Tina Duffy has called this community home her whole life. Now she’s putting down roots in a new way, as the proud new owner of Waves Salon Hauppauge. 

Some stories don’t follow a straight line. They curve and bend, shaped by love found young, by children raised with intention, by grief endured with grace, and by a quiet courage that only reveals itself in hindsight. The story of Tina Duffy, the new owner of Waves Salon Hauppauge, is exactly that kind of story. 

Tina grew up in Hauppauge and has never strayed far. At 25, she moved to St. James, where she raised her family and still has her parents and older brother close by. This has always been home.  

Her husband, Gerard, was a Smithtown West kid. They met at age 12 at the local Smithtown Bowling Alley and that was pretty much it. Tina went home that day and told her dad she had just met the boy she was going to marry. She was right. They married in 1994 and went on to raise four sons together in St. James. 

“I met him at 12 years old at the local bowling alley. He was my childhood sweetheart, and my whole world.” 

In 2016, her husband was diagnosed with ALS. For nearly three years, Tina was by his side as his caregiver while continuing to be a mother to their four boys. He passed away in March 2019, just a few weeks before his 50th birthday. She stayed in the family home until her youngest graduated high school, and then she made some big decisions about what came next. 

Tina has been doing hair since high school, starting out at Christopher John in Sayville. When the kids came along, she moved her business home so she could be there for her boys without giving up the work she loved. For years, that home salon was her world. 

Once her youngest finished high school, she sold the house and decided it was time to get back out there. She started working with Freddy Mattera at Waves Salon in September 2024, and it felt right from day one. 

Freddie could see what Tina brought to the table, not just her skill behind the chair but her ideas for growing the business and building something bigger. He asked her to come on as a partner, taught her everything she needed to know about running the business, and on November 1, 2025, he passed the torch. Tina is now the sole owner of Waves Salon Hauppauge. 

“The staff welcomed me as instant family. That told me everything I needed to know.” 

On April 19th, Waves Salon held a Grand Reopening that brought out neighbors, longtime clients, and plenty of new faces. It was a great day and a real sign of the support this community has shown Tina and her team. 

Ask Tina what makes Waves different and she’ll tell you straight: “The environment. We don’t have drama. We don’t have negativity. We have each other’s backs.” The staff genuinely root for each other, and clients feel that the moment they walk in. 

It’s a relaxed, welcoming place where you’re not rushed and you always leave looking great. And the pricing is fair. Good work, good people, good prices, it really is that simple. 

Tina and her team don’t just talk about giving back, they show up. Waves Salon Hauppauge volunteers with the Ronald McDonald House, taking part in Hope, Healing & Hair: Salon Days at Stony Brook. Every month, the team comes in and provides free salon services to families who are going through some of the hardest times of their lives. It’s personal for Tina, and it shows. 

The salon also supports local baseball teams and is always looking for more ways to be involved in the community.  

She has lived through enough to know that life rarely goes according to plan. Her advice is simple: don’t wait for the perfect moment. Whether it’s a career change, a new adventure, or just finally booking that hair appointment, show up. The rest tends to follow. 

And when you’re ready for a fresh look, Tina and the team at Waves Salon will be ready for you.

Waves Salon Hauppauge

542 Hauppauge Rd, Hauppauge

631.724.0005