AD SPACE

The "hairy" experience goes on

Mavis Gonshorowski
The June 16, 1983, issue of the Greenbush Tribune featured an ad which stated, “Hair Concepts will be opening Monday, June 20. Jill Wahl will be working with Bobbi for 6 months. Located in the Hayes and Fulton Accounting Building, Greenbush.”
A bit of mathematical figuring in my head and on my fingers told me the total is 25 years!
Bobbi and Jill are Greenbush High School graduates and both attended the Thief River Falls Vo-Tech where they were required to take 1800 hours of instruction and put in one year of interning.
Bobbi was also privileged to receive training from the Allan International Institute for a month in Europe.
“I was in Europe during the time the wedding of Princess Di and Prince Charles took place,” Bobbi said.
“The styles we learned over there didn’t start taking hold in Greenbush until eight to ten years later.”
Upon her return, her brother Dwight met her at the airport; the hair style Bobbi was sporting almost send him into shock.
“My hair was one inch long on the top of my head, the sides and back were in an asymmetrical cut and I had a small colored rainbow over one ear. Dwight was embarrassed!” she said with a laugh.
Bobbi (Hasson) was a single gal when she went into the “hair” business, starting Hair Concepts 26 years ago.
Then along came Jill (Anderson) Wahl. Married on July 31, 1982, Jill and her husband David, were making their home in Thief River Falls, thus she thought she would try it for six months in Greenbush and then go from there.
Since the young couple both grew up in this area, they decided to move back and establish their home north of Greenbush.
For Jill, the rest is history. What started out as six months, turned into 25 years at Hair Concepts.
Bobbi became the bride of Jeff Jenson on September 3, 1983.
The young gals worked side by side up until Bobbi took time off for the birth of the Jenson’s first born, a son named Chance.
Some time had passed when Jill decided it was time to share some news with Bobbi. She was six months pregnant.
“I told Bobbi that she had better come and sit down; I had something to tell her,” Jill chuckled. “I told her I was pregnant and Bobbi started to cry tears of joy and said ‘I am, too’!”
Jill and Dave became the parents of a son, Dustin. A few months later, a baby girl named Mackenzie joined the Jenson household.
Jeff and Bobbi are now the grandparents of one handsome little grandson who goes by the name of Briggs.
After having worked together this length of time, the two ladies have almost become like sisters.
“We’ve laughed together, cried together, practically raised our kids together,” Bobbi said. “Jill (whose husband and son are involved in Wahl Brothers Racing) has had to deal with family accidents (mostly snowmobile and race car-related) over the years.”
Jill added, “And Bobbi has had to put up with me being gone to races.”
Nineteen years ago Bobbi broke her leg and couldn’t stand being cooped up at home.
“She’d come and sit in a wheelchair,” Jill laughed. “I would do the prep work like washing the hair on the clients and Bobbi would do the cutting of their hair. It was hilarious!”
Bobbi also went through gall bladder surgery. On top of that she was able to quit smoking after being a heavy smoker up until 24 years ago.
“Jill held my hand through it all,” commented Bobbi. “And she can read me like a book...she can tell when I have a headache, if I’m crabby or just having a bad day.”
When it comes to hair styles and the methods of fixing hair, we talked about the changes Bobbi and Jill have seen over the past years.
“There are way less perms given now, although they still are preferred by some of our older cliental,” they said. “We see more vibrant colors; reds have been popular for the last three years.
“In the 80’s there was the big hair and the “poufy” bangs. People in Roseau called the poufy bangs the “Greenbush” bangs.”
Today the straight bangs and sleek long hair styles are popular.
They both agreed in saying that the hair styles of 15-20 years ago have a way of making their way back.
Velcro or hot rollers are now used to create volume; straight irons or hot irons are used for long, straight hair styles.
Have there been any unusual hair style requests?
“Just the mohawk and the gothic (black),” Jill replied.
Bobbi added, “We won’t dye black for youngsters without the parents’ permission. It’s such a deep black color and very difficult to get back to original color.”
What, if any, other changes have they seen?
Quick in wit, Bobbi replied, “Just my body!”
To that Jill added with a laugh, “Mine, too!”
The changes in the condition of one’s hair and/or scalp can often times be an indication of things that are going on with a client, such as the medication(s) they are on, being under stress, age and anesthesia. Perms don’t take as well.
Bobbi related to one of her clients...”I told her I could tell by the change in her hair that she was pregnant before she even knew it. She didn’t believe me but I was right! We’ve been able to guess about 90% of the time if someone is pregnant. Hormone changes greatly have an effect on hair.”
Is there anything to “a hairdresser is like a psychiatrist”?
“It’s true,” they replied. “It has lots to do with the trust factor between customers and beauticians after so many years.”
Once a week during the summer pedicures, manicures, facials and paraffin waxes will be offered at Hair Concepts,which will be done by Kayla Agre.
An added-extra offered at Hair Concepts is that of spas. A bridal shower spa for the bride-to-be Amber Becker and her bridesmaids was held just recently. Women employees of Central Boiler have been treated to a private spa party for the last three years.
As far as the hours House Concepts is open for cliental, “We work whenever...whatever works for our clients,” Jill stated.
“We do it this way because we don’t have families to rush home to,” added Bobbi.
A 100 year-old-plus structure which once served as the home of the late Dominic and Teresie Vacura, has been the site of Hair Concepts for the last 15 years. It is located directly across from the LifeCare Greenbush Manor Nursing Home.
Bobbi commented, “Our customers have been good to us for 25 years.”
To which Jill added, “We have a lot of very faithful customers.”
“And they said it would never last!” they said with a chuckle.

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