May 8, 2017

Meet Helaine Marie Balboni of Helaine Marie in Stoneham

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Helaine Marie Balboni.

Helaine Marie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Years after my extensive training with some of the top salons in the Boston area I decided to go out on my own opening Helaine Marie in 2004. Sick of the hustle and bustle of the bigger salons, I decided she would open up a smaller salon that would cater to each individual client on a more personal level.

I have attended several cutting seminars and was a certified style council trainer with KMS and have traveled with them throughout the country. I was also an independent contractor for Wella, and I am constantly updating my skills through new courses each year. I have attended several color certification programs with Framesi, Wella Redken, and I am a certified Master Colorist specializing in multi- dimensional foils and corrective color, Babe extensions, fantasy hair and organic spray tanning.

I have attended several classes with Pureology and was invited and attended their “Pure Artist” training in California.

In September 2012, I attended Ouidad Academy and am now certified in the Ouidad “Carve and Slice Technique”. Only 15 salons in a 200 mile radius offer this service.

I also offer AVIVA Organic Spray tanning. In February 2012 I added an additional accolade to my resume as I was granted a certificate issued under the seal of Copyright Office for my newest technique ‘Foliage Foil’.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not, when I started out, the girls were very mean, competitive and condescending. If you would ask an opinion about cut or color they would just rip you apart. If you were “different” like tattoos piercings etc. You were not welcomed with open arms especially in the suburbs. Even though the industry is artsy I was surrounded by a bunch of people who thought inside the box, and I have always thought outside the box. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I really started feeling comfortable with my craft and surrounding myself with some amazing stylists. I have been in the industry for 24 years and I have never seen such camaraderie and uplifting and positive stylists who also think outside the box.

The industry has come a long way since I started. The girls now are so helpful and really bring each other up in a positive healthy way.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
In 2012 I was certified in the Ouidad system, when I started this I was one of 14 salons in a two hundred mile radius that offered this cut.

After being certified in the Ouidad technique in 2012 I honed in on my signature cut and have made it my mission to educate my curly hair customers. My focus is always making sure my clients are number one. The goal at Helaine Marie is to make sure you leave the salon feeling happy and refreshed and well educated on styling and properly taking care of your hair. – See more at: https://www.ouidad.com/Helaine-Marie-Salon#sthash.Ajy0jWa2.dpuf

What were you like growing up?
I had to ask my mother about this lol. She said I was very artistic and fashionable she said I was always pushing the envelope. I was very independent, creative and always going in the outdoor of life making my own path. I was a wild child I always had a mind of my own I was a bit of a dare devil I didn’t take no for an answer if I wanted something I worked hard to get it. Not much has changed. I was a loaner…not by choice, mostly because I didn’t fit in, I got picked on ALOT and when I was younger I didn’t understand it, but now I enjoy my alone time.

I was a tomboy I used to run around the neighborhood in my Wonder Woman Under-Roos because I thought I was an unstoppable force, I still feel that way. I loved to play in the woods I built a fort that my sisters and I used to play in and we had a pond in my backyard we used to skate in, ok it was more like a big puddle but at that age I had an imagination.

I had a shetland pony named Fred, well he wasn’t mine but a friend of mine was a few years older than me and got a brand new car, and she told me I could see Fred anytime I wanted if I took care of him, and fed him and brushed him. I loved Fred, he was a crotchety little thing but every day I looked forward to spending my time with him. He didn’t like many people, he bit everyone, and bucked everyone, but eventually I brought out his softer side. I always always always brought random animals home, Once I took a German Shepard home, he was wandering around my neighborhood with a rope around his neck and I adopted him and called him Frenchie.

We had goats…while everyone had dogs and cats. Guess who was the talk of my neighborhood.

Contact Info: