Follicular euphoria is the main side effect of getting your hair done at Pura Vida Salon. "To me as an artist, a head of hair is a canvass," owner James DeFrange tells the Observer. DeFrange says many clients used to say to him, "I want this, but I don't know how to say it in your terms." That was the birth of the salon's unique consultation process. Before an appointment, each new client sits down with a stylist, who goes over a host of pre-chop/hair painting questions. Our favorite: "In one word, what do you want to hair to look like?" The stylists are meticulous, and it shows in their work. Despite its opulent surroundings (following a move from Knox-Henderson to new location in Uptown last year), Pura Vida is UINO — Uptown in Name Only. Devoid of any pretense, the prices are reasonable, and DeFrange and his team are prone to bursting into song while clutching scissors, as was the case during a recent visit when Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" came on.
Readers' Pick: Vertigo 12 Hair Lounge