Visit Pilo Arts for Best of the Boro hair color

Pilo Arts Day Spa and Salon – which specializes in hair coloring — was voted the best hair salon in Brooklyn in the recent Best of the Boro competition, and it’s no surprise.

“Color is a passion for us,” said Elena Solitario, one of the owners and founders of the Third Avenue salon. “It’s about adding a dash of excitement to the person’s appearance – you look at hair color the way you look at clothes.”

Every Tuesday, an instructor from hair color company Schwarzkopf Professional comes into the salon and teaches the staff about the latest and best techniques in color. “Coloring is not an exact science; each head of hair is unique,” Solitario explained, adding that the results of coloring have to do with natural hair color and if there is any other color or dye in the hair.

“There are a lot of variables to give the desired results that the client is looking for. It’s a laborious, lengthy process, but the rewards are great,” Solitario said.

As with most things, practice makes perfect. “Out commitment to education has been going on for years. It’s the force that’s always kept us on the cutting edge,” Solitario said.

During the classes, stylists work on mannequins and volunteers. All of Pilo’s 50 employees – which is one of the biggest staffs at a Bay Ridge salon – are not only licensed and certified, they are also graduates of this academy.

“We want new stylists on the floor to have experience before they touch a person,” Solitario said.

To better serve you, Pilo Arts has completely automated databases which not only store client information, but the salon’s financial data, as well.

According to its 2011 Year End Report, Pilo brought in $2.1 million dollars in services, not counting all of its philanthropic efforts. Director of Operations Vicky Galiatsatos, said that the database has over 18,000 clients and Pilo sees about 752 per week. “It’s just so easy for us to make an accurate account,” she said.

Contrary to popular belief, only 20 percent of those clients are from Bay Ridge: the lion’s share comes from the tri-state area, including Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

“It helps the community because once clients are here in the area, they will shop and eat,” Galiatsatos explained. “We drive business to the community.”

Even during these hard economic times, Pilo has continued to grow. It was nominated for the fifth year in a row as a top color salon in the country. Pilo has 24 hairdressers on staff today and plans to hire eight more by the end of the year.

Galiatsatos told this paper how happy she was with the Best of the Boro win. “We didn’t solicit any clients to vote for us,” she said. “It makes us feel proud that our hard work and efforts are being recognized by the community.”

“We make people look good, feel good, increase confidence and add a dash of gioia di vivere – the joy to live,” Solitario added.

Pilo Arts Day Spa and Salon is located at 8412 Third Avenue. For more information, call 718-748-7411 or visit www.PiloArts.com.