Courtney Pronger at Little Birdie Hair Co voted best hair colourist in Gympie

The readers have voted for a winner in a Gympie hair colourist competition as the top five in the region are revealed, plus how the winner feels about the top gong.

A Gympie hair colourist has been chosen by the Gympie Times readers as the best in the region, after 36 nominations for the competition were recorded.

Little Birdie Hair Co’s Courtney Pronger has taken out the top spot in the reader-voted competition.

A staggering 351 of our subscribers cast their vote on Gympie’s best hair colourist.

Here’s a countdown of the top five, and a Q&A with the hair colourist that took home the number one spot:

Fifth place: Rance Boreham

Earning fifth place is Rance Boreham from Hair Review, who received 19 votes (5% of total).

Fourth place: Georgia McKinley

Georgia McKinley from La Mode Hair and Beauty received 23 votes (7%).

Third place: Lauren Schweitzer

Lauren Schweitzer from The Creative Colourist earned bronze, with 30 votes (10%).

Second place: Rebecca, Abbey and Sherie

Second place goes to the team at A Beautiful You Hair & Makeup Studio. Rebecca, Abbey and Sherie received a staggering total of 48 votes (14%).

First place: Courtney Pronger

She expressed her appreciation for her clients and everyone who has supported her throughout the years, adding “their loyalty and trust mean everything to me”.

A whopping 63 people voted Courtney Pronger as Gympie’s number one hair colourist (18%).

“This recognition means the world to me and reaffirms my passion for creating beautiful hair every day,” said Mrs Pronger.

She expressed her appreciation for her clients and everyone who has supported her throughout the years, adding “their loyalty and trust mean everything to me”.

“I am excited to continue this journey, pushing boundaries, and creating stunning looks for all my clients,” Ms Pronger said.

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Here’s everything you need to know about Gympie’s top hair colourist:

Why did she choose to become a hairdresser?

Mrs Pronger said she loves to chat, so she always knew she was destined for a role like hairdressing where she can have long conversations with clients.

“Even when I was younger my parents said I needed to be a hairdresser,” she said.

What’s her favourite part?

Mrs Pronger likes how she gets to “make someone’s day” by giving them a new look.

When she styles her clients’ hair for their most emotional days, from weddings to funerals, she feels she is “with them for life”.

Mrs Pronger said she loves growing with her clients.

She remembers infants that mothers first brought along to their appointments years ago, who are now old enough to come back for their very first haircut.

“I don’t think I could get my hairdressing experience anywhere else,” she said, commenting on her love for Gympie and how connected it feels.

What’s so special about Little Birdie Hair Co?

She said the salon’s most unique quality is its commitment to low-toxicity products and sustainable, ethical practices.

The salon recycles all their foils, uses vegan and cruelty-free products, and donates hair to charity.

The studio has escape bags for the homeless, and training on providing domestic violence support.

She said that the hairdressers at Little Birdie Hair Co “want to give back”, so a percentage of profit goes towards a new charity each week.

The team regularly volunteers together, and will be volunteering at the RSPCA shortly as a team.

What’s next for Courtney?

Mrs Pronger said that in hairdressing, there are always new products, tools or techniques to learn.

“I’m all about levelling up my skills which is why I continue to attend training sessions and stay [sic] up-to-date with the latest industry trends,” she said.

She recently undertook a keratin-bond extension course.

“Every month, we’re doing training,” she said about her and her team at Little Birdie Hair Co.