Pressed Roots is a newly opened hair salon in Dallas, Texas that aims to provide quality blowout and treatment services to those with highly textured hair.
‘Speaking directly to the experience of women of colour, I know first hand the hardships when it comes to finding a reliable stylist who is formally trained in how to care for natural, textured hair,’ says Pressed Roots founder Piersten Gaines.
‘After years of traumatic salon visits, I found a stylist who knew how to care for my textured hair while [I was] attending Harvard Business School. I visited her weekly for blowouts and maintenance, but was once again left with no options when my stylist relocated. I realised there was a huge underserved market who were searching for the same care: a reliable, affordable, luxury experience. This led to the creation of Pressed Roots.’
The brand started with travelling pop-up shops in cities such as Boston and Atlanta, before opening a permanent location in Dallas last year, and has plans to open two more Texas locations. The interiors are designed by Coevál Studio, which combined a ‘feminine palette’ of soft pinks and beiges with bold, weighty structures that add an element of punchiness. The open-plan layout facilitates visibility and communication between the various zones.
For Gaines, it was vital that the space was welcoming and fostered a sense of community. ‘Pressed Roots believes everyone deserves access to quality haircare and luxury services that celebrate their beauty,’ says Gaines. ‘By reimagining the traditional salon experience, Pressed Roots is creating an inclusive community and challenging the broader beauty and haircare industries that have excluded ethnic hair textures for decades.’
Treatments include the brand’s signature silk blowout for either silky straight hair, loose curls or beach waves; as well as hair trims, deep conditioning treatments, extensions, and more. The brand also offers a mini press service for girls under eight years old.
While the haircare industry has undergone immense changes since 2020, it is an undeniable fact that there is still much to be done, whether that is brands creating products for a more diverse audience or more beauty schools teaching technicians how to work with textured hair.
‘While there’s plenty of national blowout bars, none of them specialise in caring for natural, textured hair,’ says Gaines. ‘Styling highly textured hair is an art – one that is still not part of the mandatory curriculum in cosmetology schools across the USA.
‘What that means for most women of colour is a salon experience that is hit or miss. When you do find a stylist who understands your hair, they are worth their weight in gold – which is why they often cost significantly more and focus on other services beyond blowouts. As the first silk blowout bar of its kind, Pressed Roots is uniquely positioned, specialising in the care and styling of highly textured hair at an affordable price.’
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