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Mikey (Level 3)
At Bang Salon, we know that when it comes to your hair, you’re not going to let just anyone touch it — let alone cut or color it! That’s why we take pride in having Washington, D.C.’s A-Team of stylists who are dedicated to providing top-notch service to our diverse clientele. This month, we’re introducing you to Mikey Mosqueira at our U Street salon. He’s been with Bang for two years, and his general philosophy is: “Everybody could use some color!” Read on to learn more about Mikey’s journey of becoming a hairstylist, why he loves working at Bang, and how he unwinds after a long day.
When did you know that you wanted to be a hairstylist?
When I was in private Catholic school, I had to have my hair cut a certain way. It drove me crazy. I always dreaded going to the salon because I wanted long hair. So I started cutting my own hair just to try and have a little bit of self-expression in school. It looked awful, but at least I could make it how I wanted. In high school, I did everything to my hair that I could. It looked different practically every week. I started doing my friends’ hair — which wasn’t the best — and I loved learning about and changing people’s hair. After high school, I was convinced to go to college, but I dropped out after a year. I immediately enrolled in beauty school, and I had never been so sure of something in my life.
What do you enjoy most about working at Bang?
It changes all the time. I find new things that I love about it constantly. Balayaging hair is probably my favorite thing to do. Blow drying a finished color is so satisfying. The part about this job that I never expected to love was how happy I can make people feel. It’s amazing when somebody tells me that I’m the highlight of their day. I love to see how confident they are when they leave. Helping girls express the confidence they’ve truly always had in them through what I love to do is the best.
How would you describe your own personal sense of style?
I usually dress according to how I feel. I like tight clothing and jeans that hug me. I’m obsessed with shoes — I tend to dress around the shoes.
What would you say to someone who’s on the fence about trying a new hair cut or color?
I ease people into color or cuts. Everybody could use some color. It’s all about accentuating what they already have. I can do very low-maintenance color on clients who ask for that, and they usually love it so much that they come back for more.
Outside of the salon, how do you spend your time?
I have a saltwater reef tank at home that’s my pride and joy. I love taking care of it and adding new coral, fish, and invertebrates. My cats and I can sit and watch it all night. Growing coral is exciting and therapeutic for me.
