Business of the Week: Knotty Hair Salon

rooted itself in Suisun City just two years ago, though owner Emily Giangrasso has operated the salon for almost 10 years now. Originally located in Fairfield, Giangrasso said she wanted a bit of a change for her business. She decided the building at 601 Main St. was just the right spot to relocate, but not before she did a bit of remodeling.

“It was such a cool building I (thought) we could make something of this,” she said.

 Since the building had been a bank previously, she liked the idea that a vault was located within the space. The area is now used for her shampoo chairs. The building had also previously been used for just about anything you could think of under the sun: A ballet studio, wedding shop, recording studio, massage parlor, and real estate company.

“We get a lot of people who come in and say we used to work here,” she said.

Giangrasso had been working as a hair stylist four years prior when the owner of the salon, then called The Look Hair Studio, decided to retire. At the age of 23, Giangrasso bought the business and renamed it Knotty Hair Salon. This wasn’t the only big change happening in her life at the time, however. She was also planning a wedding.

“She said do you want to take over rent, and start your own business, and I said, ‘Why not?” she said. “So I got married and took up a salon in the matter of a month.”

Giangrasso said the support of her husband has helped her through the more stressful times. Still, the success of Knotty Hair Salon is not only due to her support system at home, but her family at the salon. She is close friends with many of her stylists.

“We’re like family, we’re all really close,” she said. “We’ve all worked really hard to get a good name for the salon.”

Knotty Hair Salon is open to all types of hair and textures. She recently brought in a stylist specializing in African American hair from which she said she has learned a lot from, as well. Her salon currently offers hair cuts for the whole family, coloring, perms, extensions and Brazilian blow-out carotene treatments.

Continued education is also key; stylists take classes near and far away just to gain that competitive edge. Recently Giangrasso attended a class in New York City for Ouidad products. The salon is now one of only two in Northern California that sells the product line.

 “(Ouidad is) all about curly hair” said Giangrasso. “It’s about embracing your curl, how to cut the hair properly, how to style the hair properly… That’s what we’re promoting. Instead of fighting your curl with straightener, embrace it.”

All of the efforts go toward being able to service the needs of a variety of clientele, something Giangrasso is proud her salon is able to offer.

 “If it has to do with your hair, we do it,” she said.