Meet Andrea, East Austin Hairstylist at SABA Salon

Please introduce yourself — who you are, your background, what service you provide?

Hi, I’m Andrea! I’m an Austin local. I just moved back to Austin after being in Seattle for almost 8 years. I’ve been doing hair since 2010 and specialize in haircutting. I love razor cuts, thick hair, lived-in colors, vivids, and keratin treatments. You can find me at SABA Salon in East Austin!

How did you get started? What led you to this industry? Was it always the plan?

I grew up in a hair salon watching my mom and tia do hair, so honestly, it’s always felt like second nature to me. I was that girl getting in trouble in middle school for cutting my friends’ bangs in class 😂 When I turned 16, my tia told me I could go to beauty school while still in high school. I started going to Paul Mitchell in Pflugerville after school and ended up graduating beauty school before high school! The day I graduated high school, I got a job at Toni&Guy. I taught cutting there for over seven years and later went to barber school and earned my instructor license. I love doing hair, but I also love learning and sharing what I know. No matter how long I’ve been doing this, there’s always something new to learn, and that’s one of my favorite parts of this career.

What do you love most about the work? What keeps you motivated and inspired day to day?

I love doing hair, meeting people, and helping them feel their best. I love a good transformation, but honestly, my clients are what keep me going. Every day is different, and I never get bored. I get to do something I love, with people I love, and it rarely feels like work.

What's something people don't see or know about your industry?

People don’t always realize how much knowledge goes into mixing hair color and how much we’re always learning! When I was in school, we weren’t learning ombré and balayage… it was all about those chunky Kelly Clarkson highlights 😂 Trends, products, tools, and color keep changing, so continuing education is a big part of what we do. It definitely keeps doing hair from ever getting boring!

What resources, tools, or support do you wish existed?

When I went to school, we didn’t have social media and free education the way we do now. There’s so much at our fingertips today! But I wish there had been more guidance starting out on how hard doing hair can be on your body and how to take care of yourself. We learn to take care of our clients, but we need to learn how to take care of ourselves too, especially if we want to do this for years.

What do you want potential clients to know about you or your work?

I changed my business name on insta to @UnderTheUmbrellaHair because an umbrella represents protection, comfort, and a safe place to be yourself. That’s what I want you to feel in my chair. I want you to feel heard, seen, and cared for, and leave feeling even more like yourself than when you walked in. Beautiful hair is part of it, but helping you love who you are means so much more to me.

Your contact info and links are on your Maisaic profile, is there anything else you'd like to share with the readers?

Thank y’all for taking the time to get to know me! Come say hi on Instagram @undertheumbrellahair 💕 I’m accepting new clients at SABA Salon in East Austin, and I’d love to meet you! Mention Maisaic when booking for $20 off your first haircut with me.