Located in Wichita’s historic Old Town district since 1992, Planet Hair is a full-service salon offering out of this world hair services, glamorous hair extensions, beautiful makeup applications and lessons, and gentle waxing services.
Recognized nationally for our original styles, creative environment, and excellent customer service, Planet Hair has received numerous awards, including Aveda’s Humanitarian Award and Wichita Business Journal’s Best Places to Work for Small Businesses. We’ve been recognized for 15 consecutive years by Salon Today Magazine as one of the top 200 fastest growing salons in the United States and Elle Magazine several times as one of the 100 best salons in the United States.
Our innovative stylists don’t just follow current trends. They create them. We provide ongoing workshops and classes for our staff from the first day they join our team. To keep our stylists up to date with the latest trends and techniques, our team travels the United States, as well as abroad, to keep you looking great.
We work with world-class products. Our Aveda and Great Lengths product lines represent the finest ingredients, product innovation, stylist training, and professionalism we’ve found.
We have a strong commitment to giving back to our community through humanitarian involvement, frequently working on fashion show fundraisers for local and national charities. From 1990 to 2012, Planet Hair raised over $1.5 million through the ArtAID fundraiser for Positive Directions.
During the beginning of 1992, Tod Ernst and Graham Ross began to imagine Planet Hair. With 24 years of combined experience, they felt they were ready to create a salon environment unique to Wichita.
Graham entered the salon industry because of his love of people and dreams of an exciting social life. With a natural ability with people, along with a strong entrepreneurial drive, Graham started his first business venture after four years as a stylist, Strands. . . A Salon, which he opened with two partners. After gaining some experience and growth as a business owner, Graham started dreaming of his vision of the perfect salon.
Tod is a creative visionary, drawn to the exciting, fast-paced lifestyle of the fashion industry. While working at the Hair Force, he developed his creative niche in producing hair and makeup looks for theater, commercials, photo and catalog work, and his favorite outlet, fashion shows. While working on his artistic and business abilities, Tod planned to have his own business.
Graham and Tod, who had been friends for several years, started sharing their dreams with each other and discovered that their visions of the future were very compatible. As they became more excited about their vision and began to forge their plan, Linda Ernst, Tod’s wife, became an essential part of making their dream a reality.
An artist herself, Linda had matured as a business person in the floral design business and had experience directing creative service businesses. Attracted to the operational aspects of the business, Linda joined the partnership and became the salon manager. She is the glue that holds the salon together.
It was their vision from the beginning to open a progressive salon downtown.
When Old Town was a ghost town, the partners looked at the space where Planet Hair is located today. Sensing that the downtown area was about to go through exciting growth and ignoring people who warned them against it, the entrepreneurs took the risk and have never looked back. Along with the help of family, friends, and bankers, Planet Hair opened in November 1992.
The beauty industry is continually evolving. Continuing education to keep up with these changes is especially important to us, to give you the best services possible. Our team at Planet Hair wants to make sure that the latest trends in haircuts, color, and makeup are available to you.
Throughout the year, members of our staff attend a variety of classes all over the United States and abroad to rejuvenate their skills and learn how to serve you better. The Aveda Institutes are among the most successful and comprehensive schools in the industry, with locations in New York, Minneapolis, Chicago, Canada, and London.
Our location has had a rich and colorful past. Check out what Kendall Durst, Wichita City Historian, has dug up for us!
1887 – Land used as a livery stable for the elegant Tremont Hotel
1900 – First structure, a fruit stand, is built and operated
1902 – “Dillon and Cooke” built the two-story building to house a real estate company
1903 – Gould Brothers open saloon and brothel
1906 – City passes law ending saloons in city limits and location become cigar store and restaurant
1908 – Retired circus couple opens location as Yale Theater, one of Wichita’s first movie theaters
1908 – 1920 – Yale Theater is owned and operated by many different people
1920 – Building is remodeled and opened as the “Famous Clothing Company.”
1924 – Location becomes grocery store, office space, and furnished apartments
1942 – “Owl Pool Hall” opens
1954 – Upscale men’s clothing, “The Hub” opens
1966 – Location becomes “Wolkow Pawn Shop”
1974 – Location vacant for first time
1975 – Jack Chester opens typewriter cleaning and repair business
1980 – “J. S. Oyster Company Seafood Restaurant” opens
1982 – Restaurant changes to “The Front Page Restaurant”
1983 – Restaurant is replaced by “J. S. Oyster Company Seafood Dealer”
1984 – Jack Chester takes back space for typewriter business
1985 – “O’Kool’s Bar & Grill” opens
1986 – “Connie’s Mexican Café” opens downtown location
1889 – 1990 – Building vacant only second time in 90 year history
1991 – “Furniture by Design” custom art furniture store is opened
1992 – Planet Hair moves in!