SAN ANTONIO – The phrase, “timeless beauty,” takes on a whole new meaning at a Northwest Side hair salon.
At Reflexion salon, it can very well refer to the attitude among the owner and employees when it comes to helping their clients.
Stephanie Hernandez and her staff make themselves available around the clock, often doing appointment-only hairstyles in the middle of the night.
“I have a lot of customers from out of town, from here,” she said. “For one appointment, they wait at least two weeks because I'm super busy.”
Hernandez is known for her expert hair coloring skills.
She said the process she uses can take 10-12 hours sometimes.
“It's worth it. Yeah, it's worth it,” said Reyna DeHoyos, a client of the salon, located near Loop 410 and Bandera Road, for the past three years.
DeHoyos said she is so impressed by Hernandez’s work that she recommended her to her sisters, aunt, friends and co-workers.
Late one recent night, DeHoyos sat waiting in the salon, still in the uniform she wore to work that morning.
Her 14-year-old daughter, Italia, was having her very dark hair turned light blond by Hernandez for the first time.
DeHoyos showed up around 10 p.m. to pick up her daughter, who had been there since around 1 p.m.
It wasn’t until nearly 2 a.m. the next day that they walked out together, smiling and satisfied, but tired.
Hernandez, herself, had been working since 9 a.m. the previous day.
Sometimes she said she works as late as 5 a.m., then after a few hours’ sleep is back on the job by 10 a.m.
“They're leaving with their hair perfect, fixed and everything. I don't like to send my customers home with bad work,” she said, explaining the reason for the lengthy process.
Hernandez said the long hours do take a toll, though.
She has to wear comfortable shoes and change them three times per day.
“I take my vitamins and I try to be hydrated, drink a lot of water,” she said.
Slowing down, it seems, won’t be an option for her any time soon.
In a few months, Hernandez expects to open an even larger salon in the area.