Men’s Hair Salon KL – Aveda Exclusive Salon – Shoppes at Four Seasons Place
Words & Photos: Han Sen Hau
We were pacing along Peppermint Grove Beach in Western Australia for the perfect sunset shot when I got the hint from Monica.
“Would you be interested in covering a salon?”
Maybe it was the combination of my three-month-old loose curls being whipped about at high speeds by coastal winds that made me look like an underpaid, over-exhausted weather reporter, which solicited this remark opportunity, but boy, was it fortuitous. You see, my hair has the uncanny ability to outgrow any style it was sculpted for within a couple of months of a haircut. While I’m not denying that this is a blessing for a man in his mid-thirties, it also means that without the right stylist tending to it, my allegedly luscious locks can turn from fab to faux pas within weeks.
So, of course, I said yes.
Fast forward one week later back in Malaysia, I find myself at Aveda Exclusive Salon on the third floor in the Shoppes at Four Seasons Place Kuala Lumpur, which might be familiar now for some of you readers following Monica’s most recent review about a month ago. However, like a choose-your-own-adventure novel, you now get to see things from a male character’s perspective as he sets foot into the world of Aveda.
The Consultation
My hair assessment began the second I walked in, just as Samantha, the consultant, seated me at the most private corner of the salon, which was also the most popular choice among customers. Samantha got to work immediately with a scalp scanner on one hand and an Aveda brochure on the other, meticulously extracting information on my haircare habits through a series of questions before using the scanner to reveal my scalp’s health. As she did so, the man who would be in charge of my coiffure, Edwin Wong, also scanned my drooping locks and felt the condition of my strands.
Both were incredibly accommodating and considerate of my hair styling preferences, which I dub “the lazy man routine.” Growing up, I swore off buzz cuts and barbers, not because they were inherently bad, but because it was what my militaristic schooling system mandated for all boys. No surprise then that I enjoyed growing my hair out after I graduated, but that meant I needed a lot of styling products to keep everything up since longer hair would weigh everything down, and if I didn’t put in the work every morning, I’d look like the unflattering thrice-removed cousin of Alexander Wang.
Hence, my affection for a good perm, because I can just run out of bed without doing absolutely anything to my hair, and the resulting bedhead would still look intentional. Yes, my hair’s my prized possession, but I’m also incredibly lazy about it, and Edwin acknowledged this. Edwin could have so easily taken the other route and executed what I thought would have been best for the article, which might have involved a bold new hair colour and highlights since these are Aveda’s strengths. Instead, he listened to my preferences, understood my habits, and decided to elevate my hairstyle by introducing services that made sense to me, a vain and indolent person who couldn’t be bothered to apply wax and hairspray every morning.
The prognosis? A scalp treatment and a texturising service to refresh what my hair has always done best for my face.
The Scalp Treatment
Samantha’s initial scan of my scalp wasn’t just a superficial showcase of “look at how we do things more thoroughly with tech I don’t quite understand here”; it was an explicit exposé of my scalp’s health. Turns out the hair I was so proud of wasn’t as healthy as I thought it was, especially with the buildup of dead skin on my scalp preventing optimal hair growth. By comparing the image of the scan against a visual chart of different scalp conditions, I immediately understood my affliction and became keenly aware of how I should remedy the situation with Samantha’s guidance.
Up until this point, I have never thought of exfoliating my scalp or even applying a masque to it. It was always the same standard routine of shampooing and conditioning, then maybe the occasional masque and serum for the tips of my hair, so the thought of scrubbing my scalp sounded a little extreme to my ears at first, even though it makes perfect sense now. The scalp is just an extension of the face, so why wouldn’t I want to ensure the roots of my hair undergo the same kind of care I give to my face, or why should I assume that my scalp would be too fragile for an exfoliation treatment?
Needless to say, I had a revelatory experience, and there were many lightbulbs flashing in my head, all thanks to Samantha’s crash course on scalp health as she gently massaged my head with an exfoliating brush. A cleansing gel was then applied to my head to wash off the accumulated surface pollution (stealing the verbiage used in an Aveda brochure that tickled me) before a quick rinse and massage to prepare me for the cut.
