By Crystal Faircloth
Editor’s note — we’re proud to welcome Crystal Faircloth of Lake Waccamaw to the CCN family. This is her first post with z2j.c7e.myftpupload.com.
Kathy Spaulding is no ordinary hairdresser. The owner of Cut and Styles Salon of Lake Waccamaw is what many would call a blessing to most of the people she encounters. She’s also known as an angel to the elderly at Premier Living and Rehab Center.
Before the pandemic struck, it wasn’t uncommon to see Spaulding on her days off from the salon volunteering her services at the center. She’s been a fixture there for the last four years. Now that visitors are allowed again, she is once again giving her coveted Tuesday morning spot to the elderly. Her services range from shampoos and haircuts, to nail polishing and conversation.
In a recent visit to Premier, though the situation wasn’t a traditional salon setting, she made the accommodations work.
It had been more than a year since one resident received a haircut, and not only did Ms. Kathy cut her hair, but she polished her nails, and even assisted in feeding the lady her meal.
With help from Otelia Blanks, she even cuts and styles hair for bedridden residents who are unable to be moved. She provided the same quality service as in her salon, and did so with a smile and gusto all her own.
Spaulding said the rewards are worth it all and the greatest aspect of the job are the smiles on the faces of the residents.
“I love being able to help,” she said. “This gives them something to look forward to on Tuesdays. They are always so excited to see me because it means they are getting their hair done. It makes them happy.”
Her salon itself is a comfortable place. She has live plants sitting in the window that she nurtures just like her clientele.
She offers haircuts, shampoos, eyebrow waxing, coloring and highlights, and in the back of the salon, tanning beds. The front front door is rarely still, kept moving by customers bringing business, kind words, and even gratitude in the form of baked goods.
The New Jersey native moved here in 1999, after a career as a nurse. The change in scenery begat a change in jobs, and in 2002, Ms. Kathy gained her cosmetology license. She opened up Cut and Styles 14 years ago and hired hairdresser Melanie Wayne. The rest is history.
Men, women, children, and the elderly go to the salon to have their hair done. Ladies in the community often visit to catch up with latest news, and show off pictures of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Men go in for haircuts and whisker trims, and young ladies hit the tanning beds for prom season. Spaulding does her best to accommodate them all.
The pandemic has been rough, but through it all, Spaulding has done her best to joy to those around her, as well as coaxing smiles from the residents of Premier Living and Rehab Center.
Just as her customers, neighbors and friends at Premier love Kathy Spaulding, she feels the same way for her community.
“The people of Lake Waccamaw are just beautiful,” Spaulding said.
