Students sometimes go home to visit their families or catch up with their high school friends, but some are forced to go back to their hometowns just to get haircuts.

"I know my roommate can't get her hair done here. She has to go to New York City," Julie Bollinger (junior-Spanish education) said.

The tendency for minority students to return home for hair care needs is one of the reasons Candace Lyons is opening a multicultural hair salon, Styles by Candace, 231 E. Beaver Ave., next month.

Lyons, the sole proprietor and owner of the new salon, said she has been a hair designer in the State College community for 11 years and has serviced a range of customers from Penn State students and professors to State College professionals.

Some of the services offered in the new salon are hair relaxer treatments, hair coloring, hair cutting and natural hair styling.

"I think it is a good idea, because State College doesn't have those outlets for minority students," Jason Parham (sophomore-journalism) said. "It's hard to come from a big city that has something like [a multicultural hair salon] to State College where they don't have things like that."

Lyons said one concern among her customers has been finding the proper hair care products, and she said she intends on making these products available.

She also said that she wants to show her clients how to keep their hair healthy.

In addition to providing these products for her clientele, Lyons has other plans for her hair salon.

"My short-term goal is to bring in makeup for women of color," she said.

Lyons said the makeup would be more conducive to the skin types of minority women.

Another goal of Lyons is to provide wigs in her hair salon.

She said she hopes that the wigs would help those going through chemotherapy to cope with their hair loss.

Some Penn State students said they agree that having a hair salon devoted to multicultural hair care needs will benefit the diverse community of students and State College residents.

"It's interesting," Hanifah Sparkes (senior-health policy and administration) said. "I think it's a good idea bringing diversity to State College."

There also seemed to be a student interest in using the new salon's services.

"I think it's a great idea," Erika Young (graduate-nondegree) said. "I would probably try it out."

Teresa Sparacino, State College Downtown Improvement director, said focus groups recently reported that multicultural service is one of the needs that is not met in the State College community.

"I'm hoping [Styles by Candace] will do more than just hair -- I'm hoping it provides cosmetics as well," she said.

Jay Horgas, the owner of the building where Styles by Candace will open in early March, said the location of the salon is a good choice.

"I imagine there will be a lot of foot traffic [from The Shack, 219 E. Beaver Ave.], and people will be more aware of the business being there," he said.

Barry King, the owner of Visions Multicultural Hair Design, 357 E. Calder Way, said he thinks Lyons' salon will benefit the community.

"There's enough business to go around," he added.

Styles by Candace will offer its services for similar prices to those of other area hair salons, Lyons said. A Web site for the salon is also in progress, she added.

"I just want the community to know there is someone here to meet their hair care needs," Lyons said.