25 Years Later, Celebrity Hairstylist Nick Arrojo Is Still Transforming Hair and Shaping Its Future
Celebrity hairstylist Nick Arrojo is one of TV’s most recognizable hair experts.
Twenty-five years ago, a little show called “What Not to Wear” became one of the biggest lifestyle shows of its era. Stylists Stacy London and Clinton Kelly transformed people through fashion and beauty, but the show did something bigger, too: it changed the way we looked at transformations.
Suddenly, trying something new with your look…like changing your hair or retiring that piece of clothing you’d been holding onto forever….wasn’t just about looking different. It was about feeling different. More confident. More empowered. More like yourself. And one man became a huge part of those transformations: Nick Arrojo.
The British-born hairstylist became one of television’s most recognizable hair experts as the resident stylist on the TLC hit. But Arrojo’s career extends far beyond television.
Through his salons, education, products and signature razor-cutting approach, he has helped influence an entire generation of hairstylists. For anyone who grew up watching makeover television, sitting in Arrojo’s chair today comes with a serious dose of nostalgia.
Through his salons, education, products and signature razor-cutting approach, Arrojo has helped influence an entire generation of hairstylists.
Arrojo’s home base has long been New York (lucky New Yorkers!) but lately he and the ARROJO team have been venturing west, bringing masterclasses and select appointments to Los Angeles.
Meaning every once in a while, the L.A. girlies get the chance to experience a chop worthy of his famous razor blade, too. And maybe, eventually, something more permanent.
“I’m not closed to that concept,” Arrojo told me when I asked whether he could see ARROJO establishing a bigger presence in L.A. “That’s why we’re here. Every time we come, we see a little bit more, we get to feel it a little bit more.”
Arrojo is based in New York but ventures to the West Coast with his masterclasses and select appointments.
I also got a little transformation of my own, adding some much-needed color back into my hair with one of his stylists straight from New York…shout-out to Marley! And the ARROJO experience didn’t stop when I left the chair. I’ve been using the brand’s Weightless Color Protect Shampoo and Conditioner at home.
It’s sulfate-free and designed to preserve color without weighing down the hair, and I can personally say my color has stayed vibrant and my hair feels so good after I wash it. You can find the shampoo and the rest of the line at ARROJO.
Plus I also added ARROJO’s new Bond Crème Oil into the mix, which I like to think of as skincare for your hair. It helps strengthen and smooth while adding softness and shine. And after putting my hair through another color transformation, anything that treats my strands with the same kind of care I give my skin is a win for me.
ARROJO’s new Bond Crème Oil helps strengthen and smooth while adding softness and shine.
But while I had Arrojo there, I wanted to pick his brain about much more than my own hair. What does he see after more than three decades in the industry? What do L.A. women want versus New Yorkers? What mistakes are we making with our color? And what happens when the inspiration photo we bring into the salon…isn't even real?
You’ve worked in this industry for decades. What do you see as the biggest difference between what clients want in Los Angeles versus New York?
I think [L.A.] is a more commercial market. It's softer, beachy. New York's a melting pot, a much deeper melting pot, and it's got a raw energy to it. New York is an edgier market.
What’s the biggest mistake you see with hair today?
The biggest mistake now is that they get their pictures from AI and it’s not even real. That is one of the biggest challenges we have today: expectation. And usually expectation with color. People don't recognize or understand how difficult it is once you've changed your hair color. It's much harder to deal with when you want to change it again.
So that really becomes apparent when you go dark and you want to go light. Because now you've got to remove all of that dark pigment and it's not so easy. I think that is one of the biggest mistakes that I see or the biggest misconceptions because you just can't necessarily have what you want.
Undergoing a hair color transformation during my recent appointment with Arrojo in Los Angeles.
How would you tell somebody to set real expectations?
It's about trying to find the person that you think is the most qualified to do your hair. But then it's also kind of realizing that sometimes it's not just a one-shot deal. It needs to be a journey. You know, when you're going to a hairdresser, the goal is you're going to build relationships. When people are looking for a stylist, they really need to focus on trying to build a relationship with somebody. Even if the first time doesn't work out, if it's almost there, and the vibe's good, it may be worthwhile sticking to that journey.
After more than 30 years in this business, what still gets you excited to pick up your tools and work on someone?
What we are doing today, making people feel happy. Trying to match the expectation. And when you get there, there's a sense of accomplishment. Being a hairdresser, you do art for a person. Creative expression for a human being. For me, if I can make somebody feel good about themselves and feel happy, that's the reward.
Waiting in the chair as my color transformation takes place.
Do you ever stop and think about the generation of hairstylists you helped inspire?
I don't really think like that. I'm less in the, you know, pat myself on the back. I'm more of the what do we do? Where are we going? What's next? I'm a business person as much as I am a hairdresser. Hair is my livelihood and all the facets of it: whether it's education, doing the clients, running the business, doing the products. The best thing is I have my hand in a lot of different things and it can be pretty exciting.
What does it mean when someone tells you that watching you inspired them to become a hairstylist?
The best compliment I get, and I still get it to this day, is: “I became a hairdresser because I saw you on TV.” A lot of people over the years, that's my number one kind of “Thank you” moment.
So…are we going to get you to move out here to L.A.?
I don’t know. I’m not closed to that concept. You know, that’s why we’re here.
My finished look!
And perhaps that’s the most fitting snapshot of where Arrojo finds himself 25 years into his namesake brand. People are coming to him for nostalgia. Some grew up watching him transform people on television. Others became hairstylists because of him.
And now, a new generation is walking into his salon with AI-generated inspiration photos on their phones. But while everyone else may be looking back at what Arrojo has already accomplished, he seems far more interested in what comes next.
For more information about Nick Arrojo and ARROJO NYC, visit his website and follow on Instagram: @arrojonyc
[Images courtesy of ARROJO NYC and Patty Castellon]
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Patty Castellon is a two-time Emmy award winning producer who has worked in the entertainment industry for 16 years. After many years of tracking lifestyle trends by some of the most prominent celebrities in the world, she has developed a true passion to connect audiences with the latest news in beauty, fashion, and wellness. Patty is LA based, living with her husband Cesar and their three children. Follow her on Instagram: @pattylynnpix