Studio 609

The salon is officially closed for vacation beginning today, July 6, and I’ll be back behind the chair on Tuesday, July 14.

I’ll be unplugging this week, so all calls, texts, messages, and appointment requests will be returned once I’m back in the salon.

Have a wonderful week! ☀️

✨ An update from Studio 609 ✨

I’ve made some thoughtful adjustments to my service pricing. These changes allow me to continue providing the level of care, quality, and experience you deserve — while sustaining my studio in a healthy, realistic way.

Thank you for your continued trust and support. I’m so grateful for each of you and can’t wait to continue creating beautiful hair together 🤍

— Ashley

Happy Halloween from Studio 609!

This season, the salon’s motto is: “Life’s too short for boring hair! ✂️ 💇‍♀️ “

So, don’t be a ‘scaredy cat’ 🐈‍⬛ 🫣 dare to try a bewitching new look!

Check out some of the enchanting transformations I’ve been brewing up in the studio lately! 🕷️🕸️👻

Heyyy 👋🏽

It’s been a minute since I posted but I have some updates but first, thank you for all of your patience . I know i haven’t said much …I’ve been in total recluse mode. I appreciate everyone understanding and I can say, I feel all around healthier now that I have taken this time to rest . I didn’t realize how much I was neglecting myself all around until my body forced me to stop. I also didn’t realize how much I talked every single day until I became a hobbit, in a weird way it’s been nice, but I’m ready to talk your ears off again . Thank you for being there and all of the support and encouragement and love you have shown me 🥹

When I initially had to take time off, I was so terrified that this would be the end of my career, I shut down completely. I love what I do, love my clients, and I can’t imagine doing anything else. Today was the day I was waiting for, to find out what my future was going to look like.

I will be having surgery July 22nd on my hand. As for my neck/spine , for now it will be PT and injections but down the road surgery could be a possibility .

Good news- My career isn’t over I can continue to do what I love and I will no longer have any pain (and hopefully no more tremors ) in my hand 🥳🥳

Bad news- I will be out of the salon for the remainder of the summer 😭I will be returning September 1

Everyone will be getting contacted for the remainder of the summer. If you don’t hear from me immediately don’t panic, I will be getting ahold of you via my work line.

In the meantime, since none of you have seen me for wayyy too long , now you can take a look at my mug 💁🏼‍♀️

I haven’t been up to much-but my flowers are thriving, Noah is enjoying his summer , the dogs are doggin’ , and I try to stay outside as much as possible so I don’t lose my mind, entirely that is 😉

I hope everyone is having a good summer and I can’t wait to get back at it !

Hey everyone, it’s me—Ashley.

I just wanted to touch base and finally open up about what’s been going on. I know I’ve been quiet, and a lot of you have been in the dark about why appointments have been canceled and where things stand. Now that I have more answers, I wanted to share what’s really been happening behind the scenes.

For a while now, I’ve been dealing with pain in my dominant hand. I’ve known I had carpal tunnel—it comes with the territory of doing hair for 18 years—but what was manageable pain turned into something I couldn’t ignore. My hand, wrist, fingers—my whole arm—started swelling, locking up, going numb. The pain became unbearable, and nothing helped. I couldn’t grip, I couldn’t open a Ziploc bag, I couldn’t turn a doorknob… I was even struggling to brush my teeth. And eventually, my hand began to tremble uncontrollably.
That’s when I knew something was really wrong—and that I hadn’t been taking care of myself like I should’ve. So I made the incredibly hard decision to stop working. If you know me, you know that was not easy. I love what I do. I love my clients. But the moment I stepped back, I realized just how bad it had gotten.

I’ve since seen several doctors, and I’ve been told my carpal tunnel is more severe than I thought. On top of that, scans showed there’s something going on in my neck and spine that’s affecting the nerves in my entire arm. The doctor actually asked if I had been in a car accident—and I haven’t. Everything they’re seeing is from years of standing, bending, and repetitive motion behind the chair.
I’m currently undergoing more testing to figure out the full plan. Wrist surgery is very likely. As for my neck, I’m still waiting on one final test before we know if injections will help—or if I’ll need surgery there too. I’m hoping for the least invasive route, of course, but I’m also preparing for anything.

