Shear Designs

“I’ve been doing hair since I was 14. I started off braiding hair, and it went from there. My mom sent me to school to do hair, to become a professional, and I took it from there.

While I was in high school, I worked in a salon too. I really liked doing an apprenticeship—that’s what they do because I’m from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and that’s what they do up there.

I opened this place in 2004. I always wanted my own salon. I wanted to own my own, so it was a process. When I moved down here from Philadelphia, one lady—Diane Rivers—allowed me to work in her shop when nobody else would. I think because I was from Philadelphia. But she allowed me to work in her shop, and I worked there part-time while I was working in a plant. The plant closed down after I worked there for 10 years. So, after that, I decided to open my own shop, my own business, because I had a clientele built up by then.

I love doing hair—the whole field. I love healthy hair. I love making people smile when they get their hair done and educating them on how to keep their hair healthy. My specialty is doing natural hair: pressing and curling and keeping it healthy. I also do luxury extensions. For anybody who’s looking for that, they can come and ask me, do a consultation, and ask me if they’re interested in having that done.

I have very passionate customers, and that’s what has kept me in Cheraw. They show me the love, and I really love my customers.”

- Carol Bittle Gainey, Shear Designs

Saturday's work

Saturday's work....

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