TOWARDS HOLISTIC HAIRDRESSING

For hairdressers, lifelong learning is mandatory. Shilpa Chauhan, Owner, Reconnect: The Holistic Salon, and Head Trainer, Phyto Ativo, leads by example as she regularly upskills herself to be able to impart superior knowledge to her students.

“As an artist, hair is my medium, life is my canvas. My passion is to create beautiful styles! A hairstyle is not just something to gaze at, but a piece of art to influence lives, every single day,” says hair artist, hair healer and technical trainer Shilpa Chauhan, as she brings in a different perspective to hairdressing and training. Over the span of more than two decades, she has honed her craft and emerged as one of the leading technical trainers in the country.

Having worked with brands such as Olaplex, Morrocanoil, Balmain and Cadiveau Professional, Chauhan was all set to give up on her career as a trainer. She wanted to move onto a space where technical training was not just about saying good things about a brand and selling maximum products. She wanted to look beyond money and work on something that would help improve the life of both the hairdressers and the clients as well as preserve the environment. So, when Team Phyto Ativo approached her, she did thorough research of their ingredients and formulations for six months, before finally saying ‘yes’.

“I took it up as a mission rather than an assignment. It is my goal to give the Indian beauty industry non-toxic products that do not give them problems such as hair and hair thinning,” she asserts.

In 2020, Chauhan took over her mother’s business – Shringar Salon and Spa, which she established in 1999, and rebranded it as Reconnect: The Holistic Salon. Since her trainer profile involves training the staff of A category salons, she is able to be a hands-on hairdresser and salon owner, too.

EDUCATOR PAR EXCELLENCE

Since her early days in hairdressing, Chauhan has focussed on being a trainer. Throughout her 20 years as a trainer, she continued to invest in her own education, too. She regularly travels abroad, especially to the US and the UK, to upgrade herself. She has certifications from renowned hair schools such as the Vidal Sassoon Academy, UK, and TONI&GUY, Singapore. This enables her to integrate global techniques and trends with technical product know-how in her training modules. “I always tell my students, even though I am a trainer, I am a hairdresser first. I am part of you! For a hairdresser, upskilling is very important. It’s like meditation – you need to keep working on yourself,” she explains.

Regarding her approach to teaching, Chauhan says, “The first step towards training hairdressers is to put yourself in their shoes and to not assume they already know something. My training sessions are charged up with humor as it helps me break the ice with my students, encouraging them to freely ask me questions.”

DEEP-ROOTED CONNECTIONS

Travelling has had a great impact on Chauhan’s work. She studies under international teachers but also remains open to the lessons that travelling brings. Given her passion for non-toxic products and sustainability, she makes it a point to understand how salons abroad are working on this. She recalls, “In Italy, I visited a salon where they were using henna-based hair colour. They were sourcing the henna from Rajasthan. It amazed me how they were ready to use something that’s significant to Indian culture to become more sustainable and organic instead of relying on chemical colours.”

She is deeply connected with her roots and has a profound interest in alternative therapy. While her family is urging her to start an academy of her own, she is taking her time in setting up the foundation as she wants it be not just about hair but about holistic wellness, too.

To conclude, Chauhan states, “I want to leave behind a legacy of hair education, one that will help make the Indian beauty industry a better place. Money is a by-product; it is important that we all get together to create something more sustainable and authentic.”