Last month, Kiran Manandhar celebrated her 15th anniversary as owner of Sringar Hair Design in Arlington. Sringar, a Nepalese word meaning makeover, is a full-service salon offering hair and skin treatments, eyebrow and facial hair threading, eyelash extensions, manicures, pedicures, and waxing. The Burlington resident attributes the shop’s longevity to the support of husband Manoj Manandhar, sister Nanu Mahat , and longtime clients who are like family.

Q. Why did you make the leap from hairstylist to business owner?

A.I was a hairstylist for 10 years at another salon in Arlington when my sister got her green card and came to stay in the United States. She was also a hairstylist who ran her own business for 25 years in Nepal.

I took her to work with me, and she gave high-quality haircuts, but it wasn’t working because she didn’t speak English at all. She said, ‘Either you open a salon, or I’m going back home.’ It got me where I am now, so I feel very lucky.

Q. How is Sringar Hair Design different from the area’s myriad other salons?

A.Customers say they feel like they’re at a day spa. We play traditional, soothing music, and all our attention is focused on making our clients happy. We respect them, listen to them, and give them

options to make them feel

comfortable, not rushed.

Q. Is it difficult to stay current in terms of trends?

A.It’s definitely a challenge. My stylists are highly trained, and we constantly take classes to keep up. We’re so busy with threading that we need another person. And we only use high-quality products that are healthy for the hair and skin.

Q. How important is family support?

A.My sister and I are very close because we lost our parents young. I get a lot of help from her, which is the Nepali way. But it’s amazing how I connect with my clients and employees. For the first time in my life, I took a five-week vacation this past August, but I really missed them and couldn’t wait to come back. We worked hard to be where we are today, but 10 years went by so fast.

Sringar Hair Design is at 369 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington. Call 781-648-8200 or visit www.sringarhair.com.