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When enterprising hair stylist Valery Joseph was injured during a stint in the Israeli army, the young soldier persuaded his commanding officer to send him to Tel Aviv to learn hair-cutting techniques, rather than being discharged. When he returned to the ranks, Joseph became the female soldiers’ unofficial stylist. Years later, Joseph has achieved near-celebrity status, tending to the tresses of Anna Wintour and Tara Reid with a team of colorists and stylists from his main salon, at Madison Avenue and 79th Street. There, multitasking socialites receive simultaneous blow outs and mani-pedis, while frizz-ravaged women soak up his popular moisturizing Brazilian keratin treatments. Joseph’s second salon location, ten blocks away, also offers hydrating hour-long facials in a small makeshift room. Brow master Rachel Gangemi has her own nook here, where she uses scissors and tweezers to sculpt the arches of a star-studded clientele. But the high-wattage set need never set foot in either of these artfully designed spaces: Joseph’s staff makes house calls seven days a week. — Chanize Thorpe

Joseph’s Hamptons outpost is open during July and August for vacationing clients who want to keep their coifs contained without schlepping back to the city.

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Best of New York Awards

• Best Expert Eyebrow Grooming for Invisible Brows (2008)