Need to Know: NYFW Hairstylist Chad Wood

Chad Wood lives his life by a "yes" philosophy. Formerly from Utah, the Herculean-looking blonde--who stands at six-foot-eight with locks that billow down past his shoulders--finished his education at Paul Mitchell school and then never said no to a gig. "Any time I have ever been approached to do a job, before I even knew the rate or who it was, I would say yes," Wood says. "Many times it was [unpaid] work, but having that go-to attitude helped me so much. When you're starting out it's important to put yourself out there in any way."

Since then, Wood, who's been in the business for six years, has amassed a rolodex of celebrity and non-celebrity clients (not to mention more than 40,000 Instagram followers, who surely appreciate the dreamboat traits that accompany Wood's professional rep). Some of the famous folks who sit in Wood's chair include Jamie King, Shay Mitchell, Ashley Benson, Ian McKellan, and Wood's hero, Jennifer Coolidge. "I watched all her movies growing up, and I said that one day I would meet her and mimic her voice," Wood says. "Then I finally did and she was so surprised and we were laughing so hard. It is always hard for me to get through doing Jennifer's hair because she's always making me laugh."

Though he's based in Los Angeles, Wood always treks to New York for Fashion Week, and according to him, it's always a grueling, yet thrilling, process. "I usually start my day super early during Fashion Week," Wood says. "You can only do so many people because they're all going to the same shows. I usually start with E! News correspondent Catt Sadler, then run to another client and just go from there. I never stop going from one hotel to the next, and sometimes I'm touching up in cars. It's a sweaty day of crazy. But I love it and it's so worth it."

Here, Wood shares his four essentials to keep a long mane under control.

OUAI Texture Hair Spray
"This is a really hot product right now. It was just released. It gives your hair an amazing finish, whether you're aiming for a polished look or day-old, casual vibe." (4.5 fl. oz.; $26; TheOuai.com)

Oribe Dry Texturizer
"For long men's hair I love the lived-in look, and dirty hair is always great for guys, but you want to stay fresh and have the look without the smell. This texturizer is great for that--and for short hair, too." (8.5 fl. oz.; $44; Oribe.com)

Death Valley Dry Shampoo by R+Co
"This is great for making your hair look and smell clean without making it white like other dry shampoos." (6.3 fl. oz.; $29; RandCo.com.)

Huile Secret De Beaute by Leonor Greyl
"In addition to giving you a clean and chic look, this product protects your hair from the sun, and unlike its imitators, it actually hydrates." (3 fl. oz.; $20; LeonorGreyl-USA.com)

Learn more about Chad Wood on his website, ChadWoodHair.com. Follow him on Instagram at @chadwoodhair.

Follow photographer Dusty St. Amand on Instagram @dusterzdeux.