STYLE : LOOKS : No Short Cuts
Women with extremely long hair finally have a salon where they aren’t the object of curious stares, aren’t made to feel out of step with fashion and aren’t hounded to get their manes cut short. The new George Michael of Madison Avenue in Beverly Hills is dedicated to the care and feeding of long, long locks.
“You don’t see women with long hair in other salons because they’re afraid to go,” says owner Jessie Lynn Martinez. “They’re afraid they’re going to get all chopped up. And every woman with long hair has a horror story.”
Martinez knows whereof she speaks. She has silky hair that cascades past her waist, and she worked with long-hair guru George Michael at his original salon in Manhattan. So many Californians were flying to New York just to get their hair done that Martinez decided to head west. Her regular clients now include actress Connie Sellecca and designer Barbara Lazaroff.
A typical visit to the no-nonsense salon starts with a hair analysis, shampoo and treatment to correct any damage from, say, harsh sun or blow dryers. After a rinse and comb-out, hair is set on rollers and dried under low heat. Then hair is brushed and only trimmed. Latter-day Rapunzels should be prepared to spend about $150 (includes take-home products) and the better part of a morning or afternoon getting their hair done. But if it takes years to grow hair down to one’s knees, what’s two or three hours?
