• Salon Ishi

  70 East 55th Street, 212-888-4744

  You rarely hear the words “it changed my life’’ after a salon visit, but it’s a phrase regularly used by women who get Japanese thermal reconditioning, the permanent straightening treatment. Unfortunately, it can be hard on hair, so it’s key to go to the experts. At Ishi, they test your hair to make sure it can withstand the chemicals, then give you a conditioning regimen. Plus, they have express service, which cuts the five-hour visit in half. It is costly—$500 to $1,000 for regular service—but when you emerge from the ocean this summer and your hair dries pin-straight in the breeze, you’ll think it’s worth every penny.

From the 2003 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine