Indian Salon—buzzing with the electric energy of hair dryers, the pungent smell of bleach wafting between multiple hair washes, the snip-snip of scissors, and the endless ringing of the receptionist's phone. It is a world that I love.
The salons are hierarchical, much like our class system. From small hole-in-the-wall neighbourhood ones to those that cater to working women to the glamorous ones, there is a type for each woman. Picking the salon that is right for you is an art. It took me a while before I found my place. Here’s a quick guide for those who are lost and are looking to find themselves in the slimming mirrors and bright lights of beauty and hair care.
The Neighbourhood Salon:
Each neighbourhood has salons catering to its local clientele. In middle-class neighbourhoods, the salon names can be endearing and creative, like Prince and Princess, Beauty Queen or Neetu’s Cut and Colour. These are not franchises and have been built by the sweat and blood of their owners. Most are dimly lit, dingy and in desperate need of repairs. They don’t play music, leaving their customers to entertain themselves either by looking in the mirror or their phones. They all smell of strong disinfectants, like Phenyl [1] with one attendant dedicated to constantly cleaning the floor. These salons are strictly for women and are frequented by women who live close by – mostly within walking distance. They come to be pampered within a budget and are often seen getting the whole hog done (threading, waxing, mani-pedi [2], hair wash, and blow dry) in under a record time of one hour. The salon girls are fast and efficient. The women enjoy a good gossip session and leave glowing and radiant.
Local salons are good places for a quick pick-me-up. Don’t expect to be served green tea; carry your own water bottle.
The Basic Franchise:
Someone convinced an investor to invest. A design studio was hired, and an architect developed a cool (but affordable) template for the space. Behold, the birth of the salon franchise. These salons started as single entities got popular, and then branched out aggressively to take over the mom-and-pop salons scattered across neighbourhoods. The names are short and snappy, like Glamour, Plush or Iconic – to sound cool and relevant.
These salons will test your loyalty and love for capitalism. We argue that the lighting is better, they play decent music, there is a massive TV screen with a fashion show playing on loop, it doesn’t smell of phenyl, the stylists are in uniform, and they serve green tea. Most of the franchises are unisex, some traditional, offering a different area for the men and women and some more modern, allowing men and women to mingle freely. The salons are borderline average, and the glittering glass façade does not live up to its promise. The attendants will massage your shoulders after conditioning your hair, ask you invasive questions about your hair care routine, offer unsolicited advice and touch your scalp without your permission. The stylists are not fast or efficient and prefer to walk in lazy circles, pretending to examine your split ends while looking at the TV screen. They assume that you have a few hours to spare.
I don’t like the basic franchise and have often been left unsatisfied with the experience. Go if you have no other choice. The tea is not great, and the prices don’t merit the service.
The Franchise 2.0:
When a franchise gets it right, you get franchise 2.0 – the bigger, better version where the end product matches the original vision. These salons are swanky, with a new-age kind of glitz. They sparkle and shine like glittering gems on a Christmas tree. If you end up going to the OG salon, where it all began, chances are that the owner, who is a fabulous stylist, will be there to advise you. The music is upbeat and current. Everyone smiles and greets you. The stylists look like they know what they are talking about and suggest various treatments and styles that will make you shine. Beware of the promise of ‘deep conditioning masks’ that will remove the frizz from your hair or give in to buying expensive serums that you don’t really need. Let them pamper you and serve you green tea, coffee or a can of chilled Coke. Enjoy the time you’ve taken out for yourself but stick to what you came for.
The 2.0 Franchise can be a bit tricky. For a good experience, you need to go to one in a slightly up-market neighbourhood. It helps if you know people who go there regularly. A bit of recce [3], research and asking around will help you make the right choice. Don’t trust Google or Google reviews.
The Grand Dame:
These salons are the 7-star version of hotels. The grand dames are run by stylists who have worked their way up, are known for their skill and are loved by the elite of the city. Make note that this is no place for the hoi polloi [4]. These are standalone establishments without a second or third outlet. You cannot enter without an appointment. The salon owner is the head stylist. They have not yet given up on life and receded to the quiet place behind the receptionist’s counter. Appointments with him/her/them need to be taken four to five days in advance.
The salon is designed with thought and intent, keeping movement in mind. The interiors are luxurious but not loud. There is a quiet elegance to the space. Even the phenyl used here smells like roses. The manager is efficient and polite. The stylists and attendants do not push treatments down your throat. They will advise and leave the final decision to you.
