Mobile Beauty Salon Serves Brides And Folks With Medical Issues

2011 - Volume #35, Issue #3, Page #07

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Imagine a beauty salon that comes to you. What better way to eliminate some of the stress on a wedding day û or to bring cheer to a cancer patient who can't leave the house.
    The "Always Love Yourself Mobile Salon" is housed in a 37-ft. 2005 Gulf Stream RV. Hairdresser Alyce Tipton was inspired to create it when she went through chemo, radiation and multiple surgeries for breast cancer. She had owned and worked in hair salons and worked with many clients who had cancer, but until she went through it herself, she didn't really understand what it was like.
    "I didn't even feel like leaving the house," Tipton explains. "So the girls came to my house, and it was wonderful."
    A dream that Tipton feels "the Lord planted on my heart" prompted her to spend her recovery time designing and planning her mobile salon.
She purchased a so-called "toy hauler", because it had living quarters for six in the front and empty space in the back designed for hauling cars, ATV's, or other "toys". She had the RV equipped with a handicapped lift for clients to enter in the big back door and hired a plumber to install a handicapped sink.
    In 2005, equipped with chairs, massage table and other supplies for all basic salon services, she started visiting people with medical needs and the elderly.
    "I was regularly scheduled to visit nursing homes once a month. Staff brought them out in their wheelchair, and the residents liked to ride on the lift gate," Tipton says.
    She also served many people with cancer. Sometimes family members booked the RV salon as a gift for a post chemo celebration.
    Tipton charges the cost of services plus mileage. To help cover her overhead, she created a wedding package. Brides appreciate having a salon come right to their home. Tipton offers everything from hair and makeup to facials and spa manicures and pedicures.
    Fees start at $75 to do the bride's hair and $1/mile over 15 mile round trips. She also adds a gratuity and requires a 55 percent deposit.
    From her Connecticut base, Tipton has traveled as far as Rhode Island and New York. Now, she operates the salon part time in North Carolina where she and her husband built their retirement home. Since she plans to retire, she has the RV for sale ($70,000 with 18,000 miles).
    Tipton notes that the idea would work for a variety of businesses such as dog grooming and even for people offering services such as accounting. Besides using it for business, she and her husband also used the RV for personal hunting trips û temporarily replacing furniture with 4-wheelers.
    "The RV salon did what it was supposed to do. A lot of people were touched and healed through it," Tipton says, adding that thinking about it and designing it helped her survive a long year of recovery.
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Alyce Tipton, 6851 Brantley Gordon Rd., Denton, N.C. 27239 (ph 860 367-4426; http://alwaysloveyourself.com).

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Mobile Beauty Salon Serves Brides And Folks With Medical Issues FARM HOME Health Imagine a beauty salon that comes to you What better way to eliminate some of the stress on a wedding day û or to bring cheer to a cancer patient who can t leave the house The Always Love Yourself Mobile Salon is housed in a 37-ft 2005 Gulf Stream RV Hairdresser Alyce Tipton was inspired to create it when she went through chemo radiation and multiple surgeries for breast cancer She had owned and worked in hair salons and worked with many clients who had cancer but until she went through it herself she didn t really understand what it was like I didn t even feel like leaving the house Tipton explains So the girls came to my house and it was wonderful A dream that Tipton feels the Lord planted on my heart prompted her to spend her recovery time designing and planning her mobile salon She purchased a so-called toy hauler because it had living quarters for six in the front and empty space in the back designed for hauling cars ATV s or other toys She had the RV equipped with a handicapped lift for clients to enter in the big back door and hired a plumber to install a handicapped sink In 2005 equipped with chairs massage table and other supplies for all basic salon services she started visiting people with medical needs and the elderly I was regularly scheduled to visit nursing homes once a month Staff brought them out in their wheelchair and the residents liked to ride on the lift gate Tipton says She also served many people with cancer Sometimes family members booked the RV salon as a gift for a post chemo celebration Tipton charges the cost of services plus mileage To help cover her overhead she created a wedding package Brides appreciate having a salon come right to their home Tipton offers everything from hair and makeup to facials and spa manicures and pedicures Fees start at $75 to do the bride s hair and $1/mile over 15 mile round trips She also adds a gratuity and requires a 55 percent deposit From her Connecticut base Tipton has traveled as far as Rhode Island and New York Now she operates the salon part time in North Carolina where she and her husband built their retirement home Since she plans to retire she has the RV for sale $70 000 with 18 000 miles Tipton notes that the idea would work for a variety of businesses such as dog grooming and even for people offering services such as accounting Besides using it for business she and her husband also used the RV for personal hunting trips û temporarily replacing furniture with 4-wheelers The RV salon did what it was supposed to do A lot of people were touched and healed through it Tipton says adding that thinking about it and designing it helped her survive a long year of recovery Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Alyce Tipton 6851 Brantley Gordon Rd Denton N C 27239 ph 860 367-4426; http://alwaysloveyourself com

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