Sang In Woodley Park

I just moved to DC, and was inspired by all the positive reviews online to make an appointment with Sang. I was her last appointment on a Friday. Boy, was that a big mistake. Firstly, she was running late by about 30 minutes and I had to cancel my dinner plans as a result. Secondly, I told her I wanted a trim, with just two inches cut off. It seemed that she wasn’t paying attention to cutting my hair, and her technique was odd… I couldn’t tell that she was cutting about 7 inches off of my hair until it was over.
It took me 2 years to grow my hair down to the middle of my back. When Sang finished with me, my hair was just above my shoulders. This is hands down the WORST haircut I have ever had. I hate to mar her reputation, but I really think you should think twice before going t see her. Granted, the only positive about my haircut was that it was cheaper than other alternatives, but hey, you pay for what you get. CAUTION! DO NOT GET A HAIRCUT HERE!

When I moved to DC about a year ago, Sang was the first person I went to for my hair cut, because of the relatively good-​seeming Unilocal reviews. She showed up half an hour late, made really awkward, uncomfortable conversation, and rushed through it to get to her next client, a regular who she obviously cared about way more than me. She left me with bits of hair stuck all over my face and neck, almost in tears as I walked through an unfamiliar city with a terrible-​looking bowl cut that I didn’t ask for. I was apartment hunting and job hunting at the time, and ended up getting another hair cut later that same day to undo the damage she had done. I never went back.

I have had 2 haircuts from Sang and while I’m not particularly critical of my hair, she made overtly noticeable mistakes. I do not understand how she has so many positive reviews. I gave her another chance, to no avail. Stay away.

Sang cuts both me and my girlfriend’s hair. She does a fantastic job, and it is impossible not to love this delightfully funny woman. Just give her plenty of notice because the quality cuts that she gives for the cheap price keep her very busy.

I really really really liked Sang. I liked the experience because she has such a warm fun personality and she seems competent. I didn’t love the result but I think I asked for it. I asked to have several inches of my very long hair cut, I wanted layers starting at my cheek bone and I showed her pictures of myself with hair cuts I liked. In one of the pictures my hair wasn’t cut straight across in the back it was layered a bit so it was more rounded (the difficulty I am having explaining it now is the same problem that led to the cut I believe). So she cut several inches off and then layered my hair in the back. Problem is, this looked ok when my hair was longer as in the picture, but now with this new hair cut, I looked kinda shaggy. So I didn’t love the cut but I blame myself for not communicating what I wanted and predicting the results, though a part of me thought she should have been able to predict the result, having more experience than I but, c’est la vie. It wasn’t awful just not great. I haven’t written off going back to her, especially for a trim.

Sang is great — great haircut at a great price. Nothing more to say. I would try to gripe about having to get up to Woodley Park, but she’s right off the metro stop so it’s even easy to get there.

As a cash-​strapped summer intern, I decided to be a little thrifty and give Sang a try. Turns out it was the biggest mistake I could’ve ever made hair-​wise (this includes my hot pink highlights circa 1999). I will now never, ever try to save money with my hair.
I want to make it clear that this review is of my haircut experience, not Sang as a person. She is a fun, vibrant and smart lady who obviously has amazing people skills. Had she not made me into an 80s rockstar, I would probably enjoy her company. But I went in there for a haircut, not a friend. So I wanted to write this review and let other young women know that they might not get what they wanted here.
Now for the details. The experience was really unpleasant, from beginning to end. First of all I had to wait an hour before I could get my haircut even though I was right on time. The woman in charge of shampooing made me wait until she finished her personal phone conversation, and when she finally got to it she splashed water all over my face. I literally had streams of water running down my face. At one point I even had her boob ON my face for several seconds. I know that $ 40 haircut doesn’t come with good customer service but c’mon. I shouldn’t have to put up with a boob-​in-​face situation. But whatev, that’s not the worst that can happen at a «barber shop» I guess.
When Sang finally got to me after an hour-​long wait, she took one look at my hair, asked for my ethnicity (weird I know, but this is the least of my problems) and got to cutting. I had very long, minimally layered hair that went just below where the bra strap and wanted to keep this hairstyle. I asked for a trim, with very little layers. By the time Sang was done with me I had the shaggiest hair I’ve ever had in my life, and not a good one at that. She didn’t really know how to layer hair (basically grabbed a chunk of hair and «shaved» it with a razor mid-​air) and just cut off different lengths with each stroke. So my hair is now all different lengths and random spots. About 80% of my hair is above my shoulder and the remaining 20% is just hanging out, at random parts. When I tie my hair up, parts from different parts of my head falls out because they are too short.
It is literally the worst haircut I have ever had in my life, no joke. I came home depressed, obsessed about it for hours and cried a bit. It’s been three days and I’ve wanted to cry every time I washed my hair and realized that I now have a modified mullet. My sister and co-​workers, who are the nicest people who normally would just tell me I look good, told me to go ask for a refund.
So ladies, the moral of my story is: don’t try to save money with your haircut. It actually isn’t even that cheap for what you get. I know it is very tempting b/​c of all the five-​star reviews on Unilocal,but be advised that a) they are mostly from males, b) they mostly refer to her personality and/​or price and c) notice that most of the pictures here are uploaded by Sang herself. She is very good at self-​promoting and talked about her Unilocal reviews to each customer while I was there. If you are anything like me and are a little particular about your haircut, do not go to Sang. She’ll layer the shit out of you.

