We Have a Chair Waiting for You
by Melissa LaScaleia
Myrtle Beach residents, Joyce Myers and her husband, Gary, own three full service hair salons along the Grand Strand: Infinity Hair Salon in Myrtle Beach; Hair Etc. in Surfside Beach; and Hair Trends in Murrells Inlet.
Each salon has a slightly different personality— the culture influenced by that area of the Grand Strand where it’s located, as well as the clientele that patronize it. Every salon offers services for all ages, from children to seniors.
Joyce and her husband relocated to this area from upstate New York twenty-five years ago.
“We used to vacation in Myrtle Beach for years, and eventually decided we wanted to move someplace warmer,” she says. “When we had an opportunity to start a career in the hair salon business, we decided to take it.”
The two have been working in the salon industry for the past twenty-three years— helping people to nourish their locks and combat the deleterious effects ocean living takes on one’s tresses.
“Beach living is beautiful, but it takes a heavy toll on your hair,” Joyce says. “You need to protect it from the sand, sun and salt water. There’s an excess of wind and humidity that your hair is exposed to constantly. A lot of people relocate down here or come for a short stay and don’t realize the effect the climate has on their hair, or how to manage their hair optimally in this new environment. That’s what we focus on with our clients.”
Joyce oversees all the operations at the three salons, such as marketing, purchasing new products, and taking care of the bookkeeping.
“We have wonderful managers at each salon,” she says. “Carolyn Taft is at Infinity, Sheila Michelsohn is at Hair Etc., and Grace Smeallie is at Hair Trends. They are passionate about what they do, and help make our salons as successful as they are.
“We also have very talented stylists at our salons. Because we live hair, we stay on top of the cutting-edge solutions and specialized services that are available— like smoothing and straightening services. At Infinity, we create a lot of bright bold colors for our clients, ombre looks, and keratin treatments.”
The stylists at all three salons are dedicated to their profession— committed to continuing their education, striving to grow their skills and staying current with what’s trending in the hair industry in terms of solutions as well as designs.
“At our salons, we try to listen to our clients’ wants and needs along with sharing our ideas, in order to find the hairstyle that not only makes people feel their best, but is also easy to maintain,” says Joyce. “Part of our mission is to build lasting relationships with our clients, and with the community as well.”
In keeping with their mission to make a positive impact on the community, Joyce continuously holds donation drives at the salons to help our more vulnerable populations, including youth, and local animal shelters.
“Our philosophy at our salons is: ‘Be your best, feel your best, and do your best,’” Joyce says. “So we invest in those relationships in our community where we feel we can make a difference just as we invest in our relationships with our clients.”
“I just love seeing some of the makeovers that the stylists do and how it makes people so happy,” she adds. “People come in and they’re having a bad day or a bad week and they can get a haircut or a color and it perks them right up.
“During the winter months, we see a lot of snowbirds who return every year because they love our stylists. This is what makes me happy— building relationships with people— knowing our community continues to grow and bond.”
Infinity Hair Salon
Open M-F 10am-6pm; Sa 10am-4pm
