A dream come true. Francesca Riccio, already a famous hair-stylist in Naples, has expanded her original business by creating, in Viale Michelangelo 57, an enchanting location for those who wish to dedicate time to caring for their body and their image in a warm and welcoming atmosphere, entrusting their well-being and beauty to expert and competent hands. A corner of paradise in the heart of the hilly district of Naples in which professionalism, elegance and a warm welcome are reflected, as is the style of an exemplary all-female staff, excellently directed by a brilliant and determined entrepreneur who has always placed the well-being of women at the centre of her work.
by Roberta Imbimbo
Francesca, it has been about two years since our last interview. Today we decided to meet you again to understand how, after all this time, your business has evolved.
I am proud to announce that I have finally managed to realise a big dream that I had been cultivating for a long time. I believed in it to the very end and I finally did it! A victory that I dedicate to all those who have supported and sustained me in this long journey of professional growth. First of all, my sister Flavia, who has always been at my side, and then a team that has been consolidated for years without which all this would not have been possible. As you know, I was the owner of a hair salon for about 20 years, but as time went by, I felt the need to expand my business, creating a warm and welcoming location for those who wanted to get away from the daily routine and find inner peace, taking care of their body and spirit in 360 degrees. And so, having brilliantly overcome the Covid emergency – which unfortunately slowed down the realisation of this great project of mine – since last October Ancora un Riccio has been ready to welcome its clients with an unmissable novelty: a brand new and ultra-modern SPA, designed and cared for in every detail for the maximum comfort and wellbeing of its clients, with a highly specialised and innovative offer.
Tell us about the new location, so elegant and cared for in every detail to pamper customers!
The new location in Viale Michelangelo 57 is on two levels. The upper area – wonderfully flooded with natural light thanks to large modern windows that create a constant dialogue between inside and outside – is entirely dedicated to hair care. The Spa and Wellness area, where simplicity meets the most sober and refined elegance, is instead the ideal place to indulge in a moment of pure relaxation, to let yourself be pampered by a regenerating sauna, relaxing or slimming massages performed in reserved and comfortable settings, and by the numerous high-level beauty treatments. Completing the offer is a fitness room designed mainly for yoga and pilates classes (for groups of three to four people), rigorously supervised by specialised instructors, as is the style of an all-female group that has always placed women at the centre of all attention. In short, the new Centre offers those who love relaxation and personal care highly effective and innovative treatments and wellness programmes, from beauty treatments to those for reshaping the body, from the wellness area equipped with sauna to the fitness room for sports enthusiasts. And that’s not all…
You have been known and appreciated on the market for years for your innovative approach to hair treatment. Why is your salon different from others?
We are the only salon in Naples that operates under the banner of naturalness and therefore uses only pure herbs without any chemical pigments, mixed exclusively with non-oxygenated water to colour the hair. As you can clearly see, on the brown shelf there are several glass containers, each containing powders of different gradations. They are all powdered herbs, each with specific colouring, moisturising, soothing and restructuring properties. Thanks to the presence of natural colouring pigments, they colour without altering the structure of the hair, but exert a healing and rebalancing action that makes the hair noticeably stronger, softer, shinier and more voluminous. Unlike chemical dyes that are extremely harmful and agressive (they can cause possible allergies, skin and scalp irritation), our dyeing herbs are 100% natural (we sometimes eat them in front of our customers), contain no chemical components and are therefore non-allergenic, but on the contrary are highly nourishing and restructuring. By mixing, for example, henna with other dye plants such as indigo, hibiscus, walnut husk, turmeric and rhubarb, we are able to achieve many colour nuances ranging from dark brown to light or golden blond. What’s more, already after the first few colourings, the hair will look decidedly softer, silkier and shinier! In short, the philosophy that has always animated our work is that dyeing is not only a matter of beauty, but also and above all a matter of health, and for this reason it is absolutely necessary to use only pure vegetable herbs! It is no coincidence that for years customers have chosen Ancora un Riccio as their point of reference for exclusive, high-quality services, offered by a team that has always sought to satisfy the needs of every woman with love, dedication and professionalism!
