We catch up with the current Scottish Hairdresser of the Year, and Owner of KAM Hair and Body Spa, Karen Thomson.

How did you set up your salon?

From a young age I have always been interested in the hairdressing industry and have been obsessed with hair. At the age of 14, I started as a Saturday girl. It was hard work but I loved every minute of it and felt like I could wind perms in my sleep! The industry changes all the time with new trends and styles and that’s something that I love about it, it never gets boring! I started the business at 17 I was so young, too young and didn’t plan to do that – I trained in a small local salon, I started at 15 and flew through my training, won best overall student at college and was on the floor really quickly. I just finished my qualification when my boss told me she wanted to sell the salon and would like to give me first refusal, I was quite stunned and really didn’t know what to think, it certainly wasn’t on my mind at that point to set out on my own. I spoke to my mum and dad and decided I felt I was too young and needed more experience so I waltzed off to Tenerife for 2 weeks with my friends and my boss proceeded to put the salon on the market. When I came back she told me she had someone interested, they’d been at college with me and wanted to start up, suddenly I thought if they think they can do it why can’t I! The sale then went to a closing date, which was nerve racking, but I got it and that was where it all started!

Why hairdressing?

I will always love the hairdressing profession. I love the buzz, meeting new people, making people feel great about themselves and more confident. I especially love the different directions hairdressing can take you and the fact no two days are ever the same.

What challenges have you had?

One of the biggest challenges for me was finding a team and gaining respect, as I was so young. I was lucky and found some really good girls. I did have to grow up fast and it was tough dealing with paper work. I remember also having to go the bank for a meeting, which was terrifying at that age but the man turned out to be the loveliest and most helpful bank manager I’ve ever had! Another challenge for me was that compared to piers I didn’t feel like I was equal being so young, but I threw myself into so many courses, I thrived on education and still do, I always strive to be the best I can be. I think the fact the salons still around 27 years later and is busy and winning UK awards is amazing from starting at such a young age, and also due to the area we are in. For the past few years, Grampian, including Moray, has been hit with the slump in the oil industry, which has affected the area greatly. Many businesses are struggling, cutting back and even closing, but our salon has just kept on going!

What is your biggest achievement?

One of my biggest achievements is definitely starting my business so young, growing it to the salon it is today with an awesome team 27 years later and being deemed as one of the leading hair and beauty destinations in the North of Scotland! Growing my team is another big achievement for me, and my team are all employed, with our salon being one of the biggest employers in the town. Having a happy team and seeing them do well is probably the most satisfying part of my career and I love watching them grow and succeed. Our salon has won a number of awards over the years and these are such great achievements too, including winning Business Salon at the 2017 Salon Business Awards and of course myself winning Scottish Hairdresser of the Year at the British Hairdressing Awards.

What are your future plans for KAM Hair and Body Spa?

I want to constantly keep evolving, learning and finding new things in order to offer the very best to our clients. As well as this I hope to enter many more competitions and hopefully win a few and continue to see each of my team grow! This year I also decided to expand my salon even more and bought the premises next door to help with this. This new area will soon be open and will be a more luxurious area of the salon with a brow bar, makeup bar and also disabled facilities and a beauty room, which is something I have always wanted in the salon and is really important to me to have.

For more info on the brand, please visit KAM Hair and Body Spa here.