• Nikki Ferrara at Sally Hershberger Downtown

  425 W. 14th St., nr. Ninth Ave., second fl.; 212-206-8700

  Unnaturally bright hair, whether it’s all-over Run Lola Run red or streaked with fuchsia, was once strictly DIY. But as the look has moved from punk to polished—model Jessica Hart’s ballerina bun recently had hot-pink highlights, for instance—top color pros have begun dealing in Manic Panic. Ferrara, who’s known for being able to make anyone a redhead, is a natural at working with formidable shades, no matter if you want one cerulean strand or neon-orange tips (from $65). “Some people are afraid,” she says. “I just dive right in.”

From the 2012 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine