WNC native Chelsea Gillespie is originally from Asheville and the surrounding area. After cosmetology school at the Carolina College of Hair Design, she moved away to live on the NC coast in Wilmington and was there for 10 years before moving back to Asheville with her husband and two pups to be closer to her family.

With 12 years of experience as a hair stylist, Chelsea has a diverse and well-rounded skill set. Her specialty is in Great Lengths Hair Extensions: 100% human hair, ethically sourced and traceable, this company has won “Favorite Hair Extension Company of the Year” from the Stylist Choice Award 2017 from Behind the Chair for the tenth year in a row, as well as being the first winners of the newest category title “Favorite Bonded Extensions.” These awards reflect the votes of over 800,000 stylists internationally! Great Lengths Hair Extensions last 4-6 months, they do not cause damage, and they are the best when it comes to looking completely natural.

Chelsea also has a large color clientele, which is a testament to how very diverse she is in what she achieves for her clients. She is skilled in color corrections, balayage, ombre, and multi-tonal blondes, as well as lots of fashion colors such as pastels and intensity colors. She uses Schwarzkopf for color, but she chooses the best color line that will create the most desirable results. Using pure, rich pigments that are gentle on the hair is her priority.

Chelsea has had additional training with AVEDA products, and has extensive experience with multiple other products. This comes in handy when she is working with clients who want bridal hair or updos or precision cutting. She loves the styling products of R+Co; in addition to being gluten and cruelty free, R+Co offers a large line to accommodate any texture or type of hair. She offers these products at a very reasonable price point for her clients. To round out her skills, Chelsea also offers facial waxing. 

Communication is key with Chelsea! She prides herself in listening to her clients and helping to achieve what they desire in their looks. She is known for her patience; she believes that is one of the most important traits to successfully achieve the end result for her clients. Spending time on a productive consultation, regardless if the client has been with her 100 times or one, keeps her on the same page as her clients! She strives to always provide an intimate, professional experience where her clients receive open communication, quality work, and friendship. 

This open communication leads to the type of positive, relaxing environment where Chelsea’s clients can come to feel welcome, and heard. She loves making people smile and feel confident. “The truth is, your hair can make you feel like a million dollars or be something that your very insecure about,” says Chelsea. “Being in the extension industry, I have many clients who suffer from hair loss or thinning hair. When you have someone that cries tears of joy because you gave them hair that they never thought they could have… it’s an amazing feeling! I want to make people feel great and confident!”

All of that and more in Chelsea’s chair at Lavender and Lace!