by ALLISON CASEY
Lifestyles Editor

Faulty follicles no more.

King Street’s new hair salon Pachoumapa Locs + Beatboxx offers chemical free and vegan hair products for the chemically sensitive.

Husband and wife team Brandy L. Shore-Ashley and Don M. Ashley opened Pachoumapa Locs + Beatboxx hair salon early last month after moving from Asheville.

Brandy L. Shore-Ashley and Don M. Ashley work as a husband and wife team to offer chemical free hair products. Photo by Rachel Noel

“Our original plan was just to move to Boone and get jobs,” Ashley said. “We wanted to get out of Asheville and come to place that we could grow with.”

After a few visits to Boone, the couple decided to open up the salon.

They quickly found a space in their price range that had previously been a hair salon.

The salon is located at 641 W. King St. near Green Eggs and Jam.

Armed with paint purchased from the Habitat for Humanity ReStore and no plan, the couple taped off the walls and painted designs in various colors.

“We don’t want to be a business,” Shore-Ashley said. “We just want to live and provide things for the community.”

The name “Pachoumapa” comes from a combination of the words “Pachamama,” a Native-American word for Mother Earth Spirit, “patchouli” and “Pa” to celebrate fathers.

The couple said they love having the salon together.

“It’s been great,” Ashley said. “Since we’ve met we wanted to do this. We always wanted to work together. We couldn’t in Asheville for various reasons, but we’ve finally achieved that dream.”

Ashley and Shore-Ashley are both disk jockeys and plan to offer their musical services in addition to hair services.

Pachoumpapa uses all vegan and organic products, and will soon offer Reiki and color therapy sessions. 

After working for 12 years in various salons, 29-year-old Shore-Ashley began to realize the chemicals in hair products gave her headaches and respiratory problems.

“We’re not knocking any other products,” she said. “We’re just offering an alternative for people who are chemically sensitive.” 

The products she uses are not based in ammonia, an aggressive chemical used to open up hair follicles, like most products.

Ashley said many stylists are forced to leave the field due to the negative effects of chemical based hair products.

Shore-Ashley competed in Berlin, Germany in an international hair competition held once every two years designed to set the hair trends for the upcoming years. 

“It’s like the Olympics of hair,” she said.

Shore-Ashley’s hair designs have been featured in several magazines. 

In Asheville, she had a large client base and was a little nervous about moving to Boone, but said business has picked up since students have come back.

Ashley said the salon wants to cater to everyone, but has developed a niche market in that Pachoumapa is the only salon in Boone to specialize in dredlocs, and carry solely organic and vegan products.

“We love Boone,” Ashley said. “The people here are more willing to talk and make eye contact with you and see that you’re there. It feels very safe."

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