LAKE ASBURY —They say that hair is your best accessory. A reflection of the soul.

At Hair Solutions, it's also the root of all things community. Whether you stop by to get a trim, highlight your tresses, try a perm or spill all your best kept secrets, owner Kim Chestnut said that when you walk through the doors, it's an experience you won't forget.

Located at 91 Branscomb Road, October makes 20 years since the salon opened in Lake Asbury. What started as a small shop that housed only four walls and two chairs, has now blossomed into a cherished establishment.

Chestnut said her husband first purchased the salon in 1995. The original was located in Jacksonville.

"The name was Hair Solutions. The lady was retiring, so I bought it from her," she said. "He bought it for me for my birthday."

When the two moved to this side of town, Chestnut said they brought the salon with them. 

"I opened several Great Clips for people, and then I decided I [wanted] to do my own."

Ironically enough, Chestnut hadn't always wanted to be a hairstylist. However, she chose to attend vocational school instead of high school, which led her down a path to cosmetology. 

"I didn't want to go to high school. I was top ten in my class, [but] hated going to high school," she said.

Chestnut and one other girl were the only two who made it through the program and are still doing hair 41 years later.

Her first location opened just across the street from where they are now, behind Dalton's Sports Grill. They later moved to Branscomb Road in 2010. 

In her own words, it's a community-driven business. And one of the team is a host of beauticians, some of whom have been there since its early days.

"They work as a family. They work together. There's no cutthroat. If someone needs help, they lend a hand. It's pretty cool."

Chestnut said it was 15 years into her career before she realized that family always came first. That's a motto she strives to abide by, even with her staff.

"Other places they make you work the weekends. They make you work the nights. I have this set up so that they can have time with their families. We close on Thanksgiving the whole week," she said. "Christmas the whole week and a half. We close when the school closes.

"Because a lot of them have children. And I don't want them to miss stuff."

Generations of families flock to get a range of affordable services the salon provides.

"I always call it [a] generational hair salon because I might have started with the grandma, but the girls that are younger got the grandkids."

The shop's very first client: Jan Duncan. Chestnut said she came for a perm. Some other first customers were Charlie Pruitt and Gary Adams. Adams still frequents for his custom flat top, while Pruitt just celebrated his 87th birthday with a cupcake from the staff.

As the days of hard work grew, so did the clientele.

"When the state came to inspect it when we moved over here, we were very busy. And he was like, 'How are you so busy?'"

Completing an expansion project in 2017, Chestnut said she's amazed to see just how far the shop has come. Seeing as though there was a time when she didn't think they'd be able to stay.

"When we moved into this building, we didn't think we were going to be able to here. It wasn't zoned right.

"And then, Mr. [David] Horton and Mr. [Gayward] Hendry went to battle."

Hendry is a former county commissioner, while Horton was the chief volunteer fireman for Lake Asbury.

"They were prominent, and they went to battle, and we were approved to stay. So that was a plus. Because the community needs us."

Chestnut said that a lot of the shop's customers are elderly, who travel a long way to be there. 

"A lot of people come from Penney Farms. A lot of people come from across the street," she said. "And I mean, they depend on that. Sometimes we're the only people that they see. That's what drives me. To make someone's day."

Smiles and hugs. It's always like visiting family when customers walk through the door. And it's a simple "see you later" when they leave. 

To celebrate their anniversary, Chestnut said the salon will be hosting various giveaways for the community, including gift cards and hair appliances. 

"Everyone who comes in in October. And you don't have to get your hair done."

For the future, Chestnut is looking forward to paving the way for the next generation of stylists. One perfect cut at a time.