A Love Affair with Hair at a Westwood Salon

Park Ridge resident Peggie Burke knew she wanted a career in hair styling at a very young age.

“You know, I just always wanted to be a hairdresser. I was just like, I’m going to be a hairdresser!” Burke said.

She has always had a career in hair, working in the hair industry for 35 years.

“I went through two different owners and then I finally bought the salon from Action Hair cutters,” she said.

Burke has been the sole owner for the entire 24 years has been open.

“I’m a hairdresser, I’m the owner, manager,” she said. “I do everything.”

But in recent years, keeping the salon open has been a challenge.

“We’ve had highs and lows,” Burke said. “Things definitely aren’t the way they used to be and I would definitely say the avenue having so many empty stores doesn’t help.”

People in the hair business rely on repeat customers, and that has helped to keep Best Little Hairhouse open. It’s about personality and building relationships, Burke said.

“I look for people with talent and nice personalities that fit into the crew,” Burke said. “And my employees stay.”

She has nine women working for her in her tight-knit hairdressing family. Burke’s right hand woman, Patty Steidl, has been working with her for 21 years. Steidl said she also knew she wanted to be a hairdresser.

“It’s something different every day,” she said.

Burke recently hired Jennifer Tyll, who she feels is a great addition to her hairdressing family.

“Jennifer just became part of the crew. She’s been our new kid on the block,” she said.

Tyll agrees hair styling is diverse and relies on a hairdresser’s personality.

“You talk to different people every day,” she said. “It’s fun. It’s usually happy occasions, weddings, birthdays, bar mitzvahs, communions.”

But it’s not all about socializing; a lot goes into becoming a hairdresser.

“First they go to school for 1,200 hours in the state of New Jersey and then they have to pass a state board test,” Burke explained. “One is practical, they have to do everything – haircuts, perms and shaving. And then they also have to take a written exam.”

In order to get a license, they will need to pass both the practical and written exams. Then they can work on hair.

“We usually start assistants out in the back who are in the process of getting their license and then they get a permit from school when they’re about half way,” Steidl said.

After they’ve received their license, Burke moves them up from the sink to their own chair.

“Everybody here does everything,” she said. “So we do a lot of color, haircuts and perms.”

They recently started doing feathers, which are attached to women’s hair. Feathers come in a variety of colors.

“The feathers are hot and we’ve got them!” Burke said. “We’re everything because we have feathers. Other hair salons came in and got them done because they can’t get them.”

Best Little Hairhouse also does coloring and highlighting. They specialize in corrective color and root protection.

“We do everybody, from 0 to 100,” Burke said.

She even has a 92-year-old client.

Since the standard amount of time between haircuts is about four to six weeks, Burke and her hairdressers become intimate with their clients.

“You get to be a part of all those people’s lives,” she said.