Transforming hair and community

Through her salon, Chandra Prince offers her customers education about hair and skin care — with a side of confidence.

BY MARJAI NEAL

For the past 32 years, Chandra Prince has traveled around Colorado, Georgia, Alabama and Missouri with hair spray, flat irons and shears, pampering and servicing people’s hair and skin. Through her services, she transforms her clients’ hair and helps them feel like the best version of themselves.

After bouncing from city to city as a traveling hair stylist — renting space in other people’s salons and barber shops — she opened her first physical location of The Hair Bar at 1412 I-70 Drive SW. Prince says she asked God what her next step in the hair business should be, and that’s what guided her to open her salon last October.

Growth from the start

As a child, Prince says she didn’t know what she wanted for a career. She was in and out of barber shops, watching her barber and cosmetologist father cut hair and pamper clients. On a whim, she applied for cosmetology school and discovered she was a natural. “I love the transformation of the beginning, middle and end,” Prince says. “They come in here like one person and leave like another.”

Prince braids hair, installs lace front wigs and educates her clients on hair

Chandra Prince’s styling services include locks, retwists, silk presses, sew-ins and more.

Joyce Hollis (below) gets her hair done by Prince. “I’ve known her for a while, but this is my first go-around here,” Hollis says.

Not only does Chandra Prince specialize in hair maintenance and styling, she also created an all-natural hair and skin care line called Chandra’s Hair and Body Love. She makes face scrubs, body butter, shampoo and conditioner. “Back in the day, we couldn’t find anything to moisturize our hair, so I started making conditioner,” Prince says.

Styling for change

Prince wanted to give back to her community, and she was able to do so with the Flourish Initiative, offering free hair services to the program’s employees. Through this pay-it-forward program, she realized she wanted to provide more services to those who are at-risk, houseless or in otherwise dire situations.

Partnering with Como Mobile Aid

Collective and Love Columbia, she offers free hair braiding, hair extensions and facial care services to those in need in Columbia. “For men, I provide facial care,” Prince says. “I will groom their face, clean their beard, trim the nose and ear hair and shape up the eyebrows.”

After decades, Prince continues to spread love and dedication through her work by putting smiles on her clients’ faces and boosting their self-esteem; she says that is what her job is all about. “My whole thing has always been about love,” Prince says. “Some people give tithes or volunteer; this is my volunteering for my community.”

Chandra Prince has 30 years of experience with diverse textures, styles and haircuts. Prince created her Body Love line because of a lack of hair moisturizers. It includes a variety of lotions, body butters, hair growth oils and facial scrubs.

To The Salon

The Hair Bar is located at 1412 I-70 Drive Southwest. To make an appointment or for further questions, contact 356-3247.