Salon Underground Opens in Downtown Dexter

Salon Underground, a new hair boutique in downtown Dexter, is gaining popularity and growing clientele among local residents. The boutique, which opened last week, is owned and operated by residents Loan and Bill Joyce.

"When this location opened up, we thought it would be a great fit for a salon," Bill Joyce said.

The boutique is located at 8071 Main St., Unit B, behind , and offers haircuts, stylings and color treatments for men, women and children.

Bill Joyce, who works for Delta Airlines, and Loan Joyce, who works at the Karmonos Cancer Institute in Detroit, have both grown up in the salon business.

"My mother was a beautician for more than 20 years," Bill said.

With the help of Bill's mom, the couple transformed their dream of owning their own business into a reality and now employ two full-time and one part-time cosmetologists from the Dexter area to run the salon in their stead.

"We check in with the employees in the morning and in the evening, but they do a wonderful job working with our clients," Loan said.

The goal is to offer customers an alternative venue that features more of a hands-on approach to hair care, Loan said.

"We're not trying to compete with anyone," she said. "We researched the market and brought our prices to competitive levels. We also hired local cosmetologists, and we're looking to reach out and partner with the business community."

For 's homecoming this week, Salon Underground is partnering with to offer student couples a special package. Students can purchase a corsage and boutonniere and a hair styling for $75. Appointments are encouraged by Sept. 29.

In addition, Loan said she plans to meet with local organizations such as the and in the coming weeks to offer partnership ideas. Regular customer appreciation specials are also in the works.

"We really want this to become more of a local salon for people who live in Dexter or who visit regularly and enjoy the community," Bill said.

He said he would like to expand the salon to include other services and products.

"We're really focused on hair right now, but we're also big on the educational aspect of the job," he said. "If our staff indicates interest in furthering their growth, we will certainly do what we can to make it happen."

Alice Witherspoon, one of the salon's newest customers, said she fell in love with it during her first visit.

"This place is just gorgeous," she said. "I'm glad I heard about it opening."

In honor of its grand opening, the boutique is offering 15 percent off services through the end of September. The cost for a haircut and styling ranges from $25 for women, $18 for men and $15 for children. As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, the salon is raffling off a gift basket worth $180, and a portion of the salon's sales will be given to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

For more information on Salon Underground or to schedule an appointment, call 734-424-9290 or email salonundergrounddexter@gmail.com.

The salon is open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday; and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. The salon is closed Sunday-Monday.