Kala Salon

This was my second appointment with Erica and she was absolutely wonderful! She’s easy to talk to and very patient with my long hair. My hair is so beautifully layered now.
All the support staff in Kala are super nice as well. Highly recommend this place!

Picked this Salon for my first ever keratin straightening treatment because I heard phenomenal things about Brittany. I was apprehensive about it before the appointment but I loved it! Everyone is extremely nice and accommodating. Brittany made the whole experience relaxing and walked me through each step. And obviously, the results were amazing. I got it done back in October and just now getting curls again in January (and hair isn’t frizzy). I’ve never had a consistent salon or stylist before and hadn’t touched my hair ‘professionally’ in years due to bad experiences with salons, but I’m now getting my regular cuts here with Brittany. I’m actually overdue and waiting because it’s on the pricier side but I’m starting to really invest in my hair! Also, a quick FIY: tips here are cash only!

Been going to Alyssa for a while now; she’s the best at cut & color… and I’ve been happy with the outcome every time I leave her chair!
She’s also done amazing airbrush makeup for me in the past as well. A total sweetheart who’s awesome at what she does-​ask for Alyssa!

I was recommended to Erica at Kala Salon by a good friend of mine. She explained how wonderful the salon was, not bougie like some salons can be, and also mentioned how much she adored her stylist Erica. I decided to make an appointment with Erica right away. I can happily say… my friend was right! The salon itself has a cool Chicago loft style, and the staff makes you feel extremely comfortable! Erica took the time to really listen to what I wanted during our consultation and gave me her expert opinion on what our options were as far as my difficult color change. My hair was a deep auburn red and I wanted to go back to my natural medium brown color before my wedding (which was only 2 months away)!! Erica was amazing! She’s friendly and very knowledgable when it comes to hair. She’s easy to talk to and takes her time when making sure the end result is not only up to the clients standards but hers as well. I had to book several appointments with Erica to ensure my hair came out the desired color before my big day. She did not disappoint! I’m so pleased I found such a wonderful stylist!

Always the best haircut, keep going back

YES. Everything yes. I could not recommend this salon higher.
Best salon experience I’ve ever had. Met with Victor for cut and color — he is both incredibly talented and incredibly effective with people.
IF GETTING YOUR HAIR DONE STRESSES YOU OUT, BOOK VICTOR.
First: Beautiful color! I booked highlights but when Victor saw that I wait a while between visits (see below), he recommended balayage because it grows out prettier. And then he did an absolutely beautiful job. (I’ve had balayage before; Victor puts an utterly unfathomable amount of attention and TLC into his.) He cares for and really takes care of you.
Second: «chairside manner.» Not everyone has the same idea of «relaxation» and for some of us, going to the salon isn’t enjoyable because it’s usually an extroverted experience — hours of small talk even though there’s nothing about the service that necessitates it. For us, getting our hair done is usually something we dread, and paying that much money to feel like we’re «working» or even stressed out isn’t enjoyable. Victor is incredibly refreshing in this regard — we chatted a bit, but then he immediately recognized that my idea of «relaxation» included some silence, too, and I was free to really unwind and let my mind wander.
¹⁰⁄₁₀ would Victor again
Also? Sparkling wine, guys.

Got a great cut and balayage by Aneta.

My hair was very damaged walking into the salon. Asif immediately assessed what needed to be done today and moving forward. He kindly taught me exactly how I should be treating my hair (in most salons I typically feel berated with information, but Asif was very genuine and helpful).
I came in for a simple color and cut, but what I got was much more than that. Asif walked me through all of my color options and consulted me on what would look best. He was very knowledgable, which was great since this was my first time coloring my hair. After coloring and cutting my hair, he took the time to blow dry and flat iron. To top it off, it was a lovely space and very cool atmosphere.
My hair now is a complete 360. It looks amazing and I am so excited to take Asif’s tips moving forward.
I will recommend this salon to all of my family and friends.

I really don’t like to rate hair salons/​stylists but this was just awful. I booked a full highlight with a stylist to remain anonymous. I showed her the picture on the left and she said «well that’s balayage.» I said if you have time let’s do it. She said not a problem and proceeded to show me a picture of a recent client. I said great, as long as I’m lighter & brighter/​less yellowy and most importantly I want a lot of dimension throughout. I’m not sure if I just didn’t hear her or if she did not tell me everything, but I did not get balayage and I did not get highlights. Instead she made my roots MUCH darker and basically extended my roots by 3 – 4 inches and then toned the bottom. I was horrified and when I checked out she said «Since we didn’t balayage today, it’s only $X.» WHY DID WE NOT BALAYAGE?!
I came out with much darker hair, absolutely no dimension, and definitely no highlights. I was able to get into another salon almost immediately to semi-​fix it, but will have to go in again in 3 weeks. Had to spend $ 200 at the other salon, so let’s just say this was the worst expensive color I’ve ever gotten. So very disappointed.

