AUBURN — Katy Labbe learned how to French braid at age 4, and by senior year at Leavitt Area High School she had interned at a hair salon on light course load days. There was zero doubt what she wanted to do, but she didn’t necessarily see herself staying here.

Katy Labbe (Photo courtesy Emmie Jones Photography)

Three years ago, Labbe moved back from southern Maine to work at The Hair Station, a retro-vibe salon inside a former Turner Street gas station.

“I loved living in Portland, (but) it’s so expensive,” said Labbe, 27. “I like that now Auburn is kind of getting the feel of Portland, but more close-knit. I like it a lot more than I thought I was going to. I never thought I’d be moving back around here — it’s nice being home.”

Labbe grew up in Turner. Interning in high school gave her an early peek at “the way things flow in a salon and how things operate, kind of like the inside (look) of how a salon actually works,” she said.

At The Hair Station, “I love the atmosphere,” Labbe said. “It’s very laid back and relaxed. We spend most of the time laughing in there. Even 10-and-a-half-hour days, they go by so fast.”

Her specialty is working with colors.

“We always joke that I should have a collage of all the colors I’ve had just since being at The Hair Station,” said Labbe. “I’ve had purple, teal, peach, blond, red, hot pink. I like to experiment.”

A request one time: A customer who wanted a cheetah print hand painted onto their hair. Done.

“It was kind of wild,” said Labbe.

When she’s not working, Labbe said she enjoys spending time with friends and going to a family camp for everything from four wheeling to target shooting.

“I do love me a snow day where I get to hunker down, watch movies and relax,” she said.

kskelton@sunjournal.com