A salon owner in San Francisco is bringing back "hair metal" in her own unique way. Our friend, Doctor Popular, recently interviewed Donnelle Malnik, the gal behind Hair and Heavy Metal Salon in the city's Mission District. Donnelle's parlor is not your typical one—it's actually inside a truck decorated with posters from metal bands like Dio and Iron Maiden. A longtime metal fan herself, most of the posters are replicas of ones she had when she 15 years old.
Donnelle shares how people react to seeing her unusual mobile salon for the first time:
"The reactions I get from people are what I like to call the "Unicorn effect." They are completely surprised when they turn around and see that it's a hair salon. Some of them initially think it's a tattoo shop or even a food truck, and they may be disappointed when they realize it's a hair salon. But most of the time, people's eyes light up, they get super excited, and they can't help but take out their phones to snap pictures. That's why I call it the "Unicorn effect" because they've never seen anything quite like it before, and it really gets them excited."
Donnelle also shared some interesting details about how her salon-on-wheels works. Since there's no running water, she uses a camping sink and has to be mindful of how much water she uses. She also has to plan her day differently than a regular salon because she needs to figure out how to get power for her tools and equipment.
Need a haircut by a rad lady in a rockin' truck? First, text for an appointment at (415) 948-1494. Then head to City Station, an outdoor community space at the corner of 18th & Valencia.
