Dusty Schlabach (@curlvision), one of the most influential curly hair specialists in the world, recently introduced Curly Hair Salon. A salon model that aims to fill the gap in the market by providing excellent and efficient curly, wavy and coily hair haircuts at an accessible price point with experienced curly hair specialists. We were lucky enough to get the insider on this much needed salon concept from the curl visionary himself.
The Story
Curly Hair Salon was born from something I’ve seen for years: people with curls are constantly searching for someone who truly understands their hair, and they’re usually left with three options—pay premium prices, take a gamble with someone who doesn't specialize in texture at all, or cut it themselves, if ever.
I wanted to change that.
The cut is the heart of everything. When it’s done right, curls look good on their own, without needing an entire styling routine to “prove” it works.
I spent years watching clients travel across the country for a decent curly haircut. That’s when it clicked—this shouldn’t be a rare, luxury experience. It should be accessible, consistent, and repeatable. That’s the story behind Curly Hair Salon.
The Look & Feel
The salon has a clean, minimal, modern feel with warm textures—soft industrial mixed with natural elements. The idea was to create something visually calm and open, where the hair becomes the focus.
For clients, I want them to feel instantly at ease. No clutter, no chaos, no pressure. Just clarity. Curls already have their own language; the space should make it easier to hear it.
For the stylists, I wanted a workspace that removes friction—simple, efficient, ergonomic, and designed around flow. No over-complication. No outdated systems. Everything has intention behind it so they can focus purely on craft.
The aesthetic is basically this:
“Let the space breathe so the curls can, too.”
Signature Services
Our signature services are our only services. The menu is intentionally short and sweet — because curls don’t need a hundred options.
Our offerings include:
- Shape Up — a light refresh to bring back volume, balance, or structure without taking major length.
- Just a Trim — a minimal dusting to maintain health while keeping the overall shape the same.
- Curly Bangs / Face-Framing — focused detailing around the face to enhance movement and highlight features.
- The Big Chop — a dramatic transformation for anyone ready to remove damage, reshape their identity, or fully embrace their natural texture.
Clients come to us because this simplicity works. Every service is built around one thing: giving curls the cut they’ve always needed but never received — one that grows out beautifully, behaves naturally, and doesn’t rely on heavy styling to look good.
Social Strategy
Social is a huge part of our ecosystem. We use it for three things:
- Education – Showing clients how simple curl care can actually be.
- Transparency – Real results, real cuts, real hair in its true state.
- Community – Sharing wins, transformations, stylist breakthroughs, client experiences… all of it builds trust.
We don’t rely on overly produced content. The best strategy for us is honesty, real hair, real people, real outcomes. Because CurlVision already has such a strong presence, social becomes a natural extension of the brand and another pipeline that helps keep the salon consistently full.
What’s Next?
This single salon is the first expression of a bigger system we’re building. Evolution looks like replicating this model, opening more company-owned locations and scaling intentionally so we never sacrifice quality. We’re focused on doing it right—standardized education, consistent service, strong leadership and a long-term plan.
The goal is to become the go-to place for accessible, high-quality curl cutting while raising the industry standard. We want clients to trust that wherever they see our name, the experience will feel the same.
Owner name: Dusty Schlablach
Year of Establishment: 2025
Salon Location: Fullerton, CA
# of Staff Members: 10
# of Chairs: 10
Up and Close with the Owner
How did you get your start professionally?
DS: I started like most stylists—cutting everything and everyone—until I realized that the curly community was the most underserved, confused and overlooked group in the salon world…and that I had the most fun with it. Once I committed fully to curls, everything aligned. My social media grew because people finally felt seen. The demand grew. And eventually, the opportunities grew into CurlVision, CurlMaps, Curly Hair Salon and some product ideas that fit our new model specifically.
What have been some of your biggest challenges starting this salon? How do you plan to overcome them?
DS: The biggest challenge has been building something totally different from the traditional salon model. Most systems in the industry are designed around full-service salons—wash, style, color, retail sales, all of it. We stripped it down to one core service, which means our systems had to be built from scratch, especially the education around cutting for our potential stylists.
What are some seeds you’re planting now that you hope to see grow?
DS: The seeds have already sprouted-even grown some decent roots. That includes my salon Thairapy, Curly Hair Salon in LA and Orange County, CurlMaps, CurlVision, online education and eventually a product that fits our Curly Hair Salon model.
Having worked on another salon, what lessons are you applying early to this one?
DS: I learned that systems matter more than talent. Talent is great—but systems create consistency, culture and profitability. I also learned how important it is to have clear roles, strong boundaries, efficient spaces and leadership that’s aligned. I learned to throw out anything that doesn’t serve the client or the stylist. This salon is built around simplicity and efficiency because that’s what actually works. We have built our own completely agnostic education system — a curriculum intentionally free from any product line, beauty brand, or marketing agenda. For too long, curl education has been shaped by whatever a brand is trying to sell. We’re breaking that cycle. This system is about truth, not trends; craft, not campaigns. It focuses on pure technique and real understanding so stylists can create consistent, beautiful results anywhere, with anything. No bias. No formulas to memorize. No dependency on a specific routine. Just the knowledge, the skill and the clarity the industry has been missing — finally brought to life in a way that elevates both the artist and the client.
As an owner and professional, what are your next steps? What personal goals do you have?
Professionally, I’m focused on scaling this new salon model-or category I should say, growing CurlMaps and developing a small product line to fit the needs of Curly Hair Salon, and continuing to refine the education that ties everything together.
Personally, I want freedom through structure, for my team and me—meaning I want my systems to be so strong that I can step back and spend more time creating, teaching, and building the next wave of curl care innovation.