My experience with Kala salon was fantastic! Alyssa was so warm and friendly, I felt she really listened to what I wanted and went above and beyond to make sure I got that!
I went there for my first ever balayage try. I told Alyssa I wanted something natural and she did a wonderful job! She also did a wet and dry cut, evened everything out. And – she didn’t take too much off as many stylists do! I haven’t been this happy with a haircut in a few years. Would definitely recommend.

Hala for Kala!
Found this place via Unilocal while I’m on the hunt for a new person to style my hair.
LIKES
1. I love the space. It’s underground. It has a nice vibe between homey and upscale.
2. I love online booking… yes please!
3. I absolutely love Davines products! I did not know they had them.
4. Britney did a pretty good job on my hair. I absolutely loved the color. She was easy to talk to and initially I thought… sweet…I found my girl… alas below is a couple of things I can’t get over.
5. For my first time, she had the assistant give me a free blow dry.
6. They offer coffee, tea, water, & champs.
DISLIKES
1. A blow dry does not come with color??? HUH??? Whhaaa??? They’ll give a ‘rough’ blow dry… but not a full one. I find this very obnoxious. If you want your head fully dry, you’ll have to pay an extra $ 35…unless you get a cut… then it’s included??? And I did have the assistant blow dry, but it wasn’t some fantastic blow dry…
2. full highlight. It ended up costing me $ 160. Yes, I have long hair that is fine and I love it bright blond… but that still seems high for basically a no name salon in River West and not to mention if I wanted a blow out it would be $ 195. Who knows how much it would be with a cut. Eeeeek!
I still am totally shocked that a blow dry doesn’t come with color at the prices they are charging… it’s almost more expensive than my last high end salon in Gold Coast! I cannot get over it. I am going to explore other salons in the hood and see if I can find something that I absolutely love.
Don’t get me wrong, kala was good… I just don’t think it’s for me.

I got a perm from Brittany about four months ago and I’m still LOVING it! She did a wonderful job and I get compliments on my hair now all the time, people are surprised when I tell them it’s a perm and that my hair used to be straight. My hair smelled bad for about four weeks after the initial perm, that was the only downside, but totally worth it for how easy it is to style now and I don’t think my hair was damaged at all from what I can tell. Would highly recommend. Thanks again Brittany!

LOVED my haircut, loved the ambiance of this place. I booked an appointment with Victor after seeing a few Unilocalers recommend him and I couldn’t have been happier. I usually have no idea what I want done with my hair, but I always tell my stylist that I am a low-​maintenance kinda girl (aka I can’t blow dry, curl or even brush it for sh*t) and I give them a ballpark length to go by.
Victor explained everything to me and assured me my new style would be easy to deal with. The process was quick and fun! I do think it’s funny these days that you are handed off to multiple people during the haircut — one person washes, then the stylist cuts, and most times another person dries and styles your hair. I’m not sure that I particularly like that, but I understand why it has to happen to keep things moving in the salon.
All in all, love Kala Salon, love Victor, love everyone that works there that I came in contact with. The rest of Chi-​town seems to agree. I’ll be back!

Just had my first cut with Asif, amazing! I’ve found my place. He is so knowledgeable and really listened to what I wanted. He turned my jumbled description into a beautiful and stylish cut. I have really thick long hair but he made it feel so flowy and light. Gem of a salon!

