Once I first stepped into Chaz Dean’s Hollywood compound I didn’t know what to anticipate. My information of the movie star hair stylist was minimal—I knew him largely from his late-night infomercials. As a author for almost twenty years—a lot of that as a Hollywood occasions editor and purple carpet reporter—I’ve had my share of movie star encounters. Nonetheless, I puzzled what he can be like, and if he actually was an ideal stylist. Driving to Hollywood, I handed his legendary billboards. Dean began his hair care firm Wen in 2000 at his then-salon in Los Angeles, however he didn’t formally launch it to the general public till 2001. As an L.A. native, I really feel like his Wen billboards, which he commonly updates with new pictures of himself, are a part of the distinctive cloth of our sprawling metropolis.
After lacking the flip into the obscure-from-the-outside compound, I discovered road parking and took it, not realizing I might be there for almost all the day. I headed towards the gates off Fountain Avenue and mistakenly walked into his bungalow and noticed Dean—tall, good-looking, wanting in some way youthful than ever—together with three different stylists (eight at the moment work on the L.A. location) and their purchasers, with assistants buzzing round. It was orchestrated chaos, however the kind that you simply’d anticipate from any movie star salon. His three giant Labrador Retrievers lounged close by, ready for a stroll.
I greeted Dean, who was with one other shopper, and rapidly realized I walked by means of the unsuitable facet, bypassing the salon’s entrance desk. He ever so kindly advised me which option to go to test in and get a gown. As I left by means of one other bungalow door and stepped outdoors, it was like strolling out right into a sanctuary.
A Buddha statue stood forward, fountains trickled and bamboo swayed—all positioned deliberately, with Dean’s unmistakable perfectionism. I adopted the serene path to the principle bungalow, a breezy open-air area with a small boutique stocked with Wen merchandise—there are at the moment greater than 800 SKUs. Dean personally develops the scents and important oils for his seasonal traces, all manufactured in L.A. After greeting the receptionist, I returned to Dean’s bungalow, the place his canines stored me firm on the couch. Dean’s infomercial (a brand new one!) performed on the TV above, till it was my flip within the chair.
Dean has a magnetic but peaceable presence—charismatic, but additionally commanding in a busy salon. Lots of his purchasers have been with him for many years. Earlier than I sat down, he talked about that we have been dwell on TikTok (he streams all day) and pointed to a different digicam filming content material. He knew precisely how one can play to the viral age: Folks wish to see who’s in his chair, hear the gossip in fact, and discover out what’s occurring behind the scenes.
I used to be shocked to see Dean himself nonetheless reserving purchasers on Saturdays, back-to-back (he continues taking up new purchasers), chopping and coloring hair lengthy after the rise of his infomercials and QVC stardom twenty years in the past.
We went over my plan—only a root touch-up and gloss—earlier than one in all his assistants led me upstairs for before-and-after pictures. Ring lights and a white backdrop made it clear Dean is meticulous about documenting transformations. His desk held thank-you playing cards, Wen merchandise and pictures (many together with his canines). After taking numerous pictures and movies, Dean blended my customized coloration (stored on file for future visits) and utilized it. He defined that he created his personal line as a result of he believed conventional formulation lifted an excessive amount of from the hair. His similar philosophy impressed Wen: an alternative choice to shampoo, which he’s in opposition to and believes strips pure oils—his cleaning conditioner turned the model’s staple.
Whereas my coloration processed, I relaxed outdoors among the many fountains and crops. Then got here one thing sudden: Dean’s handmade salad and teas. His cucumber mint iced tea is legendary with purchasers, and the salad was one thing I want he would promote. Vegan, Dean prepares teas, soups and salads utilizing herbs and greens from his backyard, full with two home made dressings. He even walked me by means of the dizzying quantity of wholesome elements he makes use of, tucked away within the again kitchen.
As soon as my hair was prepared, one other stylist washed out the gloss, utilized a nourishing Re-Moist remedy hair masks and gave me a soothing rinse earlier than I returned to Dean’s bungalow for a dream blowout. Practically six hours later, I had the total Chaz Dean expertise. All through, I discovered that Dean, who lives close by, is consistently on the transfer—seeing purchasers between his L.A. and NY salons, spending time at his Pennsylvania dwelling (close to the QVC headquarters, the place they movie) and making continuous QVC appearances.
Dean’s vitality and the serene ambiance of his Hollywood area have been contagious. I left not simply wanting my finest however feeling it too. His “compound” felt much less like a salon and extra like an oasis hidden from busy Hollywood streets.
A grasp in each means—from his well-trained canines to his vibrant backyard, from his wholesome dressings to his personalised cuts and colours—Chaz Dean has created greater than a salon. He’s constructed a sanctuary, a life-style and a model that explains why, a long time later, all of us nonetheless know his title, whether or not from TV, TikTok or a towering WeHo billboard.
Haircuts begin at $300, coloration glossing begins at $275, highlights begin at $400 and Re-Moist therapies are $50.
