Joan Shearer turned 80 years old this week, but she has no plans to retire from the profession she’s been dedicated to since 1965: hairstyling.
“It’s not a job. It’s therapy,” Shearer said. “You get up in the morning, you know you have to go to work, and you have clients that depend on you. It keeps me moving and keeps me from getting old.”
Shearer, originally from Michigan, began her hairstyling career there after graduating from beauty school. In 1981, she moved to Owensboro to be closer to her daughter, and she’s lived and worked here ever since.
“People in Kentucky are just more welcoming. They were friendly to me and my kids, and we settled right in,” she said.
Shearer has spent the last 14 years working at All About You Salon, where her clients include people she’s known for decades.
“I’ve done clients when they were teenagers, and now they’re grandparents,” she said. “I do their grandkids now. I’ve gone through several generations.”
Shearer said she’s had to adapt to changes in the industry, but prefers to stick to the basics she’s always enjoyed.
“I don’t do colors anymore,” she said. “I do perms, cuts, styles. I still have ladies who come in weekly to get their hair shampooed and set the old-fashioned way. A lot of younger stylists don’t do perms anymore, but there are still four of us here who do.”
Shearer said she has slowed down in recent years. Some of that is due to the changing trends, but also because many of her longtime clients have passed away.
“I’ve lost a lot of clients over the years,” she said. “But I’ve still got some who’ve been with me since the beginning.”
Shearer said she has no plans to stop working any time soon.
“People ask when I’ll retire. I tell them, probably when I drop over dead behind the chair. They just ask me not to do it while they’re here,” she joked.
She continues to learn from the younger stylists around her and occasionally lends a hand to them when they need help with a technique she’s mastered.
“I just do what I know how to do and what I feel comfortable doing,” she said. “And if one of my clients wants something more advanced, I’ll ask one of the girls to help.”
Salon co-owner Bethany Norris said Shearer is a key part of the team.
“Joan brings spunk and wisdom,” Norris said. “She’s taught us so many little things you don’t learn in school, like how to put Splenda in dye to stop the stinging.”
Norris said Shearer’s experience enriches everyone in the shop, which includes stylists ranging in age from 19 to 80.
“She’s the grandma of the bunch,” Norris said. “She’s got stories, experience, and she still keeps learning. We’re lucky to have her.”
