Salon Benders

I’m not sure if there are any other women entrepreneurs out there who ever stop and revel in what you’ve created, but I do. I never talk about it out loud because it makes me emotional, but I’m ready now. Hey listen: Sister, I know it’s hard. I know it feels impossible more days than it feels possible. I know you never off of work. Even when you know you need to be, there’s always a part of your mind that’s there with your creation. ... Look at the beautiful jobs you’ve created. The relationships you’ve built. The leaders you’ve become. Just Wow. It’s okay, sometimes you have to creep behind plants and take pictures of what/who you love because saying it out loud might overwhelm you in that moment. It’s okay Please, let’s ALL remind ourselves and each other that we are REVOLUTIONARY. We are brave legends, elders in training. Our survival matters. For all who need to hear it (myself included), CHIN UP, beautiful. We don’t have to wait for the outside world to validate us. We can tell ourselves WE CAN DO THIS. All my love, Jessica Santiago Ps- I wish I could tag so many more of you. I’ll catch you on the next post. #Share this with anyone you think needs to hear it. #womensupportingwomen#womenempowerment#womeninbusiness#womenownedbusiness#womenempoweringwomen#womeninspiringwomen#womanpower#femaleentrepreneur#femaleempowerment#empowergirls#womenempoweinggirls

Genesis (she/her) Hair by: @hairdomme_lbc_ The literal meaning of the word Genesis is the beginning. This haircut was certainly the beginning of something. It felt like we shed old layers to create space for newness, something that’s untouched, unknown. When we were done, it was like we were looking at Genesis 2.0. ... The bravery, the vulnerability, the shear beauty of people in our community never ceases to amaze us. The gratitude we feel is simply indescribable. We cry A LOT at the end of the day, this day was one of those. @genesis.097, We hope you’re still buzzing from your new haircut like we are. You were such a joy to spend time with. Much love.

O Oh Elizabeth ( ) Hair by: @andreareginahair ... She’s been a part of the Benders community as an ally since before Benders was born! Let’s talk about #lgbtqallies Why are they so important? Because you are the people who bring integration into your community circles. You contribute your money, time and energy into places that are more marginalized than you and that helps lift the people you love. This is truly priceless because marginalized communities can’t survive when WE are the only support we have. WE NEED MORE ALLIES to stand up and speak out and donate to our communities. HOW TO HELP A QUEER PAL: 1. Educate yourselves. Google is a good place to start. Type in ways to be a good #lgbtally #pocally #transally. 2. LISTEN 3. Be open, patient and PRACTICE. People might change their name and pronouns a lot before they settle on something. And, they may never settle on something, and that’s okay. Heck, that’s beautiful. 4. BE MINDFUL where you spend your money. Queer, especially queer poc businesses fail at a higher rate than ANY other organizations. Seek us out and use our services often. HOW TO HELP BENDERS: 1. GIVE-A-CUT to someone in need. (Link in bio) 2. Be on the look out for hairstylists that want to work at Benders and send them our way. 3. Respect us, our time, our prices and our incredibly hard work. 4. #share & spread the love often, comment and interact with our posts so that IG allows us to be seen more! Pride month is happening every day and every moment at Salon Benders. We’re here for you. EVERY DAY. Forever and always.

This is why we love our community. They’re so FUN The amount of people who bring comics, sketches, and cartoons to their hair appointment is astonishing. Who says you can’t have an anime haircut?! Queer people, by nature, are resourceful, creative and think outside of the box. We celebrate you and your beautiful minds today and EVERY DAY.... Salon Benders is like Queer Disney Land. The gayest little place on earth. Allies welcome! Hair by: @qtwithabeauty

Help us welcome another sister into the silver club. Congrats, my sweet friend. For over 10 years now, we’ve been covering Arsineh’s gray hair. It became an every two weeks kind of thing and was impossible to keep up with- especially with 2 young kids and a full time job! Almost always, there comes a time where we no longer feel empowered coloring over our gray hair. It can begin to feel like a burden and a chore and we question why the hell we’re doing it anymore.... If this is you, it’s a pretty good time to start talking to your hairstylist about other options. If they try to discourage you from going natural, it’s time for you to find a new hair person. Plain and simple. This is pride month- let’s inspire people to be proud to be authentic. We are the ones who need to change the idea of unrealistic beauty expectations. We need to be the change we want to see. Hair by: @hairdomme_lbc_ #silversisters#communityovercompetition#grayhairtransition#beautytips

Hi everyone! When you come for your appointment, we will still require you to wear a mask for the duration of your service and stay with us. Yes, even if you’re outside. We will no longer take your temperature or require you to fill out the covid waiver. Thank you for your respect and kindness. ... Much love, Us.

