Shear Perfection, Imperial

It’s hard to imagine a coastal vacation in southwestern Pennsylvania, but the painted arches entwined in vines frame a calming pool of water, and the deeper blues of the sea stretch into the horizon, inviting the relaxed gaze of clients as they settle into the salon's chairs to find escape from the everyday. Those who concentrate hard enough or induce self-hypnosis may convince themselves that the air from the blow dryer is really a soft ocean breeze, as stylists work tirelessly to create cutting-edge hairstyles that exceed their client's expectations or to apply extensions that sustain the illusion of longer locks for three to four months.