How Hurricane Helene Transformed My Salon

When Hurricane Helene hit, the salon space I was working out of in Riverview Studio flooded. It was heartbreaking, stressful, and honestly surreal. But once the shock wore off, I realized I could use that ending as the push to help me start fresh with what I’d secretly been dreaming about for years: a true head spa.

Before the Storm

I’d been obsessing over starting a head spa for years. Many of you have been coming to see me for years for haircuts and coloring, and getting to know you in this one-on-one way has always been one of my favorite parts of my work.

Over time, I’d noticed that when you’d sit down in my chair holding a lot, you’d often leave looking lighter. (And it wasn’t always just having less hair.) Not because I did anything magical, but because being cared for, even in the smallest ways, can help our whole bodies settle.

I’d felt that same shift when I went to certain other salons, or saw my massage therapist, or really been in any space where someone helped me slow down and breathe again. When I stumbled on the concept of Japanese-inspired head spas sometime in 2020, I immediately knew this would somehow be part of my next step: I wanted to lean even more into that feeling.

As a highly sensitive person myself, I loved the idea of integrating more nervous system support into hair and scalp care, and also creating a salon atmosphere that felt like a sanctuary from the moment you stepped inside. Plus, I had clients coming in with more uncomfortable head and scalp stuff, and I wanted to understand how to help more long term with dandruff, psoriasis, hair loss, etc. 

Despite how much I wanted it, I’d had a hard time picturing where I’d be able to create this kind of a space, how I’d really bring it to life.

How Helene Inspired the Head Spa

Then the flooding happened. I lost the Riverside salon space, of course, and then we and everyone in our community had much more important things to think about for a while.

A few weeks after the storm, I sent out an email to touch base. I had cancelled all appointments for the foreseeable future and was taking it all day by day. Many of us were still living without water or power, but we also learned that somehow life had to keep going. Wow, did we learn resilience together.

In that email I also shared a crowdfund. I’ll be honest, at that point, Ben and I were thinking much more about how we were going to get to next week, next month – definitely not yet about the head spa.

But holy moly, did y’all show up. When we raised $10,900, I started to see a potential path forward. It meant absolutely everything to me, and will be forever grateful. When I ended up getting a Helene grant as well, it cemented the idea that this was the moment. It was time to go for the head spa dream.

After the Storm

As the weeks went by and I started to be able to think about less catastrophic things, I considered what was next for my salon. The reality post-storm was that money was tighter, our town lost a good bit of potential studio space, and navigating big life changes with our two-year-old was, well, joyfully complicated.

In talking it over with my husband, Ben, we realized that the answer was right in front of us. A few feet from our house, actually.

Ben is a glass artist, and he’d been using our detached garage as his studio for years. What if we split it in half and I could open my studio right at home? 

Besides solving the problem of finding another salon spot not in a flood zone, this would be an investment in our home, the chance to build the exact sanctuary of my dreams, and a way to make childcare a whole lot more flexible and simple.

It felt like security after the storm.

Why a Head Spa Plus Salon

I love taking care of people. I  love going over the top in little ways that make someone feel cared for. Creating the head spa really let me sink into my dream aesthetic and fine tune all the little details that make it feel warm and welcoming.

The sensory experience of a space is hugely important to me. Since I got to design this space (with the help of my friend Linsey) I got to really think about how I wanted to welcome someone in, how I could build a space that welcomed someone’s energetic company in a calming manner. All the details feel so soothing for me, too. It’s about both of us being able to sink into the moment so I can really focus on giving you a reset that breaks up your day.

My motto is pretty much come as you are. No need for a front. Having this space really helps strip away the chaos. It’s such a cleansing, grounded space. 

The goal was really simple: you walk in feeling overstimulated, you leave feeling like a person again.

I live for fine tuning all the sensory details, the small things that really make you feel present and taken care of. Here are a few you can expect:

• Thorough consultation with scalp analysis
• Hui Hui Scalp Oil or customized scalp mask 
• Detoxifying Shampoo
• Cooling scalp scrub with peppermint
• Charcoal mask to detox hair
• Scalp massage
• Heated eye mask
• Cushioned shampoo bowl with heating pad and blankets
• Calm music in the background
• Herbal tea 

Also, I Changed My Name

This season was a rebirth in more ways than one. I was already navigating being a new mom, and then rebuilding life after Helene was another layer. Most of you have known me since I went by Jenna Fulmer. Now my last name is officially Colonnese.

I’d actually wanted to change my last name for a time, and I’d put it off mostly for the headache of the paperwork if I’m being honest.

With so many other things changing, this felt like the moment. My mom and I never shared a last name, and it feels healing to share one with our daughter. Ben actually changed his name, too, dropping the first part from his hyphenated last name of “Green-Colonnese.”  

Now, we’re Jenna, Ben, and Harper Colonnese. Getting the sign made for my business with my new name felt like the beginning of a fresh chapter. Like we really get to sink into this new life we’ve had the chance to build together.

Thank you, thank you, thank you

If you’ve been through a hard season, I hope this story reminds you that rebuilding can turn into something beautiful.

This space exists because of community support, a lot of late nights, and a dream that just wouldn’t let go. The doors have been open now for almost a year, and I couldn’t be happier to welcome you in.