Celebrity Stylist Opens Bronx Hair Salon

A new hair salon is in town. Hair House, owned by celebrity hair stylist and Bronx native Dana Fiore, recently opened on Middletown Road in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx.  Last week I had the chance to sit in Dana’s chair for a blowout and talk hair, celebrities, and of course- the Bronx.

About Dana

Dana went to beauty school right out of high school in 1999. She will never forget her mom’s response when she told her she wanted to go to school for hair, “You can go, but you have to work in Manhattan. That’s where the money is.” Dana quickly learned how true this was- with many of her clients able to spend upwards of $500 every two months on their haircut and color.

Before she knew it, she was working as an assistant at Louis Licari where there was certainly no shortage of celebrity clientele. “One day, I would be giving model Molly Sims bangs, the next day blowing out Jessica Lange’s hair.”  It was here that she gained a permanent client who she still works with to this day. “I had gotten to know Katie Couric as a client and shampooing led to blowdrying on occasion. In early 2006, she was starting a new position at CBS News and asked if I would join her to get her ready for the show on a daily basis. I have been with her almost every day since.”

Despite her success, Dana remained optimistic about bringing her passion back to the Bronx so that residents in her borough could experience the same quality at a more affordable price point.

“Throughout my 18 years working in the city, I always used to think to myself, ‘Why can’t every woman have access to this level of quality?’ To me, it seemed like only the rich could have it. And I don’t think that’s fair.  Friends would tell me all the time how they wanted to come into Licari for highlights but $400 was too much to spend. And I totally understand that.  Everything is relative. So now, Hair House is bringing high-end, quality haircutting and color to the Bronx. For reasonable, competitive prices.”

What to Expect from Hair House

When asked what would be different about Hair House, Dana exclaimed, “Experience. Years of training with legends such as Louis Licari & Oribe. With stylists and colorists from Japan, France and Italy.” Dana explained that while many salon owners open up shop right after beauty school, working downtown requires hair stylists to work their way up. This gives them the experience that no amount of beauty school can give. And no, she’s not knocking those salons either. It’s all about knowing where to go for particular services. “I specialize in cutting, styling and extensions. In most high-end salons, they have you choose between cutting and color.  Deciding between the two gives you so much more experience in that particular area. For me, I love the finished product. To see the joy on a woman’s face after her hair is freshly cut and blown out makes me so happy. Good hair is a confidence booster. And we all need that every now and then!” 

As of now, we have 2 colorists with a combined experience of over 20 years at top Manhattan salons doing single processes, highlights and balayage.  I’m offering haircuts and blowouts at a fraction of the price I charge on 5th Avenue.

Hair Talk

After learning about Dana’s history and her plans for the new salon, I got the inside scoop on some of her hair care tips and tricks.

Dana’s Tips on Hair Care

1. One of the biggest mistakes women make when maintaining their hair is not properly washing it.  Shampoo is for the scalp. You scrub the scalp, when you rinse it out, the soap runs through the ends and rinses out any product build-up. Excessively scrubbing the ends of your hair with shampoo creates a dryness that could never be repaired with conditioner alone.
2. Along with how to properly wash hair, proper conditioning is important, too. If you have an oily scalp, just put conditioner on your ends. Your natural oils will take care of the hair up top, adding extra conditioner will just weigh it down.
3. Another tip is actually a fact. Hair grows from your scalp. Cutting your hair doesn’t stop it from growing. It is sooo important to trim your hair.  When you trim your hair, you are preventing split ends from moving up the hair shaft and damaging more hair.  Don’t be scared to lose a little length. Healthy hair is better than super long hair that is damaged.

Dana’s Favorite Products

1. After all of these years, I have become a product gypsy! I like a bunch of different ones.  At Hair House, we carry Wella and Sebastian. I love Sebastian’s Trilliance. Its a heat protector that protects the hair from flat or curling iron temperatures. But it also locks in the hold for a great finish.  Another of my all time favorites (which I think they discontinued, so when I find it online I buy them all!) is Graham Webb’s Brit Styling Paste.  It has a great consistency that gives texture to short haircuts but can control pesky fly aways on longer blowouts.
2. The right brush is so important! If you have thick or curly hair, you need a denser bristled brush that can grab the hair and pull it straight. The metal brushes with the little holes in them are ideal for finer hair that needs lift and volume. Because those brushes also act like a roller when they are heated up by the blowdryer.

So how often should you visit for cut, color, and blowouts?

Oh and for my end result?

Love it!

Hair House is located at 3081 Middletown Road. You can visit them on Facebook and Instagram and be sure to use the hashtag #HairHouseBronx.