Beautiful People.(Ellin LaVar)(Interview)

Beautiful People

Dream Weaver Ellin LaVar: Hairstylist By Victoria Kirby

Ellin LaVar has devotees for life -- and death. "A few clients have it in their wills that I'm to style their hair for their funerals," says the New York City-based salon owner. Of course, LaVar understands the importance of hair better than most. After a harsh perm as a child caused all but one inch of her hair to break off -- and made her the target of taunts -- LaVar bought a ponytail extension. "I even dipped it in boiling water and vinegar to strip it of shine so the texture matched my natural hair," she says. "All the kids at school believed it was real." LaVar's knack for inventive hair landed her a spot at a local salon by age 12, where she experimented with weaves and pieces, eventually creating her signature "invisible braiding" process, in which extensions are secured with tiny braids to the natural hair underneath, making the points of attachment virtually undetectable. LaVar credits those teasing kids for her success: "If it weren't for wanting to prove them wrong, I might never have been motivated to do hair."

The Fragrance Guy

Hair Therapy

LaVar has a bachelor's degree in psychology -- and she puts it to good use. "Sometimes I feel like the sober bartender," she says. "Clients sit in my chair and just confess everything" -- including their hair sins. Here, she shares some of her best counsel: SHOP RIGHT "Choose products based on your hair texture, not your ethnicity. I have Caucasian clients with the kinkiest hair, and African-American clients with fine, silky, straight hair. Ignore the packaging and just choose what addresses your hair issue." PROTECT ...