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For Greta Gonzales, each head of hair she works on represents an opportunity to create a transforming kind of art.

"A different haircut, another hair color — it drastically changes people," the hairdresser said as she styled customer Peggy Dixon's hair on a recent afternoon.

Gonzales has sculpted and dyed people's hair for about two decades in the Tucson area.

It's the only job she's ever had, she said, without a hint of regret.

"I always knew I'd be a hairdresser," she recalled, shears in hand.

She's still at it at K.C.'s Hair & More, 2840 W. Ina Road, where she and other hairdressers lease building work space.

Dixon was getting a trim and highlights from Gonzales, who seems to have a knack for knowing exactly what customers want, the winter resident said.

"The first time she cut my hair, she knew what a shag was," Dixon recalled. "Most people don't know what that is, but Greta did — and that clinched the deal."

Next time she sought out Gonzales, Dixon brought friends along.

Gonzales' first clients were her Barbie dolls, she recalled. Her family was next.

She attended beauty school while still at Canyon del Oro High School. Soon after graduating in 1986, she received her Arizona certification in cosmetology.

She spent her first few years on the job working on commission and soaking up hair tips from seasoned hairdressers. As she gained experience, she also learned how to keep track of inventory and manage money — key tools of the trade she needed to become an independent hairdresser.

The single mother took the plunge 12 years ago, buoyed by her desire for a flexible work schedule that would allow her to be with her son, Alex Deatherage — who is now 18 — on school field trips and other activities.

"It was scary," she said of her early days as an independent hairdresser. She couldn't count on a steady income until she established a reliable customer base, she said.

"When you go independent, it's all on you," she said. "It's a lot of responsibility."

Cutting hair is just part of running her own business.

Ordering products, staying on top of hair trends and keeping track of the money are integral parts of being her own boss.

Gonzales has managed to make it work, with help from loyal clients who followed her to K.C.'s Hair & More and referred others to her.

The hairdresser has clipped and styled many of those clients' hair since they were teens, she said.

"I've seen them go through college and their marriage and their having kids."

Like a good confidante, Gonzales listens. She helps out. She gets invited to weddings.

"You get to make such good friends," she said.