Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashlynn Dodson.
Hi Ashlynn, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up dealing with acne, and this motivated me to start learning about skincare so that I could figure out my own skin issues. This blossomed into a love for skincare and makeup, and anything relating to the two. I went to cosmetology school through my high school at a vocational school, and graduated with my cosmetology license in 2018 when I graduated. I then went on to get a bachelor’s degree in business from Spartanburg Methodist College. After graduating in 2022 with my bachelor’s degree, I decided to attend esthetics school at Greenville Technical College. I had the most wonderful classmates and had a great time learning hands-on skills that relate to caring for the skin. With this knowledge, I felt comfortable finally opening up Groovy Esthetics & Scalp Spa in January 2024, and it has been a great learning experience since then. I grew up with 2 entrepreneurial parents, so opening my own business kind of felt like a given. They were a lot of help and have been an amazing support system as I continue to grow my business.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think every small business owner will experience some struggles while running their own business. After opening in January 2024, I was diagnosed with autoimmune hemolytic anemia in March and that definitely threw a wrench in things. I was in the hospital for almost a week, and had to continue on-going treatment for months. I am happy to say that I have completely recovered and business has returned to normal since then. While it was happening, it was not really possible for me to take clients at some points, and that was disappointing, because during your first year especially, it feels so important to focus on growth and put as much time as you can into your business. While things don’t always go to plan, everything is a learning experience, and this is definitely an experience I learned a lot from.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Groovy Esthetics & Scalp Spa?
I specialize in scalp care and skincare in the form of head spas, scalp detoxes, and targeted facials. Head spas are a newer practice that have worked their way over from Asia; specifically Japan, India, and Korea. Most people know about hair and skincare, but most people do not think about their scalp when it comes to selfcare. Yet, many people deal with scalp issues, whether that be dry or oily scalp, hair loss, hair thinning, and dandruff and flaking that can be caused by eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis. I focus on Ayurvedic practices during my head spa services. Ayurvedic medicine dates back to over 5,000 years ago, and is a very complex healing science. They believe that our bodies have different ‘marmas’, or energy points, and we have over 37 located just in our head and upper neck. Using Ayurvedic massage helps this energy move throughout our bodies, but when it gets stagnant this can lead to issues like physical or mental illness, and even disease such as cancer. This is why it is important to keep these marmas open, so that energy can flow through, and massage is one of the best practices to aid in this. I also use cruelty-free and sulfate free products in both my head spa services and facials. This ensures everything uses is safe for all skin conditions, skin types, and lifestyle practices.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I wanted to go to NYU and become a writer. After realizing NYU was expensive and writers don’t usually make very much, I decided to rethink that choice. I had ridden horses growing up, so I considered being a veterinarian, or something that deals with animals, but ultimately decided against it after I stopped riding in 2014. I was a big fan of makeup growing up, and this pushed me to enroll is cosmetology school through my high school’s vocation school, Swofford Career Center. After graduating in 2018, I realized I wanted more hands-on training for skin-specific services, and this led me to enroll in esthetic’s school in 2023 at Greenville Technical College, after completing my bachelor’s in business at Spartanburg Methodist College in 2022.
Pricing:
- Head spa services start at $115 for 60 minutes
- Facials start at $75
- We offer a 45 minute head spa for $95
Contact Info:
- Website: groovyscalpspa.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/groovyscalpspa/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groovyskinandscalpspa/
