Stylist hangs up curling iron after nearly 60 years in trade
After nearly 60 years in the trade, one Hot Springs Village hair stylist is hanging up the curling iron at the end of the month.
Shirley Posey, 75, will retire from Head to Toe Styling Salon on Nov. 30, after practicing her trade for 57 years.
Forty-six of those years have been spent in Hot Springs Village. Originally from Elgin, Ill., Posey said she decided to go into the field due to her love of hair, enrolling in the Elgin School of Cosmology. That school would only be the start of Posey’s education, though. Over the years, she would attend classes in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.
As often as hairstyles change, Posey said she has continually taken courses to keep up with the new techniques. She came to Arkansas after visiting in-laws who lived in Hot Springs Village. After seeing the area, she decided it would be a good place to raise children.
In 1972, Posey opened a salon outside Hot Springs Village. Two years later, she was asked to move her business inside the Village. She did so, opening the first beauty salon within the gated community. Three years later, she would sell the salon to her manicurist. Part of the sale included that Posey would become an employee of the shop for at least five years. She ended up staying for many more.
Next, she would work at Cutting Corner, a salon owned by Posey’s daughter, Pam Logan. Six years ago, her daughter sold her shop, and Posey
moved over to Head to Toe.
Posey said the length of time she has lasted in the industry is unusual, noting she has only known one person who had a longer career than her.
What has made her so successful, Posey said, is that she is a people person. She currently has around 60 clients, and she said that she gets to know each of them.
“They become family,” Posey said.
Posey said that while working on the clients, she talks to them and they end up sharing their experiences with her. The clients talk about sicknesses and successes with her and she experiences all those moments with them.
Posey said she has had many long-term clients due to the relationships she builds with them, noting she has one client she has worked with for 29 years and another one who has been with her for 28 years.
Over the last two years, her family has pushed for her to retire. A major part of the reason she has decided to finally retire is that her husband, Mel, has had several health issues lately. Now they will be able to do more things together, she said.
Other retirement plans include traveling and playing with great-grandchildren.
As a retirement gift, her daughter, Kim Williams, recently took her on a cross-country trip that spanned from Chicago to Seattle, then on to Alaska. One of her bucket list items, Posey said, is to visit each state in America. She is currently only six states away from that accomplishment.
As for visiting family, Posey said she has a granddaughter in Siloam Springs who has three young children. Posey said she looks forward to spending a lot of time in Siloam Springs, playing with the children. Posey also has another great-grandson, Reece, who was just born. She said she looks forward to getting to spend a lot of time with little Reece, too.
Posey’s boss, Lynn Payton, said she is happy for Posey. Payton actually used to work for Posey. “She took me under her wing,” Payton said. The two have worked together for the past 12 years, and they are also neighbors.
“I think a lot about that lady,” Posey said.
Posey wanted to thank all the clients and friends that she has had over her career.
“I feel extremely blessed,” Posey said about her career. “I’ve made some wonderful friends.”