After reading all of Sang’s wonderful reviews on here, I decided to give her a try. Decent price, lots of recommendations, what could go wrong?
First of all, she made me wait 45 minutes after my appointment time while she finished three other clients hair. While I was waiting (with wet hair, dripping on my shirt for half an hour), the mani/​pedi lady kept trying to sell me on getting my nails done. At one point in time, she just said, «Come on, come on! You just do it now, and then get your hair done,» and turned on the water.
When Sang finally called me over, she completely disregarded what I told her I wanted and gave me the second-​worst haircut of my life. I went in with super long hair, asked for three inches off and long, swoopy bangs. I came out with five inches off and TERRIBLE bangs cut short and straight across my forehead.
While she was cutting my hair, she picked up her phone at least four times, greeted a whole family from Israel who came in just to say hi, and conversed with two other clients. I felt like she was not paying attention to what she was doing with my hair.
To top it all off, she didn’t blow my hair out very well, and then she curled it. My hair was frizzy and I looked like a poodle. People stared. I cried a little on the metro home. It looks only marginally better after I washed it and flat-​ironed it straight.
In retrospect, I shouldn’t have even paid. This haircut will take AT LEAST a year to grow out. Please, save your money and hair and take your business elsewhere.

I just got my first haircut from Sang, and I kid you not: this is the best haircut I have ever had. Ever. (And trust me, I’ve paid a LOT more).
Those of you with normal hair probably can’t relate to this, but hairdressers never know what to do with my crazy-​thick, wavy hair. I always come out of the salon with either a Shirley Temple cut that sags into a limp mullet after a couple of hours, or a straight bob that puffs up like Bozo the Clown as soon as I hit humidity.
Occasionally, a hairdresser will realize the error of their ways and do a little light layering/​feathering to mitigate the poof factor, but alas, they never go far enough.
Not Sang. She gave me a typical bob, and just when I thought she was finished (and I was going to once again look like Bozo the Clown), she busted out her razor and went to town. Every time I thought she was done, she’d stop and say, «you have so much hair!» and keep razoring.
The result? AMAZING.
I don’t have to spend hours either straightening or curling my hair in order for my cut to look good. I can even feel the difference when I touch the back of my head and don’t feel a huge, floppy dead animal on my scalp.
Plus, I got the most thorough shampooing I’ve ever had. A very strong-​handed lady washed my hair 3 times, and it was like a 5-​minute scalp massage. I would go back just for that.
By the way, it’s a little difficult to find the salon if you get lost in the huge Marriott complex (which some other reviewers have also noted). When you get off at Woodley Park, go south on CT Ave. and go right on Calvert. The entrance is about a block down on the right (salon should be just inside the door on the right. If not, you’re at the wrong door.) If you do get lost in the Marriott, the Concierge can direct you. (Thanks, Concierge!)

Went to Sang after reading all the reviews on Unilocal and realized she was located just down the street from me. Overall, cut was quick & I had no issues with it. Sang loves to talk so if you are in the mood for that, you’ll enjoy it. I wasn’t really — tired after a long day at work so found it kinda annoying. Lots of her regulars (males) seemed to live nearby and stopped in to see if she could take them. While cutting my hair she advised them to stop by in 20 minutes. She bragged about her efficiency — on Saturday, I cut 60 guys’ hair in 8 hours, while admirable from a business perspective, I did feel it made the process a bit rushed. I’d go back b/​c if I was in the mood for a really quick, no fuss cut b/​c the price is right (cheap) for D.C.