Routine and ritual can be one and the same. Here's a note from us on a self care ritual/routine that can bring a little peace. We love you. https://www.salonbenders.com//the-hair-care-routine-you-ne

We are over the moon at how amazing tonight’s Virtual Queer Trivia went. Not only did we get to connect safely with our community and raise $266 for our Give-a-Cut program but we shared so many other amazing resources. To top it all off, we recently found this great blog with a great collection of children’s books with non-binary representation, and neo-pronouns we had to share. Join us for the next one, and enjoy some family reads in the meanwhile. ... Thank you, Beth Rich Lou Sarg Salud Juice BEING ALIVE LOS ANGELES Jessie Santiago

Are y'all ready for some trivia???

The power of being recognized for who we are. There are so many situations where people insist on calling folks by their real (legal) names. Often times, these given names bring up dysphoria, dissociation, pain. Having your True Name be legally recognized paves the way to nearly eliminate these moments of discord with strangers. When a family also recognizes our names, our selves, our pronouns...We are able to exist as more fully embodied humans. ... Watch the relief that comes over this child’s face when they realize how different the next roll call or doctors appointment might be.

Thanks to our community's contributions and other generous donations, we were able to open our doors this week. We are honored to be selected as a recipient of the #QueerToStay business preservation initiative! Thank you Human Rights Campaign and Showtime for putting a focus on LGBTQ+ businesses as we navigate these uncertain times. hrc.im/QueerToStay Without our salon open, queer and trans folks don’t have a safe place to get their hair cut. The funding from the Initiative... will be huge for us by providing an outdoor space that will allow us to do hair safely outside, said Owner, Creator and Designer of Salon Benders Jessica Santiago. We are desperately trying to save Benders and this funding will help keep us on the map and keep our community feeling safe and loved. Benders is a hair salon and community space located in the Koffee Pot, a designated historic landmark between Retro Row and the East Village Arts District of Long Beach, California. Benders is a space adorned with art and furniture made by local artists or community members, and also offers free and sliding scale rental space for local community members to showcase their unique art, hold performances and more. See more

Check out Transgender Health - Long Beach and the first of their new series: The T Report! HUGE shoutout to these powerful community voices. Tune in while Mallery Jenna Robinson, Alexis McGee, Latrese Summers, Fabian Washington, Miliana Singh Luckie Fuller and Jaden give us commentary and conversation, history and education on Black Transgender Lives.

I’d love to give this GODDESS a shout out. Lizz has been with us since day one. Literally. She treated herself to a haircut at this new salon and that happened to be Benders’ first day open, isn’t that sweet? They share a birthday! Her story is inspiring to anyone who thinks they can’t change their lives/career later in life. She’s a true BENDER! As she sat in @hairdomme_lbc’s chair as a client they spoke about how Lizz always wanted to do hair and how frightening it coul...d be to change careers after being so established. Jessie said, It’s awesome, I think you can do it! Apparently that convo helped her find the courage to join our amazing industry. She’s a WONDERFUL human, awesome stylist and employee but, above all- she’s one of our best friends. We love you lady. Thank you for being our boo boo. Watching you grow is a true honor. # # Check out her bio: Lizz is excited to share and cultivate her skills with the amazing Salon Benders' team. A recent graduate of Paul Mitchell The School Costa Mesa, Lizz will work under Benders' Master stylists to hone her cutting technique. She combines creativity and technique to bring out folx most uniquely beautiful selves. Tender and attentive Lizz prides herself on building relationships with her guests through their hair that are both transformative and empowering. Her passion for holistic healing has translated to her hair artistry, working with natural textures, creating soft yet edgy lines that support each individuals unique expression. On a personal note, Lizz uses She/her pronouns. She is a proud and loving dog mama to Paisley. She likes to cook using her Everything, plus the kitchen sink technique. Singing along to her favorite playlists, walking in nature and drawing inspiration from local flowers are just a few things Lizz likes to do around the neighborhood. She is an LA, Long Beach native and loves her hometown dearly.

Originally from Princeton, NJ, Andrea started her hair journey in 2008 at The Lab Paul Mitchell School in Ewing, NJ. Soon after graduating, she went on to train alongside some of the most talented Vidal Sassoon trained stylists in the Princeton area. One on one training, access to countless classes and working behind the scenes in NY Fashion Week, gave her the confidence to take her talents to the West Coast. In 2016, she hit the road and started her new journey in Venice Bea...ch, CA. There she discovered her love of achieving the perfect blonde as well as fun/ punky styles and colors that help her clients look how they feel. Coming from a very high end and conservative beginning, California has been a breath of fresh air filled with endless possibilities, especially creatively. She hopes to continue to fine tune her skills at Benders. Like everyone at our salon, Andrea believes in being an eternal student, which is just one of the many things that makes her a perfect fit for Benders. Personally, Andrea uses she/her pronouns and identifies as a queer person of color. She is bilingual and a very proud daughter of Guatemalan immigrants. She owes her strength and work ethic to her parents who grew something out of nothing to achieve The American Dream. She's a crazy dog mom to two mini Australian shepherds, Frida and Mia. Frida is her support animal and is a vital asset to the overall experience in her chair, so be prepared to be warmly welcomed by her upon your arrival. She loves cooking and discovering new vegan food spots, dog beaches and poetry in her free time.

Meet SJay!!! She began her cosmetology career in 2007. Three years later, she decided to go back to school to study barbering and ever since then, she's been unstoppable. SJay specializes in haircutting with a focus in: fades, skin fades, textured disconnected looks and hot shaves. While SJay prefers shorter hair styles, she also loves razor cuts, mullets, shags and curly hair. Her career has taken many paths including: working in the music industry, magazine and print work, ...international education (both hairstylists and clients), homeless outreach (haircutting in skid row), and she has extensive experience working with special needs client with autism and/or sensory issues. But that doesn't even cover half of what this one can do. SJay has had an incredible career and has somehow maintained the ability stay humble and grounded. SJay has a multifaceted approach to beauty. She likes to think of her self as a makeover expert. She is an award winning hairstylist who's been featured in Vogue magazine and took home first place in the North American "PRO Total look" contest for Toni & Guy. She loves to learn and constantly encourages herself to pick up new tricks and techniques. Besides cutting, she is an incredibly talented makeup artist who draws inspiration from her painting ability. On a personal note, SJay uses she/her pronouns. She is a dog mama to blue nose pit bull named, DaisyBuchanan. She's fluent in ASL, loves science, surfing, skateboarding and TED Talks. She has fun abstract painting, playing drums and writing slam spoken word poetry. Her favorite things to listen to are Jazz, Hip Hop and Rap. Some of her favorite foods include Sushi, Thai and anything spicy. Want to bring her a sweet treat? She'd be thrilled with some orange Tic-Tacs or dark chocolate. Above all, SJay has a heart of pure gold. She is sensitive, calm and truly enjoys helping people bring out their best. She's a real inspiration and we are honored to have her on the Benders team.

Access to healthcare and education is crucial. Join us this Sunday as we team up with UCI Department of Pediatrics and ProjectQ to bring you information on LGBT fertility issues. Have other medical questions? Insurance questions? We’d love to hear from you.

We opened our hair salon with one intention LOVE. We believe ALL people deserve to have their hair needs met, especially the folx in the community we call our own. LGBTQIA+ folks have long enough been told no to the hair that they want and deserve. We opened our salon with intent and laser sharp focus and you can feel it when you walk in. We hired only allies and queers to do the hard work it took to create this space. Literally, down to the floors, tiles and art on the wal...ls. We wanted every layer to feel warm and inviting, I think we nailed it. We want to stay open, alive and vibrant for you all. We want to come back to a healthy bustling salon, and that’s why we are hoping to be one of the salons that gets to win the #pantenexdresscode#contest. Please share and #repost, comment and send us some prayers and vibes! We desperately need it! Love you all. Be safe @ Salon Benders See more

This little boo is in a mission. That day, and every day. If you’ve ever been into Benders, we guarantee you’ve never seen her anywhere but behind that chair. TODAY, We are sending appreciation and love to all of the hard working stylists out there! This job is hard y’all. Hard on our bodies, minds, and spirit. . We hope this pandemic has been able to shine the light on all hairstylists of the world. We hope appreciation sets in and people realize how important a hairstylist... are to our community. We deserve livable wages, health insurance and retirement plans. We deserve PAID time off, sick days and vacations. Did you know, most hairstylist barely make a livable wage? Not cool! . The people who get their hair cut at Benders helps give some of those things to our workers. (Which we need more of) see what I did there? . REALLY THOUGH. . We strive to take care of ourselves and our people. We are a small business that gives paid time off, bonuses and vacation days. We are working on so much more. We love hairstylists. We don’t believe in competition. We believe in collaboration. PRIDE. See more

We are so excited to host Tina Babajanians - The Voice Stylist for a free vocal feminization workshop. Join us one week from today!!