BY JOCELYN FREID
I am a hair snob. No question about it. My friends know that I’m always trying to find the best hair people in town, which as we all know, can be quite expensive.
So, as I was walking out of 24 Hour Fitness in the Sherman Oaks Galleria, I looked over at Paul Mitchell The School which I previously hadn’t paid much attention to because I thought it was a just a teaching school. This time I noticed more people milling about and I realized there were customers as well students. Curious, I walked up to the front desk and asked if I could see their list of services
I read the extensive list for men and women. I had to do a double take at the prices. Shampoo and blow-dry for $10 to $15? Hello? I thought this was too good to be true so I asked the receptionist, Luiza, if the prices were correct. “Absolutely,” she said. “Would you like to make an appointment?”
A shampoo and blow-dry runs $10-$15 at Paul Mitchell The School. Photo by Jocelyn Freid.
Luiza said there are anywhere between 30 and 75 hairstylists available per day, except for Mondays when there are only ten.
There is a choice of a Phase One or Phase Two stylist. I decided to go with Phase One and picked a shampoo set and blow-dry for $10. Phase Two charges five dollars more.
Michelle, otherwise known as Stylist 370, took me to her chair and asked how I would like my hair styled. I replied, “Like I have it now, but clean.” She laughed and said, “No problem.”
Although she couldn’t have been sweeter, I was still skeptical as we walked to the washbowl. Being a bit neurotic, I even suggested she rinse out the sink just in case there was color left from a previous customer. I didn’t want my blonde hair to turn brown!
She gave me two washes, conditioner and a massage that was as good as any salon I’ve been to in Beverly Hills or Hollywood. We went back to her station and she proceeded to blow dry my hair.
Generally I am not patient, but figured that since she is a student, it was going to take forever. Again, I was surprised by her quick speed . Throughout the process she kept asking me if I liked how she was blowing my hair and asked if I needed anything to drink, just like a full-priced salon.
My hair looked fabulous! Michelle personally walked me over to the register. I gave the receptionist, Luiza, ten dollars for the service and gave Michelle a five-dollar tip. Yes, the tip was half the cost of blow-dry, but she deserved it.
Since my hair seemed a bit dry, Michelle suggested that next time I should get a deep conditioning treatment for $15, which includes a blow-dry. As you probably can guess, I signed up on the spot and went the following week.
Paul Mitchell The School is now my new favorite place to get blow-dries, scalp treatments and deep conditioning. I will be honest —I will never completely give up my hairdresser at a very well known salon in Hollywood for cut and color, but I did watch other customers around me getting color and haircuts. I must say that overall they do a fantastic job, and for the price, you can’t go wrong.
Walk-ins are accepted, but it’s best to call for an appointment. Note: That can be tricky because the voicemail is often full. (818) 380-8120. Appointments available Monday –Friday at 9:45. 11 am, 1:30 pm, 3 pm. Additional hours Tuesday – Thursday 5:30 pm and 7 pm. Saturdays 9:45am-5pm. More cost saving prices: Cut and style for $12, includes blow-dry; Shampoo, blow-dry and “up-do,” $30; Shampoo, basic color, blow-dry $35; Shampoo, full weave, blow-dry $35. 15301 Ventura Blvd, Suite P 2 Sherman Oaks Galleria Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Jocelyn Freid is a television creative executive who most recently served as co-executive producer of the Lifetime’s Maneater mini-series. She previously worked as VP of Current Programming and Development at various other studios in Los Angeles.
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