The World’s Top Salons Share Their Tips
Have you ever taken a moment to think about just how hard your hair works every day?
Seven days a week, 365 days a year...it’s enhancing your beauty...boosting your confidence… and creating the cornerstone of your style.
And sure, you like to give your locks the occasional “day off”...with the help of messy updos, hats, head scarves, and scrunchies.
But can you imagine how exciting it would be...to take your hair on a real vacation…
...a globetrotting adventure to the world’s premier styling salons?
WHAT’S YOUR DESTINATION?
Believe it or not…
...the idea of an entire trip to pamper your hair at top salons is not just a fantasy!
In fact, Allure recently reported on the growing international trend of “hair tourism”...
...where women are trekking sometimes literally thousands of miles...to treat their hair to the services of the best stylists alive!1
“Some stylists can work such hair miracles...they’re worth a trip around the world to see!”
The question is...if you were planning a hairstyling getaway like this…
...which salons should you visit...and what expert advice can you expect from their stylists?
To answer that question, we reached out to a trio of salons ranked among the best on the planet…
...and asked their premier stylists:
“If you had one piece of advice from the world’s top hair salons...what would it be?”
With these tips, you can choose which salons are must-visits for your own hairstyling excursion…
...or bring a touch of elegant international styling flair right to your own front door!2
MILAN: SKIP THE SURFACTANTS
As someone who keeps up with the world of style, you definitely know about Milan.
Twice a year, this Italian glamour haven hosts Fashion Week...arguably the world’s single most important beauty and couture event.
“You’ll find some of the newest, most stunning hair and fashion on the runways of Milan’s Fashion Week”
And Milan is also home to Area Numero Sei, an exclusive salon owned by veteran stylist Alessandro Lisi.
No less a style trendsetter than Vogue editor Anna Wintour trusts her hair to Lisi’s skills.
And he loves working with all his American clients, whose approach to glamour he describes as “elegantly free.”
Lisi’s most crucial piece of hairstyling advice:
“Always make sure to use a shampoo that’s free of surface-active agents,” he says.
These agents, also known as surfactants, are especially harsh on hair...stripping away not just excess oils and dirt, but also the natural moisture your hair needs for shine and flexibility.
Lisi also recommends regularly treating your hair with palm oil.
That’s because palm oil is particularly high in beta carotene, which your body converts into vitamins that nourish your scalp and support sturdy, well-moisturized hair molecules.3
Lisi’s advice may seem simple, but it’s powerfully effective…
...and trusting his expertise just might give you hair that’s ready for the runway!4
TOKYO: GET STRAIGHTENED OUT
Our next stop is Tokyo, Japan, one of the epicenters of radical style…
...where you’ll find looks influenced by everything from timeless Japanese royalty, to sci-fi movies and animated cartoons!
“Japanese style is known for marrying old-school elegance with a touch of avant-garde adventure!”
When it comes to cutting-edge hair, the top stop in Tokyo is a salon named for one of the most groundbreaking high-fashion models of all time: Twiggy.
This salon’s creative director is legendary Japanese stylist Miho Matsuura…
...who recently showed off her skill by turning an old-school bowl cut, worn by couture model Tao Okamoto, into a sharp and sexy style breakthrough!
Matsuura’s secret weapon for sculpting this retro sensation:
A high-powered salon-quality flat iron!
Speaking through a translator, Matsuura says, contrary to conventional wisdom, “not all Japanese hair is straight and smooth.”
So, she relies on a top-grade straightener to give her clients the razor-sleek tresses they crave.5
Matsuura is also a leading exponent of the natural beauty movement.
That means she advocates hairstyling products as free of abrasive man-made chemicals as possible.
So, if you ask Miho Matsuura, it’s key to trust your hair to products that nurture your strands with safe, low-chemical goodness…
...and, when it comes to giving your style precision with pizzazz, always keep your most trusted tools at the ready!6
NEW YORK CITY: LONG LIVE THE KING!
Of course, you can also find plenty of dynamic salon style right here in the USA.
And if you’re a girl with curls, there may be no better place for you to visit than the Big Apple.
That’s because New York City is where you’ll find Christo Fifth Avenue.
This is the flagship location for the nationwide chain of Curlisto salons…
...and its founder, Christo, has been hailed by The Wall Street Journal as “The King of Curls!”7
Here are a few essential tips on how to maintain your curls, courtesy of one of the world’s preeminent curling stylists:
- “Only scissors should be used to cut curly hair, as it does not shred the hair shaft, helping to avoid split ends.”
- “The best time to detangle is in the shower, with conditioner in your hair.”
- “Using a diffuser is a MUST when drying curly hair. This helps to avoid flyaways.”
- “No styling product, no style...the hair will just be dry and frizzy, and the curls will lose dimension. Styling products according to your hair texture will help to smooth and define curls.”8
This advice from the King of Curls is practical and easy to apply to your own hair…
...so, add these techniques to your own styling routine...to give your curls a lively, full-of-bounce royal treatment!
“Take it from Christo, New York’s top curly-hair stylist...you can have electrifying curls wherever you are!”
GORGEOUS HAIR ANYWHERE
Treating yourself to an around-the-world hairstyling extravaganza should be on every woman’s Bucket List.
But, until you get that passport stamped by every great salon in the world…
...we hope you’ll take the suggestions from these three globally renowned stylists to heart.
Because whether you’re traveling far and wide...or right in the comfort of your own home…
...you’re always right where you need to be to create a personal style that’s absolutely world-class!
CITATIONS
- Ball, Sarah. “How Far Will You Travel for Your Preferred Hairstylist?” Allure, Allure Magazine, 25 May 2017, www.allure.com/story/women-traveling-for-their-preferred-hairstylists.
- Parnass, Alexandra. “The Best Hair Salons In The World.” Harper's BAZAAR, Harper's BAZAAR, 28 Mar. 2018, www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/hair/advice/a2469/best-hair-salons-around-the-world-0614/.
- Barron, Brenda. “What Are the Benefits of Palm Oil on Hair & Skin?” LIVESTRONG.COM, Leaf Group, 18 July 2017, www.livestrong.com/article/198458-what-are-the-benefits-of-palm-oil-on-hair-skin/.
- Chic, Opera. “Five Minutes with Milan Hair Master Alessandro Lisi.” W Magazine, 16 Dec. 2016, www.wmagazine.com/story/opera-chic-alessandro-lisi.
- Miho Matsuura ‹, www.jujuchan.com/miho-matsuura/.
- YUMEDREAMING, yumedreaming.com/en/.
- Us, et al. “Our Favorite NYC Hair Salons.”, Refinery29, www.refinery29.com/hair-salons-nyc.
- “Christo's Curl Tips.” Beauty Launchpad, 8 Aug. 2013, www.beautylaunchpad.com/christos-curl-tips.