Obsession Salon & Spa opened the doors of its first salon in Castledyke, Lichfield in 1987. The salon is celebrating by giving back to the guests who have supported them through the years with a Random Acts of Kindness campaign during October and November. 

The salon’s Random Acts of Kindness campaign means for 35 days, every day the salon chooses one lucky Instagram follower to receive a complimentary service. In addition, 100 guests are taking advantage of a cut & blow dry, a blow dry or an aromatherapy facial for just £35 which is open to the first 100 guests to call and book plus, all guests visiting the two salons before 9th November will be given a golden balloon, some of which contain a ticket to win fabulous complimentary treats from Kerastase rituals to L’Oreal products. 

Founder, Karen Wharton, says ‘It’s time for us to say thank you to all of our lovely guests who have supported us through the years by distributing random gifts through our two salons in Lichfield and Branston as well as across our Instagram platform. We wouldn’t be where we are today without their loyalty and this is our way of acknowledging that.” 

Founder, Karen Wharton, a passionate hair and beauty expert, established the business to offer luxury hair services to the local community. The company now operates two salon & spas in Lichfield and Branston Golf & Country Club, offering guests an array of indulgent hair and beauty services.

“I can’t think of a better place to have started my business than Lichfield” says Founder, Karen Wharton. “Lichfield a great city. The people are really friendly and I love that my business can give something back to the local community, particularly after the tough few years we have all been through.”

The salon, which is still located in Castledyke, like most businesses had to close its doors in 2020 when the Covid pandemic took hold. “It was a nerve-wracking time for everyone” says Karen; “Let’s face it, none of us have ever lived through anything like that. We were so grateful for the loyal support of our guests to help us through that time and we heard many stories from our guests that we helped them too. We found ourselves exploring new ways of keeping in touch with our guests and got creative on social media showing guests how to maintain their hair at home whilst they couldn’t get into our salons. The interaction was amazing and it boosted everyone’s spirits whilst we were all at home. When we re-opened our doors later that year, we were chartering unknown waters, not knowing if we’d be allowed to stay open and for how long. But our guests were amazing. They came back to support us and we’ve gone from strength to strength since then at both of our salons, offering guests not only a luxury hair experience but beauty services such as facials, massages and manicures too.”

The salon opened in 1987 with a core team of 4 outstanding stylists, several of whom remain in the business to this day. Right from the start, Karen and her team have shared a passion and belief in the founding principles of service, skill, and kindness – these have remained a constant throughout the years and appear to have created strong foundations for the business to build on.

“Know what you do, do it consistently, and give it your absolute best” is how Karen describes the secret of their longevity, “clients need to know they can trust you to leave them feeling and looking the best version of themselves possible. They also need to know you can keep their secrets safe!”

The salon was busy with guests from day one, several of whom continue to have their hair styled and cared for to this day. Karen continued “without the loyalty and continued support of our lovely clients I wouldn’t be celebrating 35 years in Lichfield. They are the reason we love what we do. Few people have the privilege of helping others to look and feel fantastic. Let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to go to work if you got to do this for others every day?”

The relationship with our hairdresser or therapist is one of the most trusted; the incredible special bond we have with them is immense, but it takes time to nurture. Over the past 35 years the Obsession team and their clients have shared life’s struggles, joys, celebrations, and heartaches yet throughout it all have never lost the original passion for providing luxury and outstanding service.

In today’s ever-changing world it’s good to know we have a place we can depend on to provide us with an escape from drudgery, with people who act like a fairy godmother, magically transforming us into something simply more wonderful!