Los Angeles is a city known for its high beauty standards, and one key part of the beauty routine is one’s hair upkeep. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 25,000 hairstylists in the state of California alone, so it can be challenging to find a hairstylist to trust with your hair — but, this particular hairstylist loves helping others feel beautiful. Introducing Jason Hermiz.

Jason Hermiz
Jason Hermiz Jason Hermiz

After spending the early days of his career completing apprenticeships in New York City, Detroit, Chicago and Toronto, Hermiz made the move to sunny Los Angeles, where he is now a lead stylist at Martinez-Samuel Salon in West Hollywood with more than 17 years of overall experience in the industry under his belt. He now boasts a lucrative clientele list of celebrities and entertainers, but he remains as grounded and driven as ever. We sat down with Hermiz to get to know him better.

When and how did you get into doing hair?

In my early 20’s, I knew I needed to figure out my career path. I was struggling and had no money. But when I used to go to the hair salon, I realized how much I loved the vibe and energy. So I approached a stylist that I looked up to and he let me do an apprenticeship with him. I really enjoyed it. I did four years of apprenticeship, going to people’s homes, experimenting, and really finetuning my craft.

What is your specialty/strength?

My specialty is Balayage and highlights for blondes and brunettes and then I also do men’s haircuts with a really great scissor-over-comb technique. I do women’s haircuts as well!

What do you love most about what you do?

I love everything about my work, but I especially love how creative I get to be. I can honestly say it’s my passion. I never go to work and feel like, ‘ugh I have to work today,’ because it’s such a passion of mine and I love to see my clients.

What kind of haircuts are popular right now?

I’m seeing a lot more gravitate toward bigger, fuller curls to get that 90s era blowout look. A lot are also doing curtain bangs, which is a fun and easy way to frame the face and add some texture. And then for those who are a little more adventurous, I’ve even seen a few versions of a chic take on the shag haircut.

Being in the industry as long as you have, what are some of your goals? What are you hoping to achieve next in your career?

Some of my goals are to expand my clientele and business. Ultimately, I do want to have my own salon, but I’m not just motivated by having my name on the wall. Instead, I want to create a space for clients to come and relax where there’s not a pretentious feel or ego. Right now, I have a great thing going with the salon I currently work at, but someday down the line, my own salon would be a dream.

What is one hair tip that you live by?

A lot of people don’t know this, especially men but it’s not good to shampoo your hair every day. It’s good to have a little bit of build-up because it will give you that next-day look. So, I tell a lot of my male clients to shampoo their hair every other day and even if they get it wet, they don’t need to shampoo it.