Mike Bertish

Mike Bertish owns The Art of Hair in Vancouver, Washington, where he works as the stylist and offers hair and skin services. He has worked as a stylist in Vancouver for more than 34 years, following earlier stints in New York City, Chicago and Seattle. Early on he did bold, colorful mohawks and theatrical looks, and he has long worked with bridal parties. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honors from the University of Illinois and has held a Washington State license as an independent cosmetologist since 1994. He is also a licensed aesthetician with 16 years of experience and a certified cosmetic tattoo artist. His tattoo training covered flesh color blending, scar camouflage, re-pigmentation and needling, taught by a technician with more than 20 years in the field. Further training includes Goldwell hair color and acupressure and reflexology. He is a master hair colorist, and he is known for color correction, fixing color that has gone wrong.

He works with curly, ultra fine and thick hair and uses sculptural cutting techniques. Clients receive coaching on styling so they can maintain a cut at home. He prefers clip-in or clamped-in extensions because they protect natural hair, and for clients who want those results he favors the Rusk Anti-Curl treatment or thermal straightening. Wedding and bridal updos are part of his work, as is makeup artistry, and he handles bridal appointments personally. Foil caps for highlights have not been used by him in more than 15 years. He also accepts inquiries for fine art commissions, including portraiture, reproductions and original works, with consultation available.