Atlanta women who love their highlights and are pressed for time are finding the colorist of their dreams in Lacy Lykins, who can do a full head of highlights with foils in 20 minutes. (She excels at doing even faster balayage highlights, as well.) With six years in the business and five of those at a super-busy salon, what she perfected, she says, was artistry, flexibility and efficiency.

“I also learned great patience,” adds Lacy, underscoring that speed-skills based on a long-learning process amount to faster work with zero mistakes.

Over time, Lacy realized she could only grow so much where she was and that she didn’t want to be a manager. So, she decided to go solo. When she toured Salons by JC, Newnan, GA, she immediately knew it was right for her. “It was so beautiful; I loved how high-end it looked,” says Lacy. What she also liked: the concierge service and the safety of a call box for accommodating after-hours clients.

To personalize her studio, the first thing she did was add a decorative sign in gold, white and black that reads “Hello Beauty Full.” Since then, the colors have become part of her brand and the play-on-words greeting is her favorite hashtag to use with her photos. Now, after nearly a year in her own Lacy’s Salon, she is renowned for her wide creative range that accommodates the personalized needs of everyone from children (where her patience meets her love of kids) to her oldest client, who is 85.

“I look at hair as a blank canvas and am versatile enough to deliver whatever the individual needs,” says Lacy. “I’m very creative and knowledgeable, and reasonably priced.”

Her extraordinary range is bolstered by the wide variety of advanced training she’s taken since going out on her own, including advanced cutting, color placement, styling and product knowledge classes. She also watches hair videos whenever she can.

“What my younger clients love right now is ombré and balayage color,” notes Lacy. “Business women’s tastes run the gamut, but many of them favor bobs with highlights and lowlights. I also specialize in “event” updos, but in summer, my clients want the braided, messy bun look. I always advise them to use a leave-in conditioner before going to the beach or the pool.”

By fall, most women go a bit darker with their base color and add caramel, red or copper highlights, she notes. But whatever clients want, Lacy says she focuses on making certain that their hair stays healthy. “It’s my main concern, because healthy hair is ‘beauty full.'”

To check out all Lacy’s “beauty full” styles and get in on her special offers, visit and like her salon’s Facebook page.