Fresh Hair

Aisha is a wonderful person and great at her job! The service is exceptional and I always leave happy.

I went to get a perm for my hair. At first I knew my hair was pretty damaged from bleached/​dyed. The stylist I had was nice to me. I kinda felt she was in a rush or had too many things on her plate, dealing with two or three customers at same time. However, I’m not that type of customer that like to whine or be butt-​hurt for small things but when it comes to huge money spending, I have my reasons. Anyway, so I was there for a perm. She washed my hair to clean all of whatever chemicals that were in my damaged hair and combed my hair. She was combing and struggling with the tangles. She already felt tired from combing. In my mind, I was thinking if I should continue the perm or stop since she kept telling me that it was too damaged. I was hoping that she would suggest I shouldn’t continue because she knows more about hair and what would happen. So then she asked how curly I wanted, I told her that I wanted curls that were not too tight or too loose but enough to show the curls. So she suggested the medium curls that would give natural curls. Then she gave me an estimate of how much it would be all together as $ 130 for perm (my hair was long) and haircut was $ 50 … $ 50 for a haircut !!! I felt like it was a bit too much… So then she was gonna cut few inches to remove some damages. I lost a huge chunks of hair… I wasn’t expecting her to cut that much and I have waited months for my hair to grow that long. So I knew something wasn’t right and then she continued and then rolled with curlers to perm. After perming she rinsed everything out and wash. Then she took me over to another spot to dry my hair, my hair felt heavier than before and it looked like I had dreads she told me that I wouldn’t see much curls on damaged parts but some on my natural hair (near the roots). Once I got home, it was still wet and heavy. I didn’t see any curl !!! My hair were like hays and I’m sure horses would be so excited seeing my hair since it looked like their foods !! I was so disappointed and not satisfied since now my hair is so short and no curls at all … But just hay-​feeling and stinky smell …
I do regret paying the Salon $ 180. I could’ve use that money buy some jeans for my trip … Now it seems like I will have to cut my hair even shorter to remove the perms/​damaged parts. Would I go there again? No … Not even a thought …
Sorry …
I doubt I get my refund …

This is the same review that I sent then in an email. I’m including it here because I am not sure how often they post the negative reviews on their actual site.
I visit Fresh Hair for a short, tapered cut that I have gotten before by the same stylist (Amari). The cut came out nice. From this appointment and from others I have noticed that stylist is rough with my natural hair and I have to brush/​detangle it myself. I was fine with doing this only because she was ripping and pulling; rather than beginning at the ends and working her way up she started at the root which is something that should not be done with my texture. The stylist also complained that I had product in my hair that was greasy and was getting on her hands and tools. Honestly, do you expect me to come to the salon with nothing at all in my hair? It seemed to me that she was becoming a bit exacerbated due to my texture as well as the product residue. Even she admitted that she probably should have washed it first.
I love the way that this stylist styles my hair when it comes to flat ironing, but the way that she handles it in its natural state makes me what to explore other salons. Also, it would not hurt for the salon to actually use products that are made for other hair textures on the clients that need them rather than simply putting them on display in the window.

I’ve never been in the actual salon but Amari the stylist who works out of this salon is really who this review is for. She does hair on the side out of her house and she has the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced. From changing up her prices last min, not being responsive, canceling appointments last min, and not following up. She left me in a bad situation expecting to get my hair done and pretty just didn’t care. I’d never recommend her or her service to anyone. Very unprofessional… extremely disappointed!

I hardly ever use Unilocal but really think this deserves an update! I went in again after my not-​ideal experience back in December, but because I really wanted to love the place last time and liked so much about it, I decided to try it again. The owner personally reached out after my last experience and was apologetic and invited me to come back, which I really, really appreciated.
I went in for a haircut with Margarita today and she was so, so lovely and i LOVE my hair. She taught me so much about my hair, walked me through what she was doing, discussed length and layers and shaping with me and let me know everything before she did it, and gave me tips on how to keep my really long & fine hair from tangling up so badly. :) She had a lot of great advice and was very warm and friendly! I will definitely be coming back and booking with her.
Also, everything positive I said last time still stands — very clean, inviting atmosphere, friendly receptionist, kid-​friendly, etc, etc.

Fresh Hair has been doing right by me for about five years. Now with Kelly, and before with Shauron, I get a cut and color that lasts a long time and gets compliments. And they’re a really nice and thoughtful bunch.

