OAK HILL, WV — No matter your gender, age, race or hairstyle, a new Oak Hill barber shop and beauty salon is ready to serve you.

“We can cut any type of hair,” said John Traynham, owner and barber of the shop located at 153 E. Main St. in Oak Hill. “It doesn’t matter what age, race or gender you are, just come in and have a seat and we will give your first-class service.”

Nex Level Barber Shop and Salon has been open two months, Traynham said.

“We have created a family environment and I think people really enjoy coming here,” he said.

Fifty years ago, the image of a beauty shop was housewives relaxed underneath giant blow dryers, gossiping and giggling with neighborhood pals, everyone’s hair slowly setting into place around their curlers.

Flashing forward to 2007 presents quite a different picture.

“Barber shops and salons are still social centers, but we’re also a shop for today’s men and women,” Traynham explained.

Traynham says many of today’s women still value glamour, but have busy schedules.

“Busy moms also drop their kids off for a haircut and come back in 20 minutes,” he said. “We stay open late and try to make our shop convenient for today’s busy lifestyles.”

Although it’s clear that the lives of men and women have seriously changed from several years ago, the business of beauty continues to boom.

“We’ve been doing very well,” Traynham said.

While convenience is one definite appeal of the business, Nex Level also offers up both luxury and expertise.

“Barbers and stylists are really artists,” Traynham explained. “You just can’t pick up a set of clippers and think you can cut some hair. We have the experience, skills and expertise to give you that look you are looking for.”

Traynham said the shop stays open until 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

“Working men and women appreciate our hours,” he said. “They can come in after work and relax.”

Nex Level is also open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

“We’re open seven days a week,” Traynham said.

Traynham said male clients are getting everything from regular hair cuts, to crew cuts, to tapers and fades, to shaved heads.

“There are a lot of popular styles with today’s young men,” he said.

On Wednesdays, all men’s and boys’ haircuts are $8.

“You can’t beat that deal,” Traynham said.

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Traynham, who hails from Boston, has been cutting hair since 1998. A veteran of the beauty business, Traynham knows how to treat his clients right.

“I had two shops of my own back home,” he said.

Traynham said his mother and father grew up in the Scarbro area.

“When they retired and moved back to West Virginia, I came along with them,” he said.

Traynham is married and has three children.

“We all love West Virginia,” he said.

Prior to starting his own shop, he had been working the past year and a half in Beckley.

“It was time for me to go out on my own and do my own thing,” he said. “That’s what I’m best at.”

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The greatest offering from Nex Level is its emphasis on personal attention.

“When a client sits in one of our chairs, they won’t simply be asked what color and what cut they want. We ask questions that will help the stylist find the best possible option for each individual,” Traynham said.

Traynham says he knows what makes a good stylist and chooses his employees with the utmost care.

“Alanda Penn and Clarice Cosby are top-notch stylists and offer much more,” he said. “They have the right personalities for our team-oriented atmosphere.”

The salon features an impressive array of beauty supplies, offers perms and waxing, and manicures and pedicures.

“I don’t do the fake nails, but I do just about everything else,” Cosby said.

The barber shop and salon also offers braiding, hair extension services, eyebrow grooming, Jerhi curls, shampoos, hair coloring, deep conditioning treatments, up dos and even designs.

Traynham said good barbers and stylists form a trust and bond with their customers.

“A good barber for a man is like a good mechanic or doctor, you don’t want to just go to anyone,” he explained. “You want to go to someone you trust.”

Derek Blevins of Beckley is one of Traynham’s loyal clients.

“I was one of his regulars in Beckley and I followed him here to Oak Hill,” Blevins said. “You could have on the nicest suit in the world, but with a bad haircut it means nothing. Once you find someone you feel comfortable with, you want to keep them.”

Blevins recommends Nex Level to anyone.

“I don’t care where you are going now, Nex Level in Oak Hill is where it’s at,” he said.

For additional information, call the shop at 465-7070.

— E-mail: fpace@register-herald.com