Protégé Academy, East Lansing's newest cosmetology school, opens for business today at 16800 S. Chandler Road, in the Chandler Crossing Retail Center.
"Protégé means to assist someone in a career," said co-owner Lynn Seegraves. "(It's to) develop a methodology of cut and coloring … we've been working to bring back European styles and techniques and be devoted to a hands-on education with smaller class sizes."
Seegraves owns the salon with her husband, Scott Comer, who designed the academy's interior.
Five students are currently enrolled for classes at the salon that can house up to 53. The salon opened last Monday for classes for transfer students from other area salons.
Maria Wallman of East Lansing transferred to Protégé because she wasn't happy at the cosmetology school she was at in Lansing.
"I have gotten an education (at Protégé) that I didn't feel like I got in twenty weeks (at the other place)," Wallman said. "We're learning more up-to-date hairstyles, trendy, not so much roller-set perm type of thing."
The academy will use London-based hair salon Toni&Guy's hair products.
Protégé offers haircuts priced at $13 for men and $16 for women, manicures starting at $16 and facial waxing is available. The salon has 100 coupons available for free haircut or nails, or $10 off coloring, Seegraves said. Customers can ask for the coupons at the front counter.
Walk-ins and appointments are available.
Seegraves said Malibus, deep cleaning treatments for hair, will probably be popular because the older pipes in the dorms on campus give off iron in shower water.
St. Johns resident Paula Beauvais, a student at the academy, said she is a little worried about Monday because there are only three people that will be cutting hair and she anticipates that the salon will be busy.
"It makes me kind of nervous, but it's something that we're going to have to deal with when we get into our own salons," Beauvais said.
Seegraves and Comer also own Hair and Body Elements, located in the same complex as Protégé.
Protégé's cosmetology classes begin on May 8.
Six students are currently enrolled.
"I get there at 8 o'clock in the morning and I'm supposed to get there at 8:30," Wallman said. "If I could, I'd stay there till 5, 6 o'clock.
"That's how much I love it."
