Steel + Lacquer Los Angeles

Steel + Lacquer is a salon company run by co-owners Jarrod Ryan and Lena Garcia, who say they have worked side by side for 18 years. The company's own Instagram shows the salon being built in December 2016. It operates in San Francisco and in West Hollywood.

The salon says its mission goes beyond hair, aiming to build lasting relationships and a sense of belonging. Its stated core values are passion, being genuine, encouragement, connection and growth. The salon describes itself as high-end and luxurious, with a casual, inviting feel.

Visits begin with the client's own hair, any reference photos, their current routine and how they want to wear it. The salon does not offer a signature look and does not expect clients to arrive with a fixed idea. New guests can request a virtual consultation with no obligation, after which the Guest Service Expert team contacts them to schedule.

The salon services range from brow and lip care to custom cuts, dimensional color, bleach, extensions, perms and keratin.

The salon says its service providers receive extensive training on-site and at training academies. Team members move up levels under a Level Pricing and Compensation System, based on demand for their time and on customer service standards. The salon also states that it partners with Greencircle Salons to recycle and divert up to 95% of its waste, and reports diverting 1,008.5 lbs of total waste in 2023.

The salon starts from each client's own hair, routine and goals rather than a set look, and leans on open-ended appointments.

The salon describes its setting as high-end but casual and inviting.