FALMOUTH, N.S. — When Elva Peach first started her career, cold wave perms were all the rage.
Bubble hairstyles, also known as bouffant hairstyles, were widely popular.
It was common to have customers requesting special up-dos on a weekly basis.
And while the trend has given way to more modern, hassle-free hairstyles, on her last week of work, Peach still had two clients requesting perms.
“Today, as you can see, people just get their hair cut and blown dry, and don't do as much,” said Peach, reflecting on her 52.5 years in the business.
But when she started out, that was far from the case.
On Dec. 31, Peach celebrated her last official day on the job, however, she will be keeping her Cosmetology Association of Nova Scotia membership.
“I just decided that I would like to finish on a good note,” said Peach, who is 70 years old.
She said she wanted to retire on her own terms when she was ready and not because she had to. Now, she says she’ll be able to spend more time at home with her husband and plans to enjoy taking day trips.
ENTERING THE BUSINESS
Peach first began considering pursuing hairdressing as a career in high school. Her first foray into the industry was at Peggy's Beauty Salon in Windsor.
She had no experience, just a desire to learn. Aina Brekke and Bernice Cochrane owned the shop; Betty Woodman Powell served as an excellent mentor.
“I wanted a career that I could maybe support myself with,” said Peach when asked why she chose to be a hairstylist.
“At that time, you could go into a beauty salon and take training,” said Peach, noting she was also accepted into a new program at Windsor’s vocational school but ultimately declined so that she could train at the shop.
After two years of training, she took — and passed — an exam in Halifax. At the time, she was also required to know how to do facials and manicures; something that isn’t part of the training for today’s hair professionals.
She learned the ins and outs of the business by taking a very hands-on approach.
“A lot of my stuff was self-taught,” Peach said.
After working for about four years at Peggy’s Beauty Salon, Peach branched out on her own. Her and her husband, David, were living in Hantsport and she opened a beauty salon in her parent’s sun porch, which was next door. She operated Elva’s Beauty Salon for six years in Hantsport before moving to Falmouth. Her business reopened in the basement of their new home, even before the home was finished.
With three children, Peach said being an independent hairstylist “made it so I could work out of my home and raise my family.”
During those early days of building a clientele, she worked six days a week; sometimes until 9 p.m. She branched out to offer haircuts for men, then facial waxing, and always prided herself in putting the needs of the client first.
“My clients, they were like family and they loved coming into your home, rather than a salon in town or something, because I would always serve them tea and coffee, have a lunch or something ready for them. They just looked forward to that,” said Peach.
“You always try to be cordial to people.... I try to never be cranky or ugly,” she said, noting that when a client would arrive in a bad mood, she would often joke with them to try to lift their spirits. She said it’s a great feeling when they leave the shop feeling better than they did when they arrived.
Aside from her home-based business, she also travelled to Dykeland Lodge weekly, and occasionally to the Windsor Elms, to provide haircuts and styles to local seniors.
And for about two decades, she also worked with local funeral homes to help style the recently deceased. She retired from that position when she turned 60.
“You were on call 24/7,” said Peach, noting the funeral directors were always very pleasant to work with.
Many of the men and women she provided final hairstyles for were clients of hers.
“Someone said, ‘how could you do that?’ It didn't really bother me... I would think of them as not being there but maybe watching over you,” she said.
With cremations on the rise, and reaching a milestone age, Peach said she felt it was time to give up that side of her business.
LIKE MOTHER LIKE DAUGHTER
For the last seven years, she’s been working alongside her daughter Sandy Hopkins, at Hair Sense, in Falmouth.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had an argument. We always ask each other’s advice about certain things and help each other out,” said Hopkins, who, like her mom, owns and operates her own home-based salon.
“If she’s running behind and I’m free for a minute, I might shampoo a client for her, or vice versa for me, to keep us on a schedule. We get along pretty good.”
Hopkins also taught her mom some modern techniques for styling men’s hair.
Hopkins said one of the main things she’s learned from working with Peach is patience. She said her mom always puts her client first, even when they are being quite demanding.
“I’m a little more outspoken so I’ve learned to just keep some things in and go with the flow,” said Hopkins, who will be taking on some of Peach’s clientele.
Peach said she’s going to miss her regulars and will try to stay in touch as she considers many of them to be friends. She said she still has clients who started coming to her shop when she first opened in Hantsport.
“I’ve been very fortunate over the years; I’ve had a lot of really good clientele,” said Peach, as she began to wrap up her last shift.
“I have been very blessed.”
