Looking for a Good Hair Day? Meet Sheldon.

by Heidi Craig

The factory-like salons of St-Laurent Boulevard, doling out hipster ‘dos to anyone with a head, can be discouraging to Montreal women in search of a good coupe. Finding a good stylist can be a nightmare--this means someone one who offers suggestions but doesn’t pressure you into weird, avant-garde styles, isn’t too chatty when you are hungover, and can translate your vague “like this woman I once saw on TV” into in actual coif. If you are lucky enough to find one, the high turnover rates in the city’s big salons often mean stylists disappear as soon as you get comfortable with them. What’s a hair-conscious chick to do?

A few years ago, after a few traumatic cuts (it seems my method of choosing a hairdresser based on how cool their first name sounded wasn’t foolproof), I forsook salons altogether. I let my hair grow out. It was long, wild, free… and ratty. After an ill-conceived period of cutting my own hair (with varying results, thank God for headbands), I finally said “Ca suffit!”

It was time to get serious, settle down and fall in love with someone who could treat me right. Lacking a match.com for hairdressers, I asked around and the same name kept coming up again and again…Sheldon, Sheldon, Sheldon.

Sheldon! For years, this Plateau hair wizard has been transforming shabby Plateau/Mile End ragamuffins into well-groomed dream-boats. Sheldon’s is a one-man show. From taking appointments, to washing, cutting, dyeing, and blow drying, Sheldon is the only one you’ll deal with, eliminating the need to tip any rubber-gloved hair washers or broom-pushing sweepers.

Nestled among Avenue des Pins’s vintage clothing and furniture shops, the salon’s unassuming storefront belies the palatial hair fantasia within. Decorated with crystal chandeliers, fresh flowers, silver wallpaper, and lots of stylish gewgaws, patrons sit in a luxurious fur-lined chair while Sheldon works his magic.

Can’t figure out whether to quit your job, get bangs, cheat on your boyfriend or go blonde? Don’t worry, Sheldon will steer you towards the right decision.

Celeb sighting: A disoriented and bedraggled Mary Kate Olsen wandered into Sheldon’s last June. In town to celebrate her 23rd birthday, MK mistook the salon for a vintage clothing store. Recovering from the shock, Sheldon hurried down the block in search of the tiny twin, but she was nowhere to be found. Too bad, had MK stayed she probably would have come out decidedly more kempt. Lucky for those of us who want an appointment, US Weekly is still out of the loop.

Sheldon – 165 avenue des Pins East, corner de Bullion.
To make an appointment, text Sheldon at (514) 808-2959