Atelier 22 Beauty Bar

We spend a lot of time taking care of our hair. But how much attention are we giving the scalp it grows from?

Your scalp is living skin. Keeping it healthy means managing excess oil, removing buildup, maintaining its natural barrier and addressing irritation before it becomes a bigger issue.

A healthy scalp supports the environment your hair follicles need to function normally. And while no treatment can guarantee hair growth, proper scalp care is an important part of maintaining healthy hair.

One thing I’ve never believed in is a one-size-fits-all approach to hair or scalp care.

I don’t use one product line or follow the same treatment routine for every client. Everything is selected based on what their scalp and hair need at that particular appointment. Even my clients who come in every month rarely receive the exact same treatment twice.

Because what your scalp needed last month might not be what it needs today.

Maybe it’s time we paid a little more attention to what’s underneath.

Japanese Head Spa • Private Hair Salon
Atelier 22 Beauty Bar | Suffern, NY

Some people have superpowers. Mine just happens to involve a blow-dryer and a round brush.

Naturally curly hair. Zero styling products. Absolutely no flat iron. Ever.

Healthy hair has always been my number one priority. No unnecessary heat, no unnecessary products. Just the right tension, proper technique, and 25 plus years behind the chair.

And for everyone who asks how my blowouts manage to last an entire week? This is why.

No product buildup. No shortcuts. Just technique, experience, and a little talent. 😉

The flat iron has never been employed in my salon.

Atelier 22 Beauty Bar

Yes, I brushed out her curls. On purpose.

A few months ago, we did a big chop. Now we’re growing it out, but that doesn’t mean we’re letting it grow out of shape.

This appointment was all about a little reshaping.

I combed out her curls before cutting them dry so I could see the overall silhouette, where the weight was sitting, and what needed adjusting without sacrificing length.

Once the shape was where I wanted it, we added the hydration back in and let those curls do their thing.

Not every haircut needs to be a dramatic transformation.

And yes, you can brush out curly hair. I promise it’ll survive.

Not every smoothing treatment is meant to straighten your hair.

My client came in experiencing significant hair loss, particularly through the front, leaving her with uneven density and curls that had become increasingly difficult to manage.

The goal wasn’t to straighten her hair. It was to work with what she had.

A much-needed haircut to bring back shape and balance, followed by a customized ProAddiction treatment to control frizz while preserving her natural curl pattern.

It’s taken me nearly a decade of working with this smoothing treatment & not following the instructions that come with it to really understand how to customize them for different hair types, textures, and desired results. Especially when the goal is to keep the curls, not get rid of them.

Because contrary to popular belief, not everyone with curly hair is secretly wishing for straight hair.

Sometimes they just want their curls to cooperate.

Curly Cut + Customized ProAddiction | Atelier 22 Beauty Bar

I tried…

To make a Reel. 😂

Anyway, I’ve been testing K18 Future IQ for the past week.

I’m very careful about what I recommend to my clients. I’m never going to try something once and immediately tell you it’s the best thing ever and you need to buy it. That’s bu****it.

I want to actually use it first.

Future IQ is a lightweight scalp serum designed to target premature hair aging. K18 says it can help reduce shedding, reduce graying and protect scalp longevity, with clinical results showing up to 19,000 more hairs, fewer grays and an improved scalp barrier.

They recommend using it for three months for maximum results, which makes this one a little more interesting to test.

So that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

I’ll check back in once a month and we’ll see what it actually does.

As for the Reel… I did attempt to make another one. Never hit record the entire time.

So this is what you’re getting. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Leaving for school for the year meant keeping maintenance and the grow-out in mind.

The goal was to bring her back closer to her natural color, keep a few pops of brightness, and create something lived-in that won’t require constant maintenance.

Something that will soften and grow out beautifully until I see her again next year.

Pretty now, but just as important, a plan for the grow-out.

3½ hours…

…in 90 seconds.

Years of flat ironing left her hair dry, frizzy, and difficult to manage. Instead of continuing the cycle, we decided to give her hair a break with a smoothing treatment that fit both her hair and her lifestyle.

One thing people are always surprised to learn is that I don’t do the same smoothing treatment on everyone.

I offer eight different smoothing systems, including options that are completely free of formaldehyde and aldehydes. No downtime or waiting period. Which one I recommend depends on where we’re starting, the condition of your hair, your daily routine, and what you actually want your hair to do when you leave here.

Not every smoothing treatment belongs on every head of hair.

That’s why choosing the right one is part of my job as a licensed professional.

Atelier 22 Beauty Bar

One year ago today at 2:00 PM, I opened the doors to this chapter of Atelier 22.

Atelier 22 has been part of my story for over ten years.

This wasn’t the beginning.

This was personal.

Two years ago, after buying a home and being scammed, I lost more than a house.

I lost my sense of home.

At the time, I was still working out of my previous space, knowing I wanted to build Atelier 22 again—but this time on my own terms.

I loved my first salon and the team I built, but I wanted something quieter and more private. A space that felt less like a salon and more like stepping into someone’s home.

Then life changed again.

One of my best friends was diagnosed with cancer.

One night in the hospital, while she fought for her life and I felt completely lost, we made each other a promise.

I promised her I would build.

She promised me she would live.

For seven weeks, I worked 12+ hour days with clients and spent nights building what would become this next chapter of Atelier 22.

For those same seven weeks, she was fighting for her life.

Two hours before my first client arrived, she was the first person to walk into the space and see it.

By the grace of God, we both kept our promises.

This space exists because of the people who carried me through it—my 3 closest friends and the one person who reminded me what love and safety feel like.

Thank you for carrying furniture, listening to my spirals, and accepting payment in loads of ch*****ne.

I couldn’t have done this without you.

To every client who trusted me then and continues to trust me now: thank you.

Atelier 22 was built not on trends or algorithms, but on trust, relationships, and word of mouth.

I thank God every day for that and never take it for granted.

This space is sacred to me.

There are stories within these walls I will never fully share because they belong not only to me, but to the people I love.

Some things are meant to be held closely.

What you’re seeing here is only a glimpse

seven weeks of work,

countless sleepless nights,

and a lifetime of memories,

condensed into less than two minutes.

Thank you for being part of this chapter.

🤍