For Maya Hartleben, the star of Hair Me Out's newest episode, a drastic hair change is more than physical. It represents a significant turning point in life, which is why she decided to trade her long blonde hair for a short copper bob.
Inspired by Netflix's The Queen's Gambit, Hartleben visited Spoke & Weal Salon in New York City, where stylist Akeem Ray and colourist Liz Rhodes chopped and colored her hair to resemble that of Beth's in the hit series.
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"I hope that — with being in a pandemic, sitting at home, being unemployed — having a new look will give me some motivation to put myself out there and try new things," Hartleben says. In the past, Hartleben has tried blunt bangs, extensions, and even teal-coloured hair dye, but this look would be her most drastic transformation yet.
To start, Ray cut his client's hair into a chin-length bob that she would be able to wear straight or wavy. Then, Rhodes dyed her cut a bold ginger shade. "I started by adding richness to her roots so that her hair isn't too light," she explains. Rhodes used the balayage technique to add sun-kissed highlights to Hartleben's hair after applying colour to her roots. "This will make it look like she's a natural ginger," Rhodes says.
After a few glosses, Hartleben's colour was complete, and Ray finished her haircut by adding textured bangs for a "punkish" effect that left her almost unrecognizable. Click play to see her full transformation.