The clientele can be divided into a 70-20-10 ratio. 70% of women who frequent these salons are also grand dames or ones in the making. They own Louis Vuitton bags, their ears adorned with two-carat rocks and larger ones on their fingers. They come in Lululemon pants or some other version of exorbitant athleisure wear. The stylists and attendants know what to do without being told. The women spend all their time on their phones.
20% of women are not elite but earn enough to afford the prices. They likely head companies or have high paying bank jobs. They like to be fussed over and spend time with the stylist to figure out how to change their look or revamp their highlights. They always ask for green tea. They dress smartly and avoid athleisure wear at all costs.
The rest (10%, that is) are women like me, who have to save money to afford a visit and limit it to twice a year. We like to observe, using the mirror as a gateway into a world we are not familiar with (the LV women and those with high-end corporate jobs). We accept the bottle of water given to us and sip it slowly for the few hours that we are there. Sometimes, we ask for green tea or coffee.
The Grand Dames are expensive but worth it. If you’re sure of what you want, you will walk out happy. If you’re unsure and are looking for advice and the right style, you will walk out happy. Just make sure your pocket is full and your day is free from work.
The Salon Hopper:
Have you ever gone pub hopping? Sampling a drink and soaking in the environment of one pub before moving on to the next? The Salon Hopper is similar. They are individuals who have risen to fame and fandom through their exquisite understanding of hair, texture, weather and personality. Their haircuts can be compared to a jeweller who knows how to cut a rough diamond to bring out its brilliance and fire. But they are not loyal to salons and hop from one to the other, looking for better opportunities. Their fans follow them wherever they go. They have a WhatsApp group that will keep you updated.
These stylists are hard to find. You need to know someone who goes to them. However, their clientele is not limited to the elite. They are expensive but not unaffordable. They are friendly and make an effort to remember your name (if you’ve gone for a second visit). They will sit with you, chat about the weather and its impact on your hair, understand what kind of persona you want and then spend the next 4 hours painstakingly creating a style that will blow your mind. You will walk out looking like a diva and feeling like one. Heads will turn as you strut down the road in your new glorious avatar.
The downside is the upkeep. These hairstyles are so high-fashion that it's next to impossible to maintain them yourself. After the first shampoo at home, when you let your hair dry naturally, you will understand the importance of a salon blow-dry. After all, being a diva is high-maintenance business.
A quick tip: If you’re looking for a low-maintenance cut, mention that to your stylist. Ask them to work with your natural hair texture. If you’re okay with regular salon visits, then go wild.
Some women prefer to pick one salon that suits their needs and stick to it. Others like to experiment and try new places. Others yet, know where to go, at which time of the year, and for which service.
During peak season (Diwali, Christmas, New Year, etc.), it's best to go to Franchise 2.0. They are super-fast and efficient because everyone wants to make money through footfall. You will be in and out in 45 minutes flat. Their services are best for a basic trim, blow dry, hair iron or a quick nail paint job.
For a new look or vibe, stick to the Grand Dames or Salon Hoppers. For waxing, threading, and a basic mani-pedi, head to your neighbourhood salons. Whatever you do, avoid the basic franchises. I’ve been to enough to know that they cannot be saved.
If you prefer everything at home, try the Urban Company app. The women are fantastic at waxing and threading.
I love my salon(s)—the green tea, music, smell of disinfectant, buzz of hairdryers, snip-snip of scissors, and constant chatter. It’s a place where I can sit back, relax and cut off from the outside world for a few hours. A place where vanity is appreciated and gossip mandatory. It’s a place that offers you an opportunity to be whoever you want to be, even if it’s for a short while. It’s also a place that allows you to change your mask, spruce it up, and make it the 2.0 version of the one you currently wear. Because sometimes that’s all a woman needs – a place to center herself before she returns to meetings, meal planning and playdates.
Footnotes:
*A salon is a business or establishment where various services are offered to enhance and maintain a person's appearance.
1 Phenyl is a strong deodorant and germicide used extensively for sanitation purposes.
2 Short for Manicure and Pedicure
3 A shortened form for reconnaissance.
4 The masses; the common people.
It's peppy, it's zingy and its well-researched!! I am happy to report that my fave parlour has the small parlour qualities without being a hole in the wall so I think I am doing rather well. 😎😎
I laughed out loud many times after ages. This is why the Substack sisterhood is so precious. And you look gorgeous!