A Final Word from Nick

After more than twenty-five years in the hairdressing industry as a stylist, mentor, and educator, I am truly amazed by and still in awe of the power we have with our craft. All of us at Arrojo Studio receive many letters of thanks for the positive impact of the haircuts and colors we’ve created. These hairstyles change the way people look and feel, and because of that, they change people’s lives as well.

“Look great, feel fabulous" is the tagline I use to encourage all people to change, to try something new and reinvigorating. My hope—and the inspiration for writing Great Hair in the first place—is that this book will encourage you to love your hair as something you have been blessed with, something you can constantly change, and something you can have a lot of fun with—whether getting a new cut, a new color, styling your hair from day to day, or styling your hair for a special occasion.

My technique is to work with the hair rather than against it. My motivation is to empower all clients (and stylists, too!) with knowledge. My purpose is to inspire a fresh perspective of newness and vitality, but also impart realism about what each person’s hair can achieve. Throughout this book I never tried to create the impossible and unrealistic but, rather, worked with the hair, the features, the physique, and the personality to get the right look for each individual. Look your best, not somebody else’s best. That’s the easiest approach for a successful hairstyle. It’s the way I tackle every single haircut and it’s the way—whether you are thinking about a cut, a color, or your day-to-day styling—you should approach your hair, too.

If I were to see the clients in this book again in five years’ time, with a different perspective and a different sense of fashion and style, I am convinced most of the hair styles would be different. And this is key for all the readers of my book: Times change, so learn to adapt for a fresh and modern style.

I’ve also learned from this wonderful experience. While working on the makeover and style guide sections, we revamped so many different women, all for the better. We made so many people happy. Not just with the way that they looked, but with the way they felt as well. The overriding excitement of change was a fantastic firsthand experience. The opportunity to see spirits lifted, the sharing of that moment when our models realized how beautiful they really are. Husbands and fathers seeing their loved ones feel this excitement, this joy of beauty. It drives home how important hair is to us all.

All of our models are real people, and many traveled from far and wide to experience a new style. Some changes were dramatic; some were subtle. But for all, as I always say, it’s not what’s come off, it’s what’s kept on. For those who lost more than ten inches of hair, we sent the trimmed-off tresses to Locks of Love. Such a great cause and a fantastic benefit to the experience of change that these women felt.

See a visit to your stylist as a chance to be pampered and cared for. It’s a time to relax and smile, to be completely refreshed. I encourage you all to seek out someone you trust, believe in, and can enjoy. A great style makes you look and feel youthful and beautiful. Please keep an open mind and don’t close the door or give up if you cannot immediately find your special stylist. I know from my work up and down the country that there are lots of great hairdressers, and if you remain open to change and commit to finding the right one for you, then a great style will never be far away.

As long as I’m working, I will continue to teach, encourage, and mentor other hairdressers to raise standards in the craft that I love. This book, though, is meant to educate you, the client who sits in our chair. It gives you a greater sense of power, understanding, and knowledge about your own hair. But don’t be surprised if you see this book on the table of your local salon’s reception area, because I’m sure that stylists, young and old, will enjoy this book as well. They may even be able to use it to help get a better understanding of their clients, to show them some new hairstyles they may like, and to talk through styling techniques that they can use at home each day.

Now that you have all of my knowledge, use it to understand and care for your own unique hair. Use it to find some styles you love and want to wear. Use it to discover your own great stylist. Use it to enjoy successful styling at home each and every day. Use it to get great hair color that brightens up your best features. Use it to turn problem hair into perfect hair. Use it to style your ethnic hair. Use it to give you that Wow! factor on any kind of special day. More than anything, use it as the inspiration to help you enjoy changing your looks and keep your perspective about hair and style fresh.

Finally, the most joy that this book gave me was seeing many of the models coming back into my salon a few months after the photo shoot to see another stylist and get a new, different look. Or, for those who lived farther away, the letters of thanks that let me know how special they felt and how the experience had taught them always to keep their hair current and contemporary. These women experienced beautiful newness in all its sprightly and youthful glory. It inspired them to keep changing, to keep trying fun new looks, and to use hair as an accessory to their own personal style—an accessory that can change, inspire, and revitalize. That brought unbridled joy to me because that’s exactly the approach that will keep them—and you—looking great and feeling fabulous. To have any part in inspiring those thoughts is an honor and a privilege.

Look through the pictures of me in this book and you’ll see that my hair changes, too! I don’t want to keep the same style forever, nor should you. Change is good.