MOJEH: When did you begin your career in hairdressing and was it always something you wanted to pursue?
Maria Dowling: When I was just 11 years old, my mum and her friends used to pay me to blow-dry their hair. When I was older I worked in a salon in my local town of Kilkenny in Ireland during the school holidays. I wanted to be a police officer but I was too young to enter the profession, so I returned to the salon once I left school and spent a year working there. Once I decided hairdressing was what I wanted to do, I moved to Dublin to do a finishing course and then spent the next two years working in Ireland before relocating to London. To become a fully qualified hairstylist takes four years. Despite only having been in the industry for three years at that point, I became assistant manager within six months and was promoted to manager after a year.
What was your goal when you founded mariadowling and, after over twenty years of success, what is your new goal for the future?
I wanted to be the first colour house in Middle East and for the salon to focus solely on hair rather than nails or facials.
In the future, I want the salon to be recognised both regionally and internationally as the premier salon for hair colouring in the Middle East and continue to win awards. I want to protect our fantastic reputation and ensure it reaches even greater heights as the team grows.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Without a doubt, winning the Lifetime achievement award at BeautyWorld Middle East in 2024. This was a testament to all the hard work I have done and effort I have put in to create an inclusive hair community in the Middle East over the past 20 years or so and so it was an extremely proud moment for me.
mariadowling was the first salon in the Middle East to specialise in colour. How does it feel to be a pioneer in the region?
When I first came to Dubai, I spent six years managing a salon for someone else, but I had a clear vision for the type of salon I wanted to open. The attention would be solely on hair, with a special focus on colour. I wanted to curate a team that is comprised of experts who are as passionate about hair as I am. I have stuck to that vision, and this is why I think the salon has been so successful.
What do you love most about your job?
Every day is different. I love how I have seen my clients succeed in life and I am really honoured that I have witnessed their lives first-hand as they move through school, university, get married and have children.
I also love it when a client leaves the salon loving their colour and armed with a new sense of confidence.
What is the most dramatic hair transformation you have ever done for a client?
I once took a client from dark to platinum blonde and cut her a fringe. Apparently, people struggled to recognise her as she looked so different!
What is your advice for aspiring hairdressers?
With hairdressing, you have to love what you do as the passion has to show through the work you do. If you don’t have passion, you will not thrive in this career.
Be authentic and true to your professional and personal ethics and what you believe in, and this will ensure success.
Make sure you have a great mentor who is inspirational and creative, even if that means you have to travel for work. You need to find someone who has the ability and passion to light the spark and make hairdressing a fantasy world. Hairdressers have the power to transform how people view themselves, but this takes passion!
Most importantly, when it comes to running a business, know your figures. It is one thing to be creative and good with people, but to run a successful and profitable salon requires you to have business acumen, a good sense for numbers and to know how to build a team.
What are the most common mistakes you see clients make when it comes to colour?
There are a few mistakes I see. The biggest one is that people see a cut or colour on social media and want to copy it without considering whether the style will suit their personality. Another issue I see is with blondes. Generally, people will want to put more blonde in the hair as they want brightness in the shade. But, ironically, to make the shade look brighter, you need to place darker pieces in the hair so the contrast will make the blonde appear brighter.
Overcolouring can lead to damaged hair. How can clients approach colour in a safer, less harmful way?
Firstly, do less to your hair. Don’t change the colour every three to four months and expect your hair to stay in optimum health. Healthy habits, like eating and sleeping well, also impact hair health.
Always invest in treatments at the salon and use a masque at home after every three or four shampoos. Ask your stylist for their recommendations for products that will suit your hair. Remember: they work with multiple products every day and are in the best position to advise you as they also know your hair. If you do purchase products, make sure they are from a reliable source as there are unfortunately many dupes or fakes on online marketplaces.
Most of us have a hairstyle we regret. What is yours and why?
Once I had my hair cut too short at the back and I had to wear a scarf for about three months until it grew out.
What do you predict will be the trend of 2026, and which trend do you hope we never see again?
I love mocha mousse because the beautiful rich chocolate colour is perfect for the darker hair in the Middle East. Best of all, to make it twinkle you can use highlights and babylights and have golden tones placed throughout the hair.
I am so glad that the trend for pastel hair colours such as blues and greens is fading. I also hate the Pageboy style.
What’s next for Maria Dowling?
I am doing a business masters online course so that I can grow my business acumen. I also plan to launch styling products that embody my ethos and are industry-disrupting. I have one product already, the mariadowling hair and scalp clay, and it has received great acclaim with hair industry insiders and beauty editors. Watch this space! Book now
