Hometown Roots salon opens in Shadyside | News, Sports, Jobs

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Sarah Littell says she can’t wait to come back after she takes time off to care for her new baby after she opened her new salon in Shadyside this summer called Hometown Roots

SHADYSIDE — Coloring hair is Sarah Littell’s specialty, and she put it into practice by opening her own salon back in June. Littell opened Hometown Roots at 3996 Central Ave on June 4 in her hometown of Shadyside. As of now, the salon is a one-woman show.

Littell grew up in Shadyside alongside her immediate and extended family. Her grandfather owned a business across the street, which inspired her to open her own business and name it Hometown Roots.

“This place became available,” she said. “And I thought, ‘Well, this is the time to do it.’”

Littell plans to hire more employees in the future but is going to take a couple months off of work as she is due to have her first baby in two weeks.

Being 38 weeks pregnant and opening a new salon has not given Littell too much stress, she said, though she plans to take Sept. 5 to Nov. 5 off to care for her newborn. But she plans to accept new clients when she returns.

“I can’t wait to come back and evolve this place,” she said. “I have a lot of things I want to do still, but I’m kind of just putting it off until I come back and get back into the swing of it.”

She plans to keep the salon small and more personable just like her hometown.

Littell has been styling hair for more than seven years. For four and a half years, she worked at Revival Salon & Spa in St. Clairsville. She noted how Revival was a very big salon, so moving to a small salon has been an adjustment.

“Coming from that to this was very much a shift,” she said, “but I was ready.”

Littell said the shift from a big salon to her new small salon is going very well, with clients giving her good feedback and being happy so far, which was a worry of hers.

“Leaving up there was very bittersweet,” she said. ” I did love everybody up there, so it was very hard, but being here, and my clients having good feedback because everything is more private, that makes me feel good.”

Littell noted she loves to color hair and her client base is mostly color applications.

She also said she has full support from her parents, family and husband, and she appreciates all of the love and support from her core system.

She noted how she wants to show her future kids nothing is impossible, and you can do anything you set your mind to even when you’re “extremely” pregnant.

Littell hopes to bring positivity to the village and be involved as much as she can within the community.

“I like to make people’s lives better,” she said, “even if it’s just doing their hair for a little bit. Everyone likes getting their hair done.”

For those interested in Littell’s new salon, they can reach her on her Facebook page Hometown Roots Beauty Salon.