Bermudian hairdressing icon Dorothy Matthews-Paynter was recently honoured for attending a popular trade show in Atlanta for 50 consecutive years.The veteran stylist, who still owns and operates Dottie’s Unisex Beauty Centre at the age of 91 years-young, said she was taken by surprise on receiving the award.The annual Bronner Brothers International Beauty Show was held in August at the Georgia World Congress Center.Accompanied by long-time friend, and customer Phylis Trott, she said she had no idea what was in store for her when she attended the show this year.“I had a feeling they were up to something when they kept calling me to make sure I planned to be there,” she said.“The award was handed out at the end of the Sunday service, when they called me up to the stage. My friend was just as shocked, or maybe more shocked than me.“She still talks about it to this day how she never had so many cameras flashing in her face in all her life. And I never dreamed they would do this, I’m very honoured,” she said.Known for a host of groundbreaking achievements during her career, Dr Matthews-Paynter will no doubt go down in history as Bermuda’s pioneer of hairdressing techniques in the 1960s and 1970s.She introduced several new styling methods to Bermuda, including hair weaving in the 1960s and chemical straightening or perming, the cold wave and precision cutting.Asked if she plans to go on working to the end at her salon on King Street in Hamilton, she laughed.“End, what end? It’s a lot of fun, sometimes I feel tired when I get up, but the shop keeps me going,” she said. “As they always say, hairdressers never die, they just curl away.”