Best hair salons in LA for splurge-worthy cuts and color

When your old ‘do just isn’t cutting it anymore, make a beeline for the Sally Hershberger salon. The creator of Meg Ryan’s famous shag cut, Hershberger has garnered a serious Tinseltown fan base, which includes Jimmy Fallon, Kristen Stewart and Amanda Seyfried. The queen of coif’s Los Angeles flagship is perched on La Cienega, where she whips up hair magic alongside a talented team of artists, including styling and hair cut extraordinaire Jonathan Colombini (cut and blow dry starting at $185), and colorist Cassondra Kaeding (base color starting at $150). A coveted appointment in Hershberger’s chair will set you back $800, but the results? Priceless.

It’s not hard to find the Andy LeCompte salon in West Hollywood: just look for the paparazzi waiting to snap the next celebrity walking out with a buzzworthy new ’do. An unrivaled collection of works from the likes of Robert Rauschenberg and Marilyn Minter adorns the walls of this sun-drenched minimalist space, home to a team of stylists including founders Andy LeCompte and Leanne Citrone. Madonna, Megan Fox and Nicole Richie are just a smattering of the celebs who have experienced the magic of LeCompte’s scissors (cuts start at $500), while Citrone has earned a reputation for fixing some of the city’s most serious haircut mishaps (cuts start at $275 for women and $100 for men).

In the market for a new ‘do? Johnny Ramirez and Anh Co Tran are your go-to guys. These makeover masters have combined their styling skills under one roof at Ramirez Tran Salon. You’ve already seen their transformative handiwork about town, from Coco Rocha’s majorly cropped locks courtesy of Tran (cuts start at $300), to Ramirez’s trademark highlights, seen on the likes of Miranda Kerr (base color starts at $150; highlights start at $350). What's more? A bevy of hair stylists—all of which you cannot go wrong with—also work at the somewhat hidden Beverly Hills salon.

Any beauty buff in LA has Meche on speed dial. Two of the city’ s most recognizable names in hair styling, Tracey Cunningham and Neil Weisberg, dreamed up this Beverly Hills salon. The duo first crossed paths at Art Luna salon, only to later combine their talents once again at Weisberg’s former namesake Neil George Salon, where Cunningham continued to cut her teeth in the world of color. In the footsteps of Cunningham’s own success as the founder of the former Byron and Tracey salon, the pair came together once again to open Meche, a sleek one-stop shop for all your hair styling needs (base color starting at $140 and highlights starting at $425; cuts with Weisberg start at $300)—not to mention makeup and eyebrow shaping, too. Just ask fans Natalie Portman and Gwyneth Paltrow.

You can’t mention Chris McMillan without including Jennifer Aniston in the same breath. The scissors behind the "Friends" actress' iconic Rachel cut, McMillan has gone on to create a number of other memorable looks for the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker, Anne Hathaway and Michelle Williams. His work has also graced covers of magazines including Vogue, Vanity Fair and Allure. For your own head-turning look, book an appointment with McMillan at his Beverly Hills salon (cuts start at $600).

Get your head on straight at James Kendall’s eponymous two-story salon, a one-stop beauty shop for ladies on the go. Choose from a menu of treatments ranging from full cut and color, to blowouts and makeup applications. Formerly located on Beverly Boulevard, the salon made its Beverly Hills debut with a bang in a sleek industrial-chic space (think: exposed ceilings and red brick walls) and its loyal clientele in tow. Son of old-school glam stylist Joseph Kendall of Joseph Martin salons, James’ hair-perfecting chops are in his genes (haircuts start at $250).

For more than three decades, José Eber has reigned supreme over the Beverly Hills hair scene, taming the tresses of everyone from Farrah Fawcett to Cher. Today, a new generation of Hollywood flocks to his pristine Waldo Fernandez-designed salon on Canon Drive to experience the magic of the hair maestro himself (cuts start at $500, which includes a blow dry with a senior stylist). Color fanatics swear by Rivi Tauber (base color starting at $110) and for the premiere hair extension expert, book an appointment with Mela Murphy (full-head starting at $3500).

Since opening his salon in West Hollywood, Benjamin Mohapi has been a force to be reckoned with in Los Angeles (cuts start at $300). In late 2013, the British-born stylist partnered with renowned colorist Negin Zand (base color starting at $200), formerly of Sally Hershberger, and renamed the salon Benjamin with Negin Zand, and expanding it to 3,000 square feet and 24 chairs. Here, the duo showcase their talents alongside a team of pros and welcome an A-list-heavy roster of clients into the cozy space fashioned after a 17th century salon. Don’t miss the recent debut of the in-house beauty boutique, Selects, featuring hard-to-find and cult beauty faves, including Rodin and Fig + Yarrow.

When it comes to some of the biggest names in Los Angeles hair, both Jonathan Antin and Amanda George make the cut. Star treatment abounds at their tony Jonathan and George Salon. As the star on Bravo’s show "Blow Out," Antin has been a force on the Hollywood hair scene for more than twenty years, styling the strands of everyone from Tobey Maguire to Drew Barrymore (cuts start at $350). Equally experienced, George has earned a reputation for creating some of the city’s most famous blondes and brunettes (base color starts at $125; highlights for half-head start at $300).

Blonde ambitions? Head to color guru Kim Vo’s salon, tucked inside the glamorous Montage Beverly Hills hotel. With a client list that reads like a who’s who of Hollywood’s favorite flaxen beauties, Vo has touched the tresses of Pamela Anderson, Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson with his famous coloring techniques including “hair dusting” (single-process color starting at $125). Fellow celeb stylist Mika Fowler, formerly the style director at Gavert Atelier Salon, boasts a cult following which includes Jena Malone, Rosario Dawson and Malin Akerman, thanks to her signature dry cuts (cuts start at $300).