When Tristyn Mickel was young, answering the formidable question ‘What do you want to be when you’re older’ was easy since she could remember that she wanted to be a hairstylist. “I remember my grandma wanting me to be a lawyer or a doctor, of course because they’re paid better and grandmas always want the best for you, but my heart was always set on doing hair,” Mickel shared.
At the age of 22, Mickel achieved her childhood dream. With a chair at E’Klipz Salon, Tristyn not only has the freedom to be her own boss, but she gets to do what she loves, which is a feat at any age. Her training started early, when she was 12-years-old, around the time she started going to the salon with her step-mom. “I remember wanting to go to the salon as much as possible,” Tristyn said, “sometimes even just to watch the stylists work!”
Tristyn specializes in blonding and balayage, a technique for highlighting hair that creates a gradual, natural-looking effect. In fact, colouring is Mickel’s favourite area of styling because “you get to be so creative as well as there’s always new techniques and trends coming out,” she said.
Ask her clients and they will tell you their favourite part about seeing Tristyn is her personality and precision. They have told her she makes appointments very personable and that her friendly, outgoing personality makes their experiences as laid back as possible. Like any good friend, Tristyn is also open and honest with her clients. “I always listen to exactly what my clients want but also know how to tell them what they won’t be able to achieve in that session,” she said. “If I know their hair can’t handle something I’m not afraid to say I won’t do it.”
Driven by her enthusiasm and talent, Tristyn continues to receive recognition for her outstanding hairstyling and personality, both by word of mouth and in this Best of Estevan series. But to her, hairstyling is just what she loves to do. “We all know that hairstyling isn’t just about making money,” she said, “so much passion goes into this career.”
