Melissa Averill stands next to her state cosmetology and business licenses at the Field of Dreams Hair Salon in Alna on Thursday, Aug. 24. (Abigail Adams photo)
The Field of Dreams Hair Salon, the only salon in Alna, opened its doors on West Alna Road in June. The salon is the culmination of owner Melissa Averill’s long-held career goal and a space where she can share the latest trends in hair care and style with her customers, she said.
“I’ve been working toward this for a long time,” Averill said. “I always knew I wanted to be my own boss.” The salon takes its name from the rolling field behind her salon, which is on the same property as her home. “This is where all my dreams have come true,” she said. “It seemed like the perfect name.”
Since Averill was a child, she wanted to be a hair stylist, she said. One of her favorite toys was the Cut ‘N Style Barbie. After graduating from high school, she decided to pursue a cosmetology license. “I knew I would regret it if I didn’t at least try,” she said.
Averill completed her studies at the Capilo Institute in Augusta and passed the state exam required to become a licensed cosmetologist in 2009. She has continued her education since, completing training programs and apprenticeships in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.
“I had some amazing opportunities to work in some big-name shops,” Averill said. Nick Arrojo, formerly the resident stylist on the TLC show “What Not to Wear,” was among the industry leaders she was able to learn from.
There are no requirements for cosmetologists to continue their education, but Averill sought it out on her own. “There’s always a new style or a new coloring or cutting technique,” she said.
Averill wanted to stay up to date on the latest developments in the field to provide the best service possible to her clients, she said. She started her career in Brunswick with the goal of one day opening her own salon.
Originally from Wiscasset, Averill and her husband bought their property in Alna three years ago. They built an addition to the house about a year ago with the intention of transforming it into a salon. In early June, the Alna Planning Board issued Averill a business license.
“The town was so great to work with,” Averill said. “They answered all of my questions and told me exactly what I needed to know.” The application process to receive the necessary license from the state, however, was a complicated one.
On Averill’s birthday, June 15, she received her license from the state. “It was the best birthday present I could have asked for,” she said. Two days later, Field of Dreams Hair Salon opened for business.
Melissa Averill in her Field of Dreams Hair Salon, which she opened on West Alna Road, Alna, in mid-June. (Abigail Adams photo)
Field of Dreams Hair Salon is a full-service salon that offers coloring, cutting, perms, hair-smoothing treatments, and specialty styles for weddings, proms, or other events. Averill also offers facial waxing.
Averill uses and sells Kenra Professional hair care products at the salon. She also offers a tea tree shampoo and conditioner for kids to help prevent lice, which is one of the most common complaints she hears from parents.
Women, men, young, or old – all genders, age groups, and hair types are welcome at Field of Dreams, Averill said.
If there is a new style a customer would like to try, Averill is open to it, even if it means bringing in a new product or trying a different technique, she said. Haircuts start at $25, a price Averill established “to make sure customers feel pampered without feeling like they’re breaking the bank,” she said.
Many of Averill’s former clients followed her to Field of Dreams, she said, and she regularly welcomes new clients.
Field of Dreams Hair Salon, at 527 West Alna Road, is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call 687-8253 or email fieldofdreams527@gmail.com.
