Ashraf, the owner of Le Salon, insists that she puts more thought into the products she uses than most hair stylists. Everything is organic, from the shampoos to the dyes. Ashraf told Manhattan Sideways team member Jon that she does this very deliberately. In an age when everyone is constantly using chemicals in their hair, she believes that it is causing harm, killing hair and hurting everyone’s general health. In order to fight against this trend, “organic is the way to go with both your health and the environment, ” Ashraf said. Ashraf has been a hairstylist for over forty years, working in almost every facet of the hairstyling industry. She emigrated to the United States from Iran in the 1970s, eventually landing in Henri Bendel’s hair salon. After working as a stylist for several years, she was hired by Bendel to travel the world, designing, managing, and running several hair salons. After learning as much as she possibly could, she made the decision in 1990 to come back to Manhattan and open up her own salon on 57th Street, which she later sold. Throughout this journey, Ashraf realized the importance of organic products, taking note to use them exclusively in her next salon. She opened Le Salon in 2007, catering towards people with health issues including alopecia, severe allergies and cancer. She believes that using gentle and organic products on their hair is the best treatment for these clients. Ashraf maintains that her products, all purchased exclusively from England, are of the highest quality.
