Destin, Fla. resident Holly never felt like she could part with her long hair—her father had ingrained in her that women must have long hair in order to be pretty. But Holly’s hair consumed her, and her waist-length locks had also been compromised by a previous mall salon dye job gone wrong.

Avantgarde Salon has long been known for its gorgeous makeovers—the Florida salon has won multiple Top Salon awards in the Emerald Coast area, and this year—up against 13 other salons—the stylists at Avantgarde were looking to take home the gold for a fourth time.

So…