I’ve been getting my hair cut and colored here for 15 years. I LOVE the haircuts, the color is superb, and the ambience is lovely. They support local artists and causes as well. The spray tans are great too!

I got an awesome cut and color from Kelly. I came in with a shoulder length, asymmetrical bob and an undercut on the right side. I asked for it to be cut chin length, keeping the asymmetry and making it even more dramatic. I also asked for a deep red color with violet undertones, which was what I had already, except slightly faded and with lots of root growth. The cut and color both came out fantastic, though the color is darker than I expected. I love dramatic changes, so I wasn’t too bothered, but I could see someone else being upset by this. The other reasons I am only giving 4 stars are because the price was a tad higher than I expected, I was left under the dryer a little too long (the dryer shut off automatically several minutes before Kelly came back to rinse the dye out), and for the price I paid I really appreciate things like being offered water, coffee, or tea (and for an 8:15am hair appointment, I could have really used it!)

This review is for Todd Warfield, who did a superb job on my mother’s hair the day of my wedding. He is timely, pleasant, professional and flexible. My mother changed her mind about her hairstyle at the last minute. Todd didn’t even seem annoyed. He just took it in stride and re-​styled her hair in a manner that she loved and so did everyone else! I am so grateful for his talent on my special day.

Such a terrible experience. I have very short hair and went in for a trim. A lady took me saying she had time to squeeze me in. She started to take me to the sink and I reiterated that all I wanted was a quick trim. She told me she had to wash my hair or my product might ruin her scissors but not to worry, the wash was included with the trim. After she cut my hair, she started to blow dry it. I again told her I wasn’t looking to have my hair dried, and she said she had to to make sure she didn’t miss any spots but again, it was included. I then asked how much this trim would be and she told me 45 dollars! I suppose I should have checked before hand, but I never thought a trim would be that much. I paid 45 dollars and was in and out in less than 20 minutes. And she didn’t really listen to what I wanted and I hate how it came out. I wouldn’t suggest this place to anyone. Go to Miss Laura’s down the street.

I recently got my hair cut by Joy, the owner of the salon, and it was a fantastic experience. I have long, curly, frizzy hair, and Joy talked me through the entire hair care process: from shampooing to combing to styling. That may sound simple, but if you have curly, frizzy hair like me, you know that proper care technique and products makes a BIG difference.
Joy was very attentive. She started my session by asking me about what I wanted for the cut, what my usual hair care routine was like, what sorts of products I use, etc. Her approach is very thorough and holistic. She is very easygoing and kind. She also took into account how I normally style my hair (air dry), and showed me how to improve my normal process. That was a nice change from my usual experience at salons, where the stylists will simply blow out my hair and curl it with a hot iron, so it looks nice but NOTHING like how I wear it day to day. Plus, the whole session took less than an hour.
I definitely recommend requesting Joy, especially if you need curly hair care advice. Be aware that a cut with Joy costs $ 60, and if you buy any products you will spend close to $ 100 total. However, I felt it was worthwhile, because while it was the most I’ve ever spent on a haircut, it’s also the most I’ve ever learned about hair care from a stylist (and I’m including places like Aveda in that comparison).

This review is for Patrick, the licensed massage therapist. He is great! I’ve been working out, doing spin classes and I noticed my muscles had been very tight. He got out knots and muscle tension in places I had no idea I could get knots. I was definitely sore the next day but felt so refreshed! I will definitely be back!

I love Todd. He’s the only one who I will ever allow to cut my hair. He takes his time and is pretty much a perfectionist when it come to hair and making one look their best. Thanks as always Todd for a great new look!

I began going to Fresh Hair because my stylist closed her salon and joined their staff. The first time I made an appointment I was questioned about the services I wanted (appropriate) and then grilled about how long each service would take. When I replied that my stylist, as the professional, would know I was told that I needed to supply the information before the appointment could be confirmed. Then I was told that what I wanted was going to take too long. Excuse me, what?
I have had my hair done by the same individual for well over 10 yrs., my hair stays healthy under her care, and I love the cuts she gives me, otherwise I would have moved on. For my next appointment I utilized the online option, figuring I would avoid the snippiness of the receptionist. Silly me. She was rude ELECTRONICALLY. BTW, my stylist had to put a note in my file instructing the front desk staff to give me «VIP» status (meaning just make the appointment, already).
Fortunately, my stylist has decided to leave Fresh Hair, but the management has assured her that when her clients call and ask for her they will NOT tell them how to contact her. So, you treat your stylist and her clients like crap. Way to go, Fresh Hair!

Went in for a trim– 4 inches LATER! I was growing my hair out for my wedding. She also cut my hair unevenly. I only went in because I had a WBUR card which gives you 25% off a new service. I’d hate to be so negative, so let’s end of a nicer note. The hair dresser was extremely friendly.

Margarita es una estilista bien habil, y siempre me da el corte de pelo perfecto, aun cuando no se exactamente como explicar lo que que quiero!

Like several other JP residents, I made an appointment because I like to support local businesses and the store is conveniently located. I also expected that there would be a significant price difference to the store on Newbury Street where I went previously. When making the appointment, I told the receptionist that I would like to be seen by someone who has experience with wavy hair and layered cuts. She highly recommended Kelly as one of their most experienced stylists who does a lot of layered cuts. All well, I told Kelly that I wanted a style supporting my natural hair structure with waves and curls instead of straightening it. Kelly was surprised about this and asked how I usually wear my hair (parted in the middle and allowing it to fall naturally) and how I style it (application of some mousse and air dry or hair dryer to enhance waves). How much total length would be okay to take off? I agreed that 2 inches is what I was aiming for. Fine, Kelly did not waste any time to observe the natural fall of my hair and within 10 minutes stated that she was done! I checked the back of my head for layers and told her that she had hardly added or shortened any of the existing layers. Another couple of minutes later, my hair was four inches shorter (!) without much improvement of layers. I gave up and was placed under an old fashioned hair dryer and conveni ently forgotten for 30 minutes.
Unfortunately, this was not the end of a not so successful experience — it turned out that the price difference to the much better Newbury Street salon was not so dramatic. Guess, where I will go to take care of the mess on my head? Altogether, this hair cut was very bad and expensive. I have to get and pay for another cut to correct for this disaster. Checking the web site of «Fresh hair» and the ‘stylist’ Kelly’s experience I found out that she likes to cut short hair. Why on earth was she recommended as someone experienced with cutting long hair in layers?

I had high hopes for this place after being forwarded on by Miss Laura’s super friendly staff. Fresh Hair didn’t have any walk-​ins available, but they were able to set me up for an appointment later that afternoon, so I went home to take care of some errands.
I made sure to allow enough time to return, but through no fault of my own, my bus was late. I called Fresh Hair in advance to let them know I was going to be late for my appointment and was very sorry. Upon arriving, the receptionist had to talk my stylist into seeing me to which he replied that he could cut my hair but not blow dry it. I have very long hair and had an engagement later on in the evening, so needless to say, this was not going to work.
It’s not the salon’s fault that I was late and in all honesty, I suppose I can’t expect them to accommodate me. However, they made very little effort to help remedy the situation after I had rushed all the way over there. If seeing me later was going to create such an issue– why didn’t they just suggest that I reschedule when I called? And to offer to cut my hair and not blow dry it– I couldn’t believe they were even offering that. Not only do I have to be somewhere but it’s 30 degrees outside! It’s obvious that Fresh Hair needs to work on their customer service skills but obviously their common sense could use some improvement as well.
In conclusion, I politely told them, «Thanks, but no thanks» and cancelled my brow threading that was scheduled for the next morning. I found a very nice salon down the street that was able to help me and the girl who helped me did a marvelous job on my hair. I won’t be back to Fresh Hair.

I came here because of the great reviews I read on Unilocal.I only needed my eyebrows shaped but I’ve never gotten them done professionally before and had just spent 2 months growing them out.
Marguerita (spelling???) did a GREAT job. She was very professional and friendly. I had brought a picture with me and she really did get them as close as possible. The price was affordable as well. I’ll definitely be returning!

I received an email from Fresh Hair saying that I’d gotten a gift certificate (from some friends, who had also told me), and I could stop by, call, or respond to that email to book appointments. Eventually I responded to the email looking to book, and included a couple questions about the services. This was on a Thursday. I emailed a few days later to say I was hoping to hear back, as I was wanting to book for that coming Saturday. No reply. Finally I called and referred to my email. The girl said nothing, so I just went ahead and asked my questions, one of which was about a service currently listed on their site that apparently they no longer offer. The girl was very unsure, but then confirmed, yes they don’t offer it. (Um, then why is it on your menu of services??) She seemed unphased. I also asked what the cost was for a simple blow dry after a hair cut, because it’s listed at $ 5 – 35 on their site. She said they usually just throw it in for free if that’s all I wanted. I also hadn’t realized that you have to book a massage with Naomi separately (on your own), though that information is included on their website. I asked her if she could email me the info for booking and when I offered to give her my email address she said she had my email right there. Okay… so you actually have my email that I sent, and then resent, and you just… decided it wasn’t important enough to reply to? Whatever. Booking process was annoying. Already a little peeved, but free services are free services.
I booked a pedicure, a haircut with a junior stylist, and a massage with Naomi.
First note — they were not busy at all on a Saturday. Much of the staff was just hanging around chit chatting with each other. It was weird.
The pedicure was lovely. Off in a private corner by yourself — not much of a massage, but included pumice-​ing (what a weird word, maybe it doesn’t really exist?), and a very careful, detailed pedicure. One thing that stinks is that they don’t have driers, so while I had flip flops on and had my whole hair cut before my massage, somehow one of my big toes still managed to get smushed. Oh well.
My hair cut was fine. I have long hair and was just getting it trimmed. No frills here — no special head massage during wash, no special treatments or anything — which is totally fine. However, the place I usually go to makes you feel like you’ve paid for a short spa treatment when you’re getting your hair washed. I honestly don’t remember the name of my stylist, but she was fine. Totally ok with not talking (I can’t deal with chatting during a hair cut).
My massage. Oh boy, my massage. Naomi is perhaps slightly awkward, but it was easily one of the best massages I’ve had in my life, and I’ve had many — good and bad. If you want someone to do intense muscle work, and you tell her you can handle the pressure, she will go to town and you will feel it the next day. I sure did, and I loved every minute of it. It was really really great.
I went to pay and was told the total was more than I had planned for. Why? Because I had asked for a junior stylist on the phone, and someone had booked me with a senior stylist. The receptionist and another person who overheard us talking got into it in front of me, and the other person was basically saying to her, «You have to deal with this, you can’t ask her to pay for a senior stylist if she asked for a junior, who booked it, take it out of their pay or something, etc» I was happy they were playing the customer is always right card, but it was still really awkward to have this girl basically being yelled at in front of me. Also, that whole blow dry for free thing? Not so much. It’s totally fine — it was only 5 or 10 dollars — but still.
Bottom line, this place has it ups and it’s downs, but they could definitely pull themselves together a bit more in a number of ways. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend going for salon services, but if this were a review for the massage therapist, Naomi alone, it would easily have 5 stars. I would suggest getting her number from their site and seeing if she does private home visits :)

I called to make my 1^st appointment and asked for a recommendation for a stylist, mentioning that I have long hair and wanted a layered haircut. Easy enough, right?
The receptionist scheduled me with Kelly. (I looked at the website in more depth after my haircut — it details what each stylist loves to do the most. Ok, so maybe my fault for not seeing beforehand that Kelly doesn’t favor doing long hairstyles, but shouldn’t the receptionist have known? Kelly is also a senior stylist, so even if she doesn’t favor a certain type of cut, I would have assumed that she’d be familiar with all types of cuts and styles.)
After Kelly asked me what type of cut I was looking for, I explained that I’d like a long layered haircut, with side swept bangs. Now mind you, I’ve had the same kind of hairstyle forever now, so it was just a significantly shorter version of the hair I went in with as it’d been a year since my last cut. After washing my hair, she began to cut and finished in about 10 minutes. I was a little surprised at her cutting techniques since it did not seem like any layered haircut I’d ever had before. She was snipping here and there, mostly ends it seemed. I brushed it off figuring it’d look great when it was done — plus I had taken off my glasses and couldn’t see a thing in the mirror.
While washing my hair she asked if I wanted a blow-​dry and I initially said no, but then asked if she could. She mentioned that she didn’t really have time as she had another customer after. Ok, no big deal, she said she’d stick me under the dryer bubble and I could stay for as long as I wanted without any charge. Sometimes it’s difficult to know what a fresh haircut looks like when it’s still dripping wet. So, I never had a chance to check out my hair after her finishing and taking me over to the dryer. After 10 minutes I decided my hair had stopped dripping enough to leave, but there were no mirrors in that area and the other mirrors were being used by stylists/​customers. I didn’t have a good chance to look at my hair until I got home.
My haircut = same length all around, no layers. Crooked in the back. Looks like there might be the very slightest of what seems to be a few layers on the sides, but I think the haircut is just uneven.
All in all, I’m sorry and disappointed to say that I would not go back. Although she seemed very nice, for a $ 45 haircut from a senior stylist, I was expecting that a layered haircut would be an easy thing.