Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood on West 16th is the place where my hair goes to get rejuvenated.

Before I started going to Zinc about four months ago, my hair was in seriously awful shape. My dye was fading to an unholy ginger, my cut was totally shagged out and I generally appeared disheveled no matter how much I employed my trusty flat iron or styling products.

After a couple hours in Zinc I had a new look, and it was amazing; the color was vibrant, the cut was the precise style I wanted, and not once did I feel The Fear (you know the feeling – the cut is going too short, color is going too bright and you’re trying to gather your wits to scream for it to stop). It was a completely relaxing experience, and I’ve been coming back for more ever since.

These stylists are color and cut artists, not just another group in the trade, and it shows.

Three of Zinc’s aesthetic magicians at work