Spanish hair stylist Michel Pineda has built a 25-year career styling Hollywood star Salma Hayek and top Spanish celebrities after starting out braiding Barbie dolls as a child in Cartagena.
Pineda's journey has taken him from washing hair for 40,000 pesetas a month in a local salon to training professional stylists across Spain and Portugal and running high-profile salon sessions in Madrid.
Early career in Cartagena
Growing up in Cartagena, a naval port city in Murcia in southeastern Spain, Pineda spent his childhood styling his sisters' Barbie dolls and experimenting on toy ponies while his sisters played.
His mother, grandmother, sisters, and cousin served as his first practice clients. Accompanying his mother to local Cartagena hair salons, he became fascinated not just by hairdressing, but by the atmosphere, personal confidences, jokes, and how clients left feeling transformed.
When he was 16 years old, his aunt Marily pointed out that his childhood hobby was a genuine vocational calling. He enrolled in a professional hairdressing course, becoming the only male student in a class of 45 women.
Recognized for his speed, independence, and rebellious nature, he faced skepticism from several teachers. Because teacher recommendations were crucial for job openings in a small city, Pineda chose to ignore low expectations and focus on developing his technique.
First job and seven days of teaching
In 2001, Pineda landed his first salon job in Cartagena as a shampoo assistant, earning 40,000 pesetas, equivalent to about 240 euros, per month for 30 hours of work per week. He spent his mornings studying and his afternoons and Saturdays washing hair, sweeping floors, and preparing clients.
Over three years, he learned highlighting, trimming, and styling techniques, earning a full-time contract that quadrupled his original salary by 2004.
At age 20, he was invited to an interview by the owner of Pivot Point, an international hairdressing education chain. Expecting a salon position, Pineda was asked to teach students who were mostly older than him. On his first day, his employer introduced him to the class, announced he was going out for a coffee, and walked out.
The academy owner did not return for a week, forcing Pineda to learn how to manage the academy on his own during those seven days. He ended up staying for three years, teaching students across various skill levels. To learn men's haircutting techniques, he took a summer job at a barbershop after claiming during the interview that he already knew how to cut men's hair, mastering the craft after a few initial mishaps.
Moving to Madrid after the pandemic
Pineda spent years offering home hairdressing services across Cartagena, carrying his tools in a heavy duffel bag. He styled over 100 brides for their weddings, with some hiring him again for second marriages. Pineda noted that while some of his clients had changed husbands over the years, they had never changed hairdressers.
He opened his own salon in Cartagena, which prospered with clients, but he closed it early after realizing he lacked the business management skills required to run an enterprise at a young age.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced salons to close and suspended training courses across Spain. Pineda set up a temporary studio in a room of his apartment in San Pedro del Pinatar, equipped with a vanity, trolley, and backwash basin. Seeking a new challenge after nearly 20 years in his region, he packed his belongings into a Cartagena storage unit and moved to Madrid with only what fitted into a single room.
In Madrid, Spain's capital city, he went from a recognized local figure to an unknown stylist among thousands. He shared an apartment, worked long shifts, earned less than his experience warranted, and questioned whether he had made a major mistake.
Styling Hollywood stars and royalty
His breakthrough came after joining Isamar Studio in Madrid. As the salon expanded, high-profile clients, fashion journalists, digital influencers, and public figures began booking appointments with him.
Spanish actress Kira Miró became a frequent client, alongside singer Soraya and Venezuelan model Ninoska, the former partner of Real Madrid football star Vinicius Jr. When fans turned up at the salon offering money for Ninoska's personal phone number, Pineda refused, stating that he would not give out anyone's contact details.
Pineda also spent years maintaining the signature blonde hair of legendary Spanish film star Marisa Paredes, known for her roles in Pedro Almodóvar films. He described Paredes as an excellent woman of exquisite manners. Following her death, Pineda declined to share private anecdotes with reporters, explaining that certain clients deserved total privacy.
Salma Hayek and current work
Pineda also styled Mexican-American actress Salma Hayek while she was filming a project in Madrid. Expecting a demanding Hollywood star, Pineda recalled finding a warm, family-oriented, and remarkably down-to-earth woman. Hayek arrived without an entourage or impossible demands, trusted his expertise, and praised his work after looking in the mirror, saying it was perfect, beautiful, and that she loved it.
Pineda emphasizes that hairdressing works best when personal fame steps aside for client care, whether working with a local resident or an Oscar-nominated movie star. He combines technical knowledge of hair health, trichology, and hair coloring with conversation, humor, and trust.
Today, Pineda continues to travel across Spain and Portugal training other hair professionals while remaining a student of his craft. He still regularly returns to Cartagena to style the loyal clients who first knew him when he carried his tools in a duffel bag, noting that while his clients now include screen stars with academy awards, his approach remains unchanged.
