FreeKay Styles salon offers locs and natural hair care products
Frieda Hairston opened her new salon, FreeKay Styles, in late October. She specializes in locs and has developed her own natural hair care line that includes loc paste, hair growth oil and hair moisturizer.
{Vikki Broughton Hodges/Davidson Local}
A hair salon in an industrial park might sound odd but Frieda Kay Hairston said the location just off Interstate 85 makes her more accessible to clients who travel from all over for her services.
FreeKay Styles of Lexington opened late this past October at 364 Dixon St. in Sapona Business Park in Linwood. Its neighbors include an irrigation company, a manufacturer, a wine distributor and a classic car restoration business, among others.
“I’m bringing a little diversity to this street,” Hairston noted.
“People travel from all over to get my locs,” she said. “I have a lot of clients in Lexington but I have more from outside Lexington.”
The term “loc” derives from “dreadlocks” and the fact that natural African-American hair can be formed into rope-like strands and the hair locks into itself.
“I call myself a loctician! To me, dreads are untamed. There’s nothing dreadful about my locs.”
This is an example of Hairston’s intricate hair work. {Contributed photo}
The Lexington native started braiding hair for classmates at Lexington Middle School, as well their mothers. “I’ve been a stylist ever since.
“As time changes, fashion changes. Braids are a must but locs are the wave right now. They have been for the past five years.”
A product of hip hop culture, locs have been popularized by sports and entertainment personalities.
Hairston noted locs can be uniformly cultivated with neat, even partings throughout or even “free form” without parts like those of recording artist Jay-Z. Color can be added to locs as well as hair jewelry. Long locs can be formed into ponytails with a ball on top of the head or other forms of updos. “That’s what I love about locs — you can do so many things.”
The first stage of cultivating locs can take a while unless a person has already grown out his or her hair. At this point, hair extensions can be added to get the longer look.
“But it’s actually a low maintenance and lasting style once you get it started,” she explained.
Hairston was recently featured in Lovin Locs magazine for her work.
“Most of the other people featured are celebrity stylists, so it meant a lot to be in there,” she said of the publication.
Hairston had worked in a salon in Atlanta for several years before she, her husband and their children moved back to Lexington in 2019 to care for her ailing mother. Her mother recovered but she decided to stay in her hometown.
“It’s not where you’re from, but what you grow from. I brought back everything I learned, and when Covid hit, I felt it was time to come up with a business plan.”
Hairston worked from her home in Lexington until October but also took time to come up with her own natural hair care product line called FreeKay’s Natural Way, which is geared to people with locs. She has sold the product line online for more than a year as well as to her personal clients.
“It’s all organic.” She researched products online and uses ingredients such as shea butter, coconut oil, rose petals and other essential oils. “Tea tree oil is in all my products. It’s good for your scalp and stops inflammation.”
The line includes a hair growth oil, loc paste, beard balm and a loc hydration spray to moisturize the hair and maintain sheen.
While Hairston plans to stay in Lexington, she is considering opening a second salon in Atlanta once she can train others to offer the braids and locs for which she has become known.