I had an appointment with Brittany for a digital perm, and let me tell you, that girl is THE best. I’m from NYC and have lived in Chicago for a year and a half now and would schedule appointments with my regular salon every time I flew home. I’m incredibly particular about who cuts my hair, what I want, and what I’m looking for in a stylist. I have an insane amount of hair — take whatever you have on your head, and times it by ten — my ponytail is like a horse’s tail, so when it comes to cutting my hair, it’s a serious workout for a stylist and really time consuming, so I like getting to know who’s cutting my hair, getting to know them, and letting them know my concerns before we get started, because I’ve had some nightmare haircuts before from stylists who didn’t know what they were doing.
Brittany not only brought it, but was so knowledgable in her field (she is the perm/​keratin QUEEN), kind, and made me feel SO comfortable (which most stylists do not do). She listened to my entire shpiel, asked me questions, and then laid it out for me — what kind of hair digital perms are for (they’re actually for people with straight hair), what another perm would do for me, and how a keratin treatment would improve my hair health, shine, and frizz (especially since the warm weather is approaching). This was ALL before we even got started. Brittany took her time on EVERYTHING, stayed late after closing hours to make sure my haircut was perfect after the keratin was done, and was an amazing stylist.
I was looking to cut my hair primping time in half — since I have a lot of hair, it can take me over an hour to do my hair everyday before work. So Brittany suggested the keratin treatment, because it takes all the time I spend blow drying, out of the equation, and I can still curl and style my hair when the keratin loosens up. It hasn’t been 24 hours yet and my entire office has told me how amazing my hair looks. Kala salon was recommended to me by another salon, after I had a consultation with them and scheduled an appointment, they called me a week later to tell me they didn’t feel comfortable performing my perm, but told me to call Kala, because they are the best. And to be honest, they 100% are. I trust Brittany 100% and am SOOO happy I found her. Kala is a little pricey, but if you’re like me, and don’t skimp on your hair, then you’ll find the money for this. And bring extra cash for a tip if you’re booking with Brittany. Because after you meet her, and once you see your hair when she’s done, you’re going to want to give her SOO much more than what you brought. I couldn’t be happier with my hair.

My first time coming to kala salon, very comfortable & very friendly people, needless to say I wasn’t disappointed. I’m very careful in whole I let touch my hair. I didn’t want to end up having my hair burned (have heard a few stories) any who, Alyssa (hairdresser), first off I’d like to say, she has an awesome personality. she did just wonderful! I don’t have enough fingers to count how many compliments I got in just one day. Victor (super adorable) & I believe her name was Erica (she has awesome hair)? Also helped for a bit they were awesome, felt like I was getting the royal treatment; it was great. I will definitely be coming back next time I need something done. they also do waxing now so perhaps I’ll give that a try as well. I highly recommend Alyssa & of course victor & Erica as well.

I missed an appointment because I was stuck in traffic. Next attempt to get a haircut, I had a terrible day at work that ended in me crying. I debated canceling again, but thought that was a jerk move to cancel yet another appointment with little notice. So, I decided to just go through with an awkward appointment, while I looked like a puffy, red mess.
I have to say that Victor and the receptionist that day (didn’t catch her name) were two of the nicest people. Victor does great work on my wavy hair every time.
In our small talk, he went with me being tired that day. and I’m thankful.

I am thrilled to have found this place! Asif, was wonderful.
After having a crappy job done a few months ago. I was extremely nervous to go to a new stylist. I sat down and went over my concerns with Asif. He listened and made some great suggestions.
My layers are beautiful. I finally have that wavy layered cut I’ve been dying to have.

Over the past year, I have been to the salon numerous times and I have never been disappointed. The salon has a chic yet cozy atmosphere. The Davines’ products are amazing and I’ve converted all of my hair products over because they are that good. Lindsey V is a total pro and my hair always turns out great, whether I go in for a color, cut or blowout. She’s the first hairstylist I’ve ever had that I completely trust to do whatever she wants with my hair. I will definitely be back. :)

As the legendary Joan Crawford once said, «I think that the most important thing a woman can have — next to talent, of course — is her hairdresser.» Ladies and gentlemen, you will find that important thing at Kala Salon.
Extraordinary, magical, gifted… these are a few words that describe the incredibly talented Asif Rajan. Asif has worked with celebrity hair and has studied the art of hair in many cities across the globe in order to master his craft. I genuinely look forward to an appointment with him every single time, even if it’s after a dreadful 11 months without getting a haircut, but Asif is cool and never makes you feel bad about your hair choices (more like mistakes). Naturally, I was super excited to hear about Asif’s new venture, Kala Salon, and couldn’t wait to book my appointment!
I first saw Asif more than 4 years ago while he was at Fuga, and was so amazed by not just the haircut, but the entire experience. Asif looked at my hair, addressed all issues I had, and asked me what I wanted. I’ve never met a hairstylist who listens and actually does what you want with your hair, without ever pushing you into doing what’s out of your comfort zone. He knows exactly what length, cut, and color will work for you and your lifestyle, and will recommend quick and easy ways to keep your hair looking fabulous well after your appointment. Your hair will be cut so brilliantly that it continues to look amazing even as it grows, even for months after the cut. I have never left Kala Salon without feeling like a million bucks!
Over the past 4 years, I’ve received several compliments on my hair, and I couldn’t be happier to recommend Asif and Kala Salon. Trust me, go to Kala and you will not be disappointed. Asif is a top-​notch, world-​class stylist who genuinely cares about your vision and surprises you with a beautiful cut/​color every time! HE IS TRULY THE BEST!