Love Sang! Love. Her. Yesterday was my third visit and my hair is, to use her favorite word, «sexy»! I have set a reminder in my phone to see her every 5 weeks. Sang has a great attitude and is a skilled stylist. No snobbery here, just fun. What a combo! Ladies and gentlemen, I highly recommend you check out Sang!

Sang’s haircut was adequate, but my experience was nothing like that of the other Unilocalers. She is very friendly, indeed, but if you prefer a relaxing, peaceful haircutting experience, she is not the hairdresser for you. She cheerfully prattled on for my entire haircut– endlessly and seemingly oblivious to my interest or lack thereof. At the end of a stressful work day, I just want to chill. She did not seem to understand this. The previous reviewer’s description of Sang as a self-​promoter was very kind; I would describe it as bragging. In the course of my hurried haircut, I heard about her Unilocal reviews multiple times.
My hair is straight and I asked for a simple blunt cut, which I got. Although I didn’t ask for advice about my (natural) hair color, she freely criticized it, barking «Chocolate brown! You need chocolate brown!»
While $ 40 for a haircut is admittedly less than is charged by many of Sang’s competitors, even the Hair Cuttery washes & dries your hair. Sang merely squirted mine with a water bottle, and sent me off with wet hair. I had the last appointment of the day (for which I arrived on time) and got the impression that she was in a hurry to go home.
There was nothing about this experience that would make me go back.

Most barbers see my helmet of thick hair, let of an exasperated sigh, pull out an industrial strength razor and go to town. I had been going to the same barber in Bethesda for years, but I finally gave up on them after last time when they didn’t do what I wanted at all.
Thanks to the rave reviews of fellow Unilocalsters, I was able to locate Sang in the bottom of the Marriott hotel on Calvert Street. I probably talked about my hair more in that half-​an-​hour than I have my entire life. Sang seems genuinely interested in her customers, gives your recommendations on how to cut your hair, while still listening to what you have to say. She asked me what I ate to get my hair so thick, and I told her to check my Unilocal reviews.
Sang is also a master of self-​promotion. She told me she wanted to go down to the protest down the street and hand out her business card to everyone. Then she told a story about how when she started cutting hair, she would write down what clips she used on each customer, and in what style they liked their hair. All of her colleagues laughed at her, until she started getting all the repeat business, and was booked all the time. She stays open late for working professionals, and before you leave, she gives you a time-​frame to come back for your next haircut. No wonder she is always booked.
Sang is very confident in her abilities, and she should be. I got a great haircut, for only $ 20 (men). My only regret is that she didn’t offer me any food and drink like the other Unilocalsters described. Oh well, there is always next time, since I will definitely be back.

Sang is great! I was frustrated with my last cut from Bang, so I went there to have my haircut after reading all the reviews on Unilocal.I loved my haircut. Because I was trying to keep my hair as long as possible for my upcoming wedding, she was great about trimming it to give it a nice shape without sacrificing any length. She also fixed my bangs, which needed help.
I was so happy with her work that I had her do my hair, plus 2 bridesmaids, mother, and mother-in-law’s hair for my wedding. She did such an awesome job with our variety of hair styles — from down and flowy, to short and punky, to up and fancy. She really knows how to work with hair. My Mom who was visiting from out of town loved her trim from Sang. She now wants to go back to Sang whenever she’s in town.
For the wedding hair, you can go to her salon for an amazing price, or pay a little more and have her come to you. We went to her salon and so I was able to pay for everyone’s. Her everyday prices are very low too.
I highly recommend coming here.

This might be beating a dead horse, but I don’t care. Sang is a very good deal, the $ 20 haircut for men is a steal, since the typical haircut is more expensive and much less well done. A week or two away and the haircut still stands up quite well.
As others have said, Sang is very pleasant to talk with. Among other things, she gave her take the quality of food in Cairo vs. Amman!

