Laney’s Salon: Downtown Digs And “DevaCurls”

Lane Aderholt, owner of Laney’s Salon, is one of those women who has always known what she wanted to do, which is anything to do with hair. She would be the one at a sleepover who would stay up until everyone at the party had fresh French braids, and entered cosmetology school straight out of high school. Lane is a Calhoun graduate, and opened her first shop in 2008. She moved to her current location at 406 Shaw Street in Athens last Memorial Day. “I always wanted to be in the downtown area,” she said, “and I really love our new place. It is so peaceful, and it’s much safer than the other location. There’s also much more parking available, and the fact that the speed limit is 30 miles per hour just makes it more relaxed all the way around.”

From 2010-2016, Laney’s Salon had a party service called “Enchanted Belles,” where girls could come for a birthday party and get their hair and nails done, with perhaps a touch of make-up. It was highly successful, but there is no room at the new salon to continue that part of the business.

One of the things that I find interesting about Lane’s work philosophy, and that of the rest of the stylists in the shop, is that they truly are only interested in doing “all things hair.” For several years Laney’s Salon did nails, and while the new location has a tanning bed in a single booth, the bed is not hooked up, and there is no plan for it to be. “We just want to do hair,” Laney said. Business in the new locale has been good, proven by the fact that most of their clientele book by appointment, and there are few walk-ins. A good chunk of their original clients came with them to the Shaw Street address, and they enjoy watching walk-ins become “raving fan customers.” Laney told me that “the shop is for everyone. We have lots of men, as well as kids,” and one of their unique features is that they offer what is known as a “DevaCut by DevaCurl” coiffure, which she explained as follows:

“DevaCurl” is a trade-marked method of using only shears to dry-cut hair that is naturally wavy to über-curly. It also works for hair that has a perm. It was developed in New York in 1994, specifically because most women of any background whose hair is curly tend to be very unhappy with their hair. To make things tougher, they are often surrounded by well-meaning people who say, “Oh, you have such beautiful curls!” The DevaCurl folks say it best through their mission statement:
“Ask a curly girl about her hair and she’ll tell you about her life. She’ll tell you about her childhood, her family, her friends, and the way she sees herself in the mirror. We’ve spent two decades at the center of this conversation. It’s curly, it’s complicated, it’s fun, and we get it.

That’s why our products are all inspired by conversations with real people. And our stylists won’t just give you amazing curls, they’ll teach you how to create them on your own. We help women believe in the very simple idea of loving their curls in their own way. It’s not dogma, it’s Deva®.

Curly hair is bold, natural, beautiful, and it’s our mission to celebrate your unique curls.

It drives everything we do.”

Becoming a Deva-Inspired stylist takes a special certification, and Laney’s is the only salon in the downtown Athens area that has it. However, that is not the only thing that makes them a wonderful addition to our downtown business community. They also use products that are not only award-winning, but are proof that the American Dream is still alive. The product line is called Kenra, and it began back in 1929. A Dutch family arrived in our country seeking freedom, and a little boy named Henry Jacob Meyers essentially grew up in his uncle’s barber shop. Henry went on to purchase Kenra and took it to a place as a company that has won the Stylist’s Choice Award for the last 12 years running. Laney loves the Kenra products because they use fewer chemicals which are also not as harsh, and the salon has had an exclusive Kenra contract for the last four years; one of two in the Athens area to do so.

If you are looking for a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere where experienced stylists are focused on making your hair look stunning, then Laney’s Salon is the place for you. If you are a stylist who loves Laney’s “vibe” and would be thrilled to be a part of what they do for our community, then talk to Laney about joining their team. Either way, you will be glad you did.
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner