It may be one of the smallest salons in the UK, but this Frome delight is making big waves, or should that be weaves, in the hair and beauty world, in line for three awards.

Which is remarkable for a much-loved business which deals not just in looking good, but in building confidence, for clients aged from 16 to over 80.

Flawless Extensions in Frome is owned and managed by Laura Lewis who is justly proud of the nominations, but is just as pleased when a customer leaves her little salon feeling like a million dollars.

Laura tells Nub News : " We are tiny so I am proud of our nominations but the main thing is that I make people feel good about themselves. A lot of girls come to me and they hate their hair, a bad cut, or they are worried about thinning hair. They have no confidence so that is what I give them and that's why I love it so much."

Flawless is up for three awards, including a Muddy Stiletto, but the one Laura is most proud of is for the best Salon Decor in a national competition for all the hair and nail salons across the UK. She was put in for the award when organisers spotted her photos of the salon on social media.

The place is certainly gorgeous - pink all over - sweet and small with a specially designed selfie wall.

So tell us the hair story?

Flawless Extensions of Frome, which is also in the final 50 in the national Hair and Beauty Awards 2022, began two years ago, but Laura herself has been working on hair, and specifically on hair extensions, for around 20 years.

Laura explained: " Most of my clients are like a little family. so it is lovely that I can work from home. We were planning a salon in the centre, then it was a question of the expense and the rent. So I thought why not make my salon in an extension on my home, so all the colours and additions I had ordered and planned for that town centre salon were installed in here. "

Laura is also a working mum so that makes the school pick up possible.

Her customers are varied. She said: " I do love of young girls who want the glamour, but they are not my only custom. I also do a lot of older ladies, one of my customers is in her 80s. I am also about to start trialling a new mesh integration for hair loss, for alopecia, and for those who are losing or have lost their hair through cancer treatment. "

This is very personal to Laura, who lost all her hair when her family suffered a terrible tragedy.

"It is not just vanity... there is another big side for ladies who have lost their confidence who are losing their hair. Hair is such a big part of how we feel about ourselves."

So how long does the process take ?

A normal head of hair extensions takes an hour and half for Laura who is very experienced. The costs vary depending on the amount of hair put in (all of it real hair) and so it will be measured in grammes.

Laura said: " But good extensions can last you up to two years if you look after your hair." That means only washing your hair twice a week with a non sulphate shampoo and using a hair oil.

She does a monthly payment system for those who need it to make sure it can be affordable.

" I have a budget, medium and premium range, all real actual hair, because synthetic would not last, it is fake and it withers away. Even the mixture of fake and real will not last. So the extensions I offer are really an investment. "

Common myth about hair extensions

It ruins your hair.

Not true insists Laura, as long as it is fitted properly, it can actually help hair grow. She said: " A lot of girls come to me after a horrible cut, they will then get the hair extensions while their hair grows back. No more bad hair days if you have your hair extensions."

Hair extensions the explanations

Some of the common terms used in the hair extension world and what they mean

Nano bond : So-called old school hair extension which replaced the micro ring, which you could sometimes spot in your hair. With a nano bond you can't. Much smaller and much more discreet. They are good because you can use them again and again

Mini locks : Very similar to a micro ring, so a bit bigger than a nano bond, but they are longer, so there is a more secure fit. Once they are locked in place you can't however reuse them

Tape : Very similar to a weft, you just put the hair in the middle of the tape and squeeze together. A popular method but tends to need a lot of maintenance.

Celebrity Weave : All the weaves use micro rings and the hair is 'sewn' in between' the locks

Naked Weave : ( Flawless is the only salon which does this in the area)

The weave is fitted into the hair in a horse shoe shape and even if you wear your hair up, people will not be able to see you have hair extensions. It is all about the way it is shaped into your hair, and it is practically invisible

From hair in Frome to?

As for Laura she wants to continue to expand... " I want ten salons all over the world, that is my goal." All from a tiny salon in Frome.