Professionals Tamborine Mountain 
Edge Hairdressing is just one of the many places to get your hair cut, styled, or treated any which way on the mountain, but that doesn’t mean it’s not without its own flair as unique as the hair of the people whose hair they see every day. Owner Samijo Cranney explains just what puts Edge a cut above the rest.
by Kyle Hitchmough
How did you come to own the business?
We’ve only been in Australia for around 2 and a half years. I was just on Gumtree one day and saw Edge Hairdressing was for sale. I came up, had a little look around and had a chat to the owner. I know what I’m like, if I want to make something work, I will. So, it just happened! I took over in 2019 and we’ve been in our new shop now since August last year. The reason for moving is we just wanted a bigger space and to be prime location as well on the front of the block.
Do you sell hair products as well as offering hair treatments yourselves? Are there any brands you focus on?
We focus on CPR, we also do Nak, and also Olaplex which is designed for people with very dry, damaged hair. There’s a variation of products that suit everyone, starting from your budget price to your high-end products. With the CPR and your Nak, they are Australian-made products, they’re vegan and animal-cruelty-free, so they just really appeal to me.
Do you have any particular specialties in the way you deal with hair?
We stand out from the work we put on social media. We are at full capacity for the moment with clients in my diary, I’m now building my apprentices’ diaries up and we are looking for staff as well. In terms of what we would specialise in, we do a lot of colours and hair extensions as well and we do a lot of weddings.
Are there any trends you’ve noticed in styles on the mountain?
On the mountain I think it tends to vary. The population’s slowly changing, and get a lot of new, younger clients coming through the door. They’re into Pinterest or Instagram or Facebook pictures that they’ll come in with. With the older generation, they are getting a little bit more daring, not just your standard perms and sets. It just tends to be a mixture of everything up here.
It’s often said that a hairdresser is not unlike a counsellor for their clients. Do you find that’s true?
Yes, we do everything. We’re relationship advisors, we’re counsellors, we’re cosmetologists, we’re everything! Which is good, I suppose it’s part of the job. You’ll just be chatting to them, but you don’t realise how much you can help someone just by listening or giving a bit of advice, as well as doing their hair.
You also have a salon dog! Can you tell us more about him?
Having a dog in the salon is really good for clients! We have Frankie, and he has been very spoilt by our customers. Everyone loves him. A few of our clients have said he’s a bit like a little therapy dog, which I think is amazing! He’s a good boy.
Are you a local? What’s your opinion on the Tamborine Mountain area and community?
I live in Canungra, so not too far. I like to think I’m local! I absolutely love the area, it’s amazing. The area, the schools, everything that’s here, we just love it. And the weather is a bit like the UK, so it’s cooler up here!
What’s your favourite thing to do on the mountain?
I love to go walking down to Curtis Falls, seeing all the waterfalls, general walks that are on offer around here. And shopping, supporting the locals, going for a coffee. Being a business owner on the mountain, you get to speak to other business owners. I’ll always recommend customers go over to Mountain Styling Services just for a little look, down to Butler & Grace, over to the local coffee shops and Gallery Walk.
What do you think Edge Hairdressing really provides to the area?
We just provide really good service. It’s not just about the hair. We want to make sure the clients feel amazing when they walk out. When they come into the salon they will have a free consultation, we go over everything. We’ll go over the costing to make sure it’s within the price range that they’re looking for. They will have a coffee or a glass of champagne. We offer tiny cakes and buns which are sometimes homemade. They’ll get the amazing hair service, we offer scalp treatments which we would like to call our own signature. We take that extra time and extra care with our clients just to make them feel special.
What do you enjoy most about doing this?
I love everything. I know that’s a corny thing but genuinely hairdressing is a passion of mine. I love working with people, making friends, taking people on their hair journey. My motto is if I do someone’s hair, their hair becomes mine. I love looking after people’s hair. I just love people all around, especially Edge’s clients. They’re just truly amazing.
Do you have any memorable moments or standout stories from your time here?
A lot of the stories have to remain confidential just in respect to clients. But if someone’s had cancer, helping them through their cancer treatments from pretty much start to finish, and making them feel special. Also, we do silent appointments. I think it’s really important if someone comes in with something in respect to their mental health, we can give them a silent appointment. They just need to make us aware first that they’d like that if they’re feeling anxious, tired or mentally drained. There’s going to be no judgement if someone does want to just have a quiet moment. We understand it’s hard sometimes! We want everyone to know that we do support their mental health if they want that.
Is there anything else you would like to go on the record?
I think we just want people to know that we are here and there’s no judgement. We want that one-on-one service just so they feel extra special. I want to stay away from the really hectic busy salon environment. I want people to feel comfortable and as if they can come in and if they feel as if they want to ask something and it’s going to be a silly question, ask away!
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