hairy situations

The $5 Trick From the World’s Most Expensive Hairstylist

Photo: Vincent Hazat/PhotoAlto/Getty Images

Sulfate-free shampoos have hit their stride. The non- or low-sudsy formulas promise a gentler, less drying, and more nourishing (for color-treated hair) shampoo experience. They’re everywhere right now, and with enough positive buzz to last a lifetime, they won’t be leaving anytime soon.

But one problem remains: They still feel weird to use. For example, how can you tell if the shampoo has thoroughly coated your scalp with the absence of suds? And how can you evenly disperse the shampoo when its viscous texture is difficult to spread?

It was at an appointment with one of the world’s most expensive hairstylists, Rossano Ferretti, that a simple solution was unveiled to me. At the New York outpost of his global salon, stylists washed hair using a basic concoction of Ferretti’s sulfate-free (and therefore non-foaming) shampoo and water, which was housed in a water bottle. Ferretti explained to me that the proportion of water to shampoo was five to one.

A simple shake of the bottle blends the shampoo and water together, and using the pointed tip of the bottle, stylists target areas in the scalp to clean and massage. This technique allows an equal distribution of the product throughout the scalp; it also helps waste less shampoo.

Ferretti’s stylists appeared to be using a bottle similar to these $5 condiment bottles. Given the going rate for a cut with Ferretti at his salon is $1,500, you’ll need to look far and wide for another piece of advice from the hair heavyweight that’s kinder to your wallet.

The $5 Trick From the World’s Most Expensive Hairstylist