Revive Your Roots at Disconnected Salon in North Park

Scrunchies and wet n’ wild candescence might make for fond memories.  But all women eventually undergo a salon appreciation transformation. Once a woman experiences the skill of an upscale salon, there is no going back. The flatiron’s first caress: revolutionary. The stylist’s first razor cut: heavenly.

However, San Diego salons are no longer female-dominated grounds: the summer of 2007 marks the official male invocation to the salon scene.  Disconnected Salon in North Park braids professional salon etiquette with the best of San Diego nightlife. Picturing pastel decor and yuppy attitude? Not even close. The second you enter Disconnected, your assumptions clash against vibrant colors, industrial urbanity, live DJs, atypically hot girls. . . and free beer.  

DiscoverSD.com got a new short striped ‘do, a ballroom dance, and an exclusive interview with the coiffure aficionado at variance: Neil Hughes, rock star stylist and owner of Disconnected Salon. To motivate and usher men into the San Diego salon scene, Neil breaks down trend facades to highlight the core elements of new-age male cuts.

“There is no future in a trend," Neil says. "Seasons end. It’s all about suitability and longevity.”

The consultation begins the second you cross into Disconnected territory. Based on your fashion sense, lifestyle, goals, and limitations, Neil envisions a new look for you. After the initial debut, clients are invited to lounge at the bar, sip a complimentary Peroni beer, and enjoy live DJs spinning eclectic threads from Shiny Toy Guns, Damien Marley, 2Pac, The Sounds, Nelly Furtado, and Panic at the Disco. The view from the bar overlooks the salon entirety, peopled by beyond-hot female stylists in Suicide Girl-inspired fashions and select males sporting avant-garde attire from head to toe.

After you're paired with a stylist at the color bar, an in-depth consultation begins with “On a scale of 1 to 10, how much change are you ready for?”

In this way, Neil enables each client to illustrate their personal vision. Although a client with no limitations is “orgasmic to my ears,” Neil explains and educates suitability: what face shape, hair length, and hair texture and consistency supports each style. With the utmost dedication to top-shelf results, Neil will counter goals and open limitations in the name of edge and dissonance.

Neil's (Hair)Style Guide for Men:

Note: Although women typically blend hairstyles with seasons by lightening up for summer and toning down in winter, female tendencies do not translate to male hairstyles.

What you get:

With a beer in hand and electro-rock and old school hip hop vibes bumping, the salon's personalized twice-over shampoo, scalp and neck massage, and hot towel tea tree treatment is sure to sway you to a new realm of disconnect.

What to avoid:

Says Neil, “Join the texture movement with hair that looks like hair, not permanent helmet-head. Avoid military bushwhacked hair. You can have a clean cut and keep your hair.”

What techniques to try:

“At Disconnected you pay for the hair on your head, not the hair on the ground. Electricity is forbidden, and a razor isn’t for everyone,” Neil says. “I believe in the scissor, specifically point cut. I can take it to the scalp with a scissor; we disconnect from machinery.”

To dye or not to dye:

“Color in moderation. More and more guys are beginning to experiment with color. You don’t have to be metro, you just have to own it. Less is always more. If you buy your jeans at Sears, you’re probably not ready for color. If you shop at Kate Ross, it’s time.”

How to tame:

“Chemical relaxers and flat irons aren’t just for women. Guys with course and curly hair do have options to try new looks. Guys are breaking the mold and sampling new styles.”

How to maintain:

“Your initial goals and limitations will determine your style and maintenance. If you want to roll out of bed, that’s the cut we’ll give you. If you take the time to style, we’ll give you a cut with more maintenance required. I recommend spray wax and shaping cream.”

Although upscale San Diego salons appeared unnecessary during the scrunchie’s reign, women now reinvent their look with the help of uninhibited, fashion-forward salons like Disconnected. The time for the male revolution is now. Put the electric razor down and disengage from assumptions at Disconnected.

Guys, take our word for it. Revive your hairstyle this summer at Disconnected Salon in North Park with the man himself, Neil Hughes.

Photo: Neil Hughes performing the point cut technique on a VIP host at the Ivy Hotel. Photo by James Mendoza, photographer and Disconnected hairstylist.