The power of hair

CEBU, Philippines - It often happens that the girl has the perfect outfit and matching makeup, but her hair just goes crazy on her. Result: the total look fails. 

Hairdresser Miguelito “Migs” Santos puts it very well: “A king and queen can’t be called such without their crowns. Our hair is considered as our crowns… that’s why it is very important to groom it properly.” Migs, thus, suggests that people choose to invest first on having good hair, over makeup and clothes. 

Hair also gives people self-confidence, Migs adds, “Such is the power of hair.” This is the reason why he chooses to devote himself to the craft of hairdressing. He loves being part of the transformation of a shy, self-doubting lady to a confident and outgoing woman.  ”It makes me happy when my clients are amazed with the outcome. I love making them feel and look pretty,”

Before opening his own salon, Migs had worked in a salon where he got trained on how to handle hair, particularly in dyeing and choosing the right hair color. It was a long journey –saving up money and gaining enough experience to be on his own. 

In 2014, Migs opened his own salon in Talisay City. His earlier struggles have proved to be all worth it. 

Aside from doing haircuts, Migs’ specialty is hair colors. He enjoys experimenting with colors, always doing it very carefully. His clients keep coming back, which certainly means they are satisfied with his work on them.

Migs listens to the ideas of his clients. It’s their hair after all. At times clients would show him hair colors they like for their hair. This year, for example, the trend has been basically ash grey. But not all could carry this color, Migs says, and he is always honest to tell his clients.

Migs matches hair color with the color of a client’s skin. For the hairstyle, he considers the shape of the client’s face. 

Interestingly, Migs doesn’t really go out of his way to advertise his services. He draws in more and more clients mainly by word of mouth by those who have had tried him. His clientele has grown so well, that one would now have to book two weeks in advance for his services. The #touchedbyMigs hashtag in social media has also drawn a huge following, which boosts his popularity, for sure.

Clients in other places, like Boracay,  would book for him to go there to do their hair. “When your clients are happy with the outcome, as well as the customer service you provide them, they will keep on coming back and they will refer you to everyone they know,” he affirms. 

Migs cautions, though, that hair dyeing would demand the patience of clients, as it does his own and his assistants’. The process is long and tedious, and some customers would have to wait at least 10 hours to see the effect.

But people want their hair done. They know what power a nice hair that looks great on them could do. And, with more and more people, they only have Migs Santos in mind to do it for them. (FREEMAN)