For years, 80% of my haircuts were at the Aveda teaching salons in Philadelphia and DC for less than $ 20, and the other 20% of my haircuts were with senior stylists for upwards of $ 60. No matter who I went to, the results were mostly along these lines: a hairstylist who didn’t quite pay attention to what I had asked for and gave me a cut that took me weeks to adjust to.
Then, after weeks of enduring a haircut which was not layered properly at all, and with a family wedding quickly approaching, I called Aveda to see if they could squeeze me in. And this is where fate intervened: they couldn’t give me an appointment, so I was stuck searching Unilocal,cringing at the listings of high-​priced NW DC and Bethesda salons.
And then I came upon Sang’s listing. You can tell over the phone that she is going to be bubbly and enthusiastic, and that impression was reinforced upon walking into her storefront. Her salon is a simple place, and if you’re bent on having all the trappings of a dressed up «haute» salon as you get your hair cut, maybe you should stick with one of those. But whatever high-​maintenance ambience is missing, it is more than compensated in two areas:
1. Sang is a blast to talk to, and she is probably the most generous stylist in DC. Although I didn’t take her up on it, she offered me beer and champagne several times during my cut!
2. SHE ACTUALLY KNOWS HOW TO CUT HAIR. And she LIKES doing it!
Let me elaborate on my second point. Time and time again I’ve dealt with hairstylists who hesitated one too many times while cutting my hair, and deviated so far off the original «plan» I wondered if they had hearing issues. I’ve also left lots of haircuts where my hair wasn’t completely blown dry (I’m looking at you, Aveda teaching institute).
But not with Sang — she made swift, confident cuts, and an amazing blowout to boot. My hair was completely straight and dry at the end. (And you have to watch her blow-​drying technique, it is both dizzying and fascinating to see). Sang straight up says that she loves cutting hair and she loves blow-​drying, and it shows, because my haircut is the best i’ve had in years. To make it better, because I’m moving from DC soon, Sang even gave me the terminology I need to explain to any other hairstylists exactly how I want my hair cut so they can replicate the amazing work she did.
All of this, and my haircut was a very reasonable $ 40, a palatable compromise between the low-​priced and overpriced haircuts that have never gone right for me. Even after I move, I’m going to try and save my haircuts for when i come back to DC. Sang is the best!

Excellent haircut for the money. She is very friendly – was referred to her by my girlfriend, and went to her b/​c she did such a good job with my girlfriend’s hair.
Highly recommended.

I have long hair, and quite simply, Sang is the best stylist I’ve found in the area.
Before visiting Sang last Friday, I hadn’t gotten a ‘real haircut’ for over 2 years. Even then, I had to drive to my sister’s stylist in NC just too find someone I could trust.
Desperate and shaggy-​haired, I finally visited Sang after reading the reviews on Unilocal,and I wasn’t disappointed. Not only did she serve me amazing food (chicken curry. Yum!), but she also gave me a fantastic haircut at an unbelievable price. I have thick, heavy hair, and Sang’s cut lightened the weight of my hair and gave it much needed volume and movement, all without reducing length. Better yet, the cut is easy to style — I just wash it and let it dry. Fantastic! I highly recommend her services, and I’m looking forward to having her highlight my hair later this spring.
Check out my before and after pictures, which you can see on my profile.
Update 9÷1÷2011: When I returned to Sang for a trim, I was less impressed by her work. She spent more time bragging about herself than working on my hair, and the results were just not what I had come to expect. I haven’t been back since.

Sang is super sweet and everyone commented on my new hair cut. A hair stylist, I know, even asked me where I went and commented on it several times throughout the night.
The location is convenient, but I was a little confused when I first saw the place. There were pictures of famous politicians and Presidents lining the walls. Was I in a BARBER SHOP??? However, I knew that Sang cuts women’s hair since we had spoken on the phone prior. The only downside to this experience was the obnoxious and apparently rich 60+ year old man who wanted to check out my haircut. He was creepy and we walked out together which subsequently led to him asking me to drinks!!! OMG get me out of this mess, I thought, and (mental note) NEVER COME BACK ON A FRIDAY! That’s apparently when he comes to get his haircut or just a shave. I later saw him all the way in Farragut North, about 2 hours later. He saw me, but I kept walking.
This isn’t to take anything away from Sang, just the experience. Again, don’t go on Fridays… unless you’re into that sort of thing.

Sang is a wonderful hair artist, stylist, colorist and an incredibly imaginative, bubbly and generous spirit. You will be treated like a queen and/​or king while you’re with Sang and leave the shop feeling happy and looking gorgeous.

The fabulous Sang, at Web Cut Design (2309 Calvert Street, NW 202 265 3636)
has been my beauty consultant for 8 years. Not only is she an excellent colorist, but she is a true artist when it comes to styling hair. She knows how to cut and style so that all your best facial features are enhanced. She understands the way different hair textures respond to the comb and uses her technical skills to make your hair easy to manage and look spectacular from the minute you leave her chair through all the phases of growth until you return for your next trim. The products she offers in her salon are top quality.
She is generous with her time, honest in her opinions and fair in her pricing. She is a lot of fun to talk to. Call or drop into make an appointment. You’ll be glad you did. I was.
Nancy