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NEWBERRY — Tina Hair felt like her world was falling in around her when she was told she had to move her business but now she is Cuttin’ Up.

Hair’s husband, Michael Hair, was recovering from a wreck when she was told last fall that the property her barber shop business was on at 428 Wilson Road had been sold for the construction of a new apartment complex.

Hair said she was struggling and did not know how she could make the move to a new location when things started coming together.

A customer offered the barber shop a parcel of property on C.R. Koon Highway.

The day after Thanksgiving, the Cuttin’ Up building was being moved up the road and reopened in two weeks.

During those two weeks, Hair and her family repainted, moved the bathroom and made it handicapped accessible and laid new flooring in the building. A handicapped ramp and new porch was added. Many people, she said, think the building is new.

The new location makes it look more like a business. “It has slowly got a kiss of new,” said the Mid-Carolina graduate. “I am glad it is over.”

Hair, who grew up in Pomaria but now lives in Prosperity, said she could not have done the work without the support of her family.

Now Hair and two others in the shop are back to cutting hair.

Cuttin’ Up is one of the few barber shops left in the county. It is a family friendly business that does everything from haircuts to styles to perms to extensions to color and waxing for the entire family.

Hair said when she was in cosmetology school at the Newberry County Career Center all she wanted to do was cut men’s hair.

After graduation and getting her license, she managed a Burger King and cut hair on the side. She then went to work at Smart Styles in Wal-Mart for a year before Kenny Stuck, who owned Cuttin’ Up, called in 1993 to offer her a job. In 2003, Hair bought the business.

The business used to be one big room but the barber board would not allow barber and beauticians to operate in the same room, so the room was partitioned off.

“We try to keep men and women happy,” said Hair.

Another goal is to make haircuts as pleasant as possible for children. Hair has a bag full of tricks from showing the pictures of trains to sitting them on tractors and on the front porch rail to prevent any crying.

The shop also does not take appointments. With three stylists working, the wait is normally no more than 30 minutes and if it is going to be longer the customer is told about the wait time.

“We move people in and out quickly,” said Hair. “We try not to let them sit around.”

Hair also offers free coffee on cold winter mornings, which she says was a big hit.

If someone donates their hair to Locks of Love, then the cut is free. To donate hair to Locks of Love, it must be one length, clean and color free, said Hair adding she will need 10 inches to send off.

She usually sends two boxes of 15 packages of cut hair twice a year.

Hair also offers free shaves for those supporting people with cancer and cancer patients. She also styles wigs for cancer patients free of charge.

The shop is also manned by Christal Shealy McClain, who has been with the business since November, and Tammy Dominick, who has worked with Hair for 10 years.

Cuttin’ Up is now located at 14105 C.R. Koon Highway between Newberry and Prosperity and can be reached by calling 276-9098. They are open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Wednesday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.