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Chris Appleton Talks Celebrity Hair & The Journey To Prove Himself

This article is more than 4 years old.

It’s hard not to feel self-conscious sitting in front of hair stylist Chris Appleton, especially once you know he’s the go-to guy for the most powerful women in entertainment, from Jennifer Lopez to Kim Kardashian. The British-born Appleton has seemed to skyrocket into the stratosphere in such a short-time with many on social media considering him this generation’s equivalent of Vidal Sassoon or Jay Sebring.

It’s something even Appleton himself finds funny, explaining how during a Christmas vacation to Australia he was surprised how many people knew him and came up to him. “You forget that it’s real people who are looking and seeing [social media],” he says, and though he works with the creme of the Hollywood crop he sees them as just friend. While his Instagram boasts over 1.1 million followers he nurtures a chronic desire to learn, to hone what he calls a “craft,” and prove himself to naysayers who believe he’s had it easy.

Appleton’s had a “funny journey” as he describes it though many haven’t seen it. He had a “fascination with hair” starting around the age of eight when he started to style his mother’s hair. He enjoyed getting artistic, making different shapes, and, more importantly, creating an alter ego for someone through their hair. “She [his mom] would respond to whatever the style was...her shoulders would go back a little bit more and I think, for a minute, she saw herself as a different person.” It was this ability to help someone feel like they possessed added confidence or change their day that made Appleton feel he was doing more than giving someone a haircut.

This ability to change someone’s outlook took on added resonance for the stylist when he started working with cancer patients. “It was almost like emotional medicine,” Appleton explains as he describes how women who he originally met as “strong and confident” felt utterly demoralized at the prospect of losing their hair. Because wigs during this time looked “wiggy” and artificial, Appleton become determined to help the women believe they hadn’t lost anything, removing the emptiness in their eyes and helping them regain the confidence they’d lost, if only for a moment.

At the age of 13, Appleton got his first job in a salon and even though that sounds like a remarkable achievement for a child at a young age, he says many of his friends and family treated his ambitions as little more than a whim. His parents were supportive but in comparison to his brother, who played professional English football, Appleton was perceived as an “underdog” by comparison. As he grew to establish himself there was always a desire to tear him down, particularly on social media. Appleton says he’s heard all the excuses to explain his success, whether that’s because he’s British or because he’s good-looking, but “I’m my own worst critic,” he says and, in all honesty, doing hair puts the burden of proof on him. It’s why he strives to bring perfection to hairstyles of all types. When he got his first celebrity client, musician Rita Ora, he was tasked with doing braids on her hair for a magazine spread. Afraid he’d lost the job before it began, Appleton found himself in Harlem asking to be taught how to do it himself.

Outside of learning about technique, Appleton also had to learn how to assert himself. When he finally took the plunge and moved to Los Angeles he felt America was “too big.” He was thankful to get a job doing Christina Aguilera’s hair on The Voice, but had to urge himself to take risks. Aguilera was initially resistant to trying on a wig and, for a moment, the hair stylist was going to go with the flow. “I thought, ‘you haven’t come all this way from England’” to be safe. It paid off and eventually led him to getting a call from Jennifer Lopez herself. The actress, singer, and producer had been following his career via Instagram and it was after a series of failed get-togethers that the two finally connected for Lopez’s “I Ain’t Your Mama” music video. If anything, Appleton was more worried about what to call her during their initial conversation than anything regarding her hair! “Do I call her Jen? J.Lo? Jenny From the Block?”

Appleton says he and Lopez have a good vibe that’s transitioned into him becoming her personal stylist. He explains that oftentimes the two will discuss themes or put together Pintrest boards of specific looks. It’s a relationship that’s both fun but established in mutual respect for the other’s hard work. When asked how he feels about Lopez being snubbed at the Oscars this year, he’s deferential. “She’s so talented [and] such a hard worker,” he says, and he believes the support she’s received is the most important thing. He also doesn’t want to give too many details on what fans can expect from her upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance, confidently stating he expects to see “a lot of hair.” Considering he worked with Lopez on her look when she revived her legendary Versace dress at Milan Fashion Week last year, he’s proven that we should expect the unexpected.

With his professional outlook rising Appleton always wants to increase his brand visibility in 2020. His goal is to showcase more of his journey, giving people a behind-the-scenes look at how they can both get to where he is but also emulate their favorite stars. He’d also love to dispel old notions about his job. “You don’t do hair; you don’t play with hair. It really is a craft and an artform.” When he was just starting out he received a note from legendary hairstylist, Vidal Sassoon congratulating him and encouraging him. A passing of the torch, perhaps?

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