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Breaking Down Walls, Turning A New Chapter & Rediscovering The Artist

Hey there! I'm Abby Birbari and here's a bit about me—I'm head over heels for everything related to hair. More than half of my life has been dedicated to the art of hairstyling. Before beauty school and hairstyling, I was an artist, a bit of a rebel with hyperactivity. School wasn't my thing, except for one shining subject—art class. Somewhere along the way, my fascination with hairstyling took over, leading me to beauty school where, for the first time, I became an 'A' student. I fell head over heels with hairstyling.

After beauty school, my hunger for learning became my driving force. I soaked up knowledge at every hair show, enrolled in hair courses, and had the privilege of working with some big hair legends. For the next six years, I floated from one salon to another, always on the lookout to learn the next great thing.

Did I dream of owning my salon? Absolutely. Every hairstylist dreams of having their own place. In 1991, at the age of 25, that dream became a reality as I became a salon owner. My vision was to create a salon with no boundaries—tattoos, piercings, crazy hair, and clothes were embraced. We championed total acceptance of individualities before it was mainstream. Classic Hair Design, my dream salon, became a well-known staple for over a quarter of a century in Waterdown and surrounding areas, thanks to our outstanding personal service and a team of creative, talented hairstylists.

Why did I give up salon ownership? Owning your salon is the ultimate experience for a hairstylist, and for 25 years, I achieved unimaginable goals. However, the wear and tear of managing others for too many years took its toll and my artistic flair faded. In 2018, after 27 years of salon ownership, I made a tough decision to say goodbye to the salon, Classic Hair Design. Now I'm flying solo as Abby's Classic Hair  Design. My vision is clear, to once again master the artistry of hairstyling. This way I can offer my clients more of myself beyond the salon's four walls. 

Who Am I  Now And What Can I Offer You As Your Hairstylist

 With over thirty-five years in the beauty industry, I've amassed a wealth of experience. From my early days at the Vidal Sassoon Academy in Toronto to endless courses in hair colouring, cutting, hair texturizing, permanent waves, foil highlights, styling techniques, updos, curly hair, chemical straightening, and more—you name it, I have done it and mastered it. Now, I have a hunger for delving deeper into the science of hair, understanding how and why hair reacts and behaves the way it does, especially in the realm of hair colouring. I specialize in permanent waves, and I've even created my own special perming techniques for different hair types. I started my own YouTube channel on everything perming, and now in 2024, I've launched a series of How To Perm Hair e-guidebooks.

What are my specialties? I never set out to be a specialist in one hair type, and trust me, I specialize in many areas. I have exceptional experience with personalized women’s and men’s advanced cuts and styles, unique colour techniques, and personalized colour application. I love challenges, so colour correction is something I enjoy.

I love  perming hair, coming from the late '80s, an era of perms and curly hair—an area that not many hairstylists today are knowledgeable about.

I've developed my own personal techniques for cutting curly hair and personalized texturizing for thick, coarse hair. Not all thick hair is the same, not all fine hair is the same, and not all curly hair reacts or behaves the same. There are literally hundreds of different hair maps for every hair type. With that said, phew! I don't think someone like me will ever stop learning!


How Do I Cut Curly Hair

The biggest problem with having curly hair is finding a hairstylist who really knows curls. Having curly hair myself, I saw a huge need to cut and style curls the right way. Not all curls are the same—there's the fine, thick, bulky, coarse, springy, and fragile curls, and they all require different cutting and texturizing techniques.

Contrary to popular belief amongst the hairstyling community, I myself always cut curly hair wet. Cutting curly hair wet is much more practical than cutting it dry, and here's why. Cutting the curls wet is the best way to control the curls and help create an even all-around haircut. Cutting curls dry can be misleading and misinterpreted. Here's why: if you have curly hair, you know that brushing dry curls will cause the curls to expand and appear thicker. This can lead to a horrible miscalculated mess, especially if the hair requires thinning and texturizing. Over-thinning curly hair is not a pretty sight.

Before cutting, it's important to analyze curls both dry and wet. This is why I require first-time curly hair clients to come in with dry curls. This way, I can assess the curls' natural movement and check for unruly, thick, bulky areas that may require extra texturizing.


How Do I Cut Fine Hair

Fine hair is significantly more fragile than thick hair and therefore needs to treated with care. There are different types of densities that contribute to what you can or cannot do.