I’ve stayed quiet because I honestly didn’t expect this to hit me so hard—physically, mentally, emotionally. For a minute, I really thought this might be the end of my career. That was terrifying. I’ve been burnt out for a long time, and I finally hit a wall. I’ve spent these last few weeks resting, eating, sleeping, and taking care of myself the way I should have been all along. And I’m finally feeling better emotionally, because I know I’m doing the right thing.

So where does that leave us now?

💬 The goal as of now is to safely return to work in early July—but I also want to be realistic. If I’m not cleared or if things don’t improve the way I hope, I may need to reschedule some of you into August. Worst-case scenario? I may be out for most of the summer. Do I want that? No. But if it protects my hand, my neck, and my long-term health, I’ll do what I have to do.

❤️ I love my work. I miss my clients. I miss the conversations, the therapy sessions, the laughs. I miss you. But I’ve learned the hard way that I need to do this the healthy way—because I want to be here for the long run.

✨ If you’re on the reschedule list: You’ll start getting messages soon. My assistant, Katelyn will begin placing everyone on the books again to secure spots. If anything needs to shift, you’ll be notified right away. We’re doing our best to make this as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Thank you to every single one of you who’s shown me grace, checked in, and stuck with me through all the ups and downs of the past few years. I truly, truly appreciate you more than I can say. You’re not just clients—you’re part of my heart.

I’ll be back soon. And when I am, it’ll be with a full heart, rested hands, and a lot of gratitude.
With love,
Ashley 💚

💛 Just a little clarity… 💛
I’ve had a few people reach out with questions, so I wanted to share this here.

✂️ I’m not quitting hair and I’m not closing ✂️

I’m just navigating a tough season with my health and taking the time I need to heal properly.

Happy New Year ! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and welcoming in 2025! I will be back in the salon tomorrow , but I wanted to give a few updates on what is to come for this year!

Studio 609 will be officially moving February 1st! I am ecstatic for my new salon space and to share it with all of you! I’m eternally grateful for all the support, love, kindness, and friendship that you have shown me over the years. Without all of you, this would not be possible so thank you from the bottom of my heart. I’m excited to continue to grow with you all! I will be sending out all the details tomorrow 1/2/2025 to all clients !

My business hours will remain the following
Tuesday 11-7
Wednesday 11-7
Friday 8-4

Effective immediately all business related inquires (scheduling, inspiration picture, hair related question, product recommendation, etc. )must go to the Studio 609 business line which is 302-698-7571. When I started Studio 609 ,I used my personal line, however it became difficult to keep track of who was work related and who wasn’t. My personal line has been overwhelmingly flooded and I can not answer anyone in a timely manner (IYKYK🥲😅) Any and all hair related messages that go to my personal phone will not be answered. If you would like to send me a good recipe , book recommendation, a picture of that dog you told yourself you weren’t going to get but then you got it, or funny tik tok I welcome that to my personal 🤣 I want to provide the best service I possibly can, and in order to do so this is needed. Thank you for your understanding!

I am eager to finally have you all come to the new place, I hope you all love it as much as I do! My assistant Leah is anxiously awaiting to meet you , she may even try to leave with you , but most definitely will show you her tennis balls

Also please enjoy this TikTok I made , it’s the making of the new place 🥹 it also took me about 1253964 hours to make so show it some love 💁🏼‍♀️😍

TikTok · Ashley Austin Check out Ashley Austin’s video.

I am taking a holiday break from 12/23 to 1/2 to recharge and come back stronger. I wish you all a joyous Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year filled with love and laughter. Thank you for being an inspiration and for your unwavering support throughout the year. All messages will receive a response upon my return to the salon.