The Cut and Curl Process
Considering I just had a cut-and-perm three months ago, I was a little concerned about going into another one so soon again, despite my earlier remarks on my crown looking a little flat from the weight of my hair. There were aspects of my hair that I still liked, and I wasn’t sure how introducing a new stylist to the mix this early would affect my disillusionment of looking like Takeshi Kaneshiro circa 2000. In a way, Edwin was working with a pre-existing work of art by another artist, so he had the monumental task of honouring those earlier decisions while introducing his own calculated snips and twists that would ultimately elevate the overall look and ensure that I don’t turn into Bea Arthur in the Golden Girls.
I think some of that nervousness was displayed on my face because Samantha then came over to chat with me as Edwin continued sculpting my hair. As we talked, I learnt that their move to Shoppes at Four Seasons was a tactical one to connect better with their target audience and that the more intimate setting of the new location precipitated their commitment to provide quality treatments, instead of overwhelming themselves with a torrent of customers.
When asked about the greatest challenge in running an Aveda salon, Samantha replied that it was managing customer expectations, which was why she viewed the consultation process as being absolutely critical. Regardless of whether she was dealing with clueless customers or unyielding pundits, Samantha stressed that her main objective was to bridge pre-existing expectations with realistic solutions, which can manifest in subtle yet impactful ways. Sure, getting a drastically different hairstyle in a shade diametrically opposite the colour wheel might sound exciting, but it isn’t the only way to leave the salon feeling better.
As Samantha relayed this to me, I instantly felt at ease and sank deeper into the seat as Edwin took out the curlers for the second phase of the texturising service. Indeed, both of them saw beyond my immediate requirements of featuring as many services as possible for the article and decided instead to treat me as any normal customer would when they entered the salon with their own aspirations, concerns, and insecurities. I felt reassured, and that is high praise because it meant they had my complete trust in caring for my hair as my shoulders drooped and my conscious mind drifted away for the next hour or so.
The Final Look
At the end of my visit, my head was lighter, my curls were tighter, and my hair felt like silk between my fingers. Edwin had not given me a haircut I wouldn’t be able to maintain; he gifted me confidence, and I deeply appreciated this. The treatment was completed with an invigorating Aveda herbal tea, and just as I was doing my final checks by the mirror, Edwin was already analysing how else he could improve my hair’s condition, and Samantha recommended enhancing my dark locks with a Stygian sheen for a future visit.
If you can only remember one thing from this article, then remember this: these people care intensely about how you live with your hair, and they would only recommend treatments and services that would best complement your habits so that you leave feeling even better about your choices. Samantha remembered a passing remark I made at the beginning during her consultation that I’ve not coloured my hair in years and had grown fond of sporting a black crown, and she locked that detail in. Colour me impressed. The already extended duration of my stay was the only reason why they didn’t proceed with this additional treatment, though I could already see the gears spinning in their eyes.
I can’t thank these two individuals enough for taking such good care of my hair, and I am certain that their dedication and professionalism will definitely transcend this single visit.
End note: Products used on my hair came from Aveda’s Scalp Solutions and Botanical Repair range. The treatments applied in this visit were the Aveda Scalp Treatment, Aveda Hair Treatment, an Ion Perm, and I received the International Director Haircut & Styling.
Reasons to visit: a salon that treats men’s needs just as importantly as their female clients; stylists who actually listen; thorough consultation process (that didn’t feel like a job interview); incredibly warm reception; high quality, eco-conscious products by Aveda.
Aveda Exclusive Salon – Men’s Hair Salon Services KL
L3.08 Shoppes at Four Seasons Place Kuala Lumpur
145, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Link to Aveda Exclusive Salon on Google Maps
+6 03 2381 2688
@avedaesthetichairdressing
Aveda Exclusive Salon KL Opening Hours
Monday – Saturday: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sunday: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
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