Let’s start by separating fine hair into two categories, low density and high density. With low density, the hair strands are thin and the follicles grow far apart, most often the hair is limp and falls flat to the scalp. With high density, the hair strands is also thin but follicles grow close together, now we have allot of fine heavy flat hair, both fine hair but totally different cutting techniques.

While having fine hair does limit you to certain styles, there are still lots to choose from.  I have developed a few of my own techniques that will give the illusion of thickness and volume

I Am Very Passionate About Hair Colouring

Hairstylist & Barber 

In my first year as a hairstylist, I worked in a barbershop alongside some real old-school barbers. My mission was to learn the art of barbering. I mastered the proper use of my hair clipper, free-handed with no blade guards. I also learned how to achieve the same finish without clippers, using the scissors-over-comb method. Managing out-of-control double crowns or tricky cowlicks became second nature, utilizing thinning shears or razoring to control these problematic areas.

Today, my male clientele are uncertain young men or teenagers who are figuring out how to match their personalities and lifestyles with the right cut and style. No buzz cuts for these young fellows—some of them would run at the sight of hair clippers, favoring long, fashionable, non-traditional styles. On the flip side, I have more mature men seeking hairstyles or hair colouring to maintain a young and hip appearance. I feel it's my duty to offer my male clients a range of versatile hairstyling and grooming options.

Given that most men aren't very vocal about their preferences, I use visual aids, showing them pictures as my way of connecting. I always encourage my male clients to speak up about what they like or don't like. A man's hairstyle should complement their face shape and lifestyle. Regardless of age, every man wants to look stylish. I love teaching them how to style their hair and switch it up.


A Good Consultation Is The Best Way To Build A Relationship With Clients


The art of hair colouring is limitless. With a practical and outside-of-the-box approach, I have developed some unique formulations and highlighting techniques. My research on hair colouring never ends; it's one of my driving forces behind my constant evolution.

As a professional colour mixologist, I can tell you that colour formulas aren't one-size-fits-all. My knowledge of hair colouring comes from years of experience, studying, and understanding the science behind it. The first step as a colour specialist is having a strong understanding of how the colour wheel works—knowing your primary, secondary, and tertiary colours! Another significant factor with colours is understanding warm tones and cool tones. Colour knowledge takes years to learn, and most of it comes from trial and error. A professional colour specialist doesn't require a huge spectrum of colours, just the base formulas and the right mixers to tweak it for each client's preference.

Pictures are the best form of communication between you and an uncertain client. During a colour consultation, I take my client over to the computer, show them pictures as examples, and encourage them to explain what they want or don't want. Then, I give them my professional opinion, and I do not proceed until we are on the same page.


A consultation is not just about figuring out what hairstyle or colour your clients want. There are three types of consultations. The first one is learning about your client’s wants and needs. The second is studying your clients face structure. The third is for me to determine what your hair will or will not do.  Therefor, before suggesting the right style, I will do a close evaluation of my client's hair pattern and texture. I start by checking the hairline for thin areas. The crown area for dominant areas like cowlicks or strong unruly hair patterns. The hair density, curly, straight or a combination of both.  After the evaluation, I usually ask a few questions to encourage clients to define their needs. Here are a few of my favourites: What type of styles appeal to you? What are you hoping to achieve? How good are you at styling your own hair? Then I’ll show them a series of pictures to make sure we are on the same page.

 Classic Hair Design ( Now Located inside Silk Hair Salon ) 516 Plains Rd E, Burlington ON L7T 2E1 | 905 689 8549

Hours of operations: Monday, Saturday & Sunday Closed - Tuesday 10am till 6pm - Wednesday 1pm till 8pm - Thursday 11am till 7pm - Friday 10am till 6pm 

Classic Hair Design is a beauty service located inside Silk Hair Salon, Burlington, Beauty Services offered; Advance haircut and style for ladies, design haircut for men, barbering, razor haircuts. Specializing in colour correction and colour makeovers, foil highlights, ombre highlights, balayage highlights, shadow highlights, silver highlights, grey blending highlights, hand painted highlights. Specializing in curly hair, permanent hair straightening. Specializing in permanent wave, qualified perm technician, body wave perm, spiral perms, beach wave perm, multi-textured perm, pyramid perm, piggyback perm, ombre'/balayage perm.  Youtube channel on how to perm hair.

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