Best of New York 2009 • Health & Self

• Patrick Melville Salon

  45 Rockefeller Plaza, nr. 51st St., third fl.; 212-218-8650

  The color team here, led by Rick Wellman, eschews the usual foil and baliage (freestyle highlights) for biodegradable cotton pads. Wellman’s pioneering technique, called Bio-Lights, is less aggressive and more flexible than rigid foil, and color can be applied closer to the roots; therefore, the highlights last longer. �Putting color on the roots buys you an extra week or two,� says Melville colorist Jeffrey Pearce. The results are golden, never brassy, and remarkably soft. A head of highlights with a staffer is $226, or $296 with Wellman.

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