Thomas Shelton Hair Design

My friend and I went to get our nails done here last week and we had an amazing time. Izzy was perfect! I always struggle with picking a color and she was very patient and helpful. She really took the time to make our experience the best possible and she succeeded. Our nails looked beautiful and we had a wonderful time with here at the salon. I definitely recommend going!!!

I absolutely love this salon– Thomas is a incredible at color and did an amazing balayage on my dark hair. Everyone who works at the salon is friendly and there is a great vibe. The first time I went in we put purples and silvers– I looked like a goddamn unicorn it was glorious! The next time I asked for silver grey and I got silver grey. Thomas and Jonathan are happy to work with you until you get exactly the colors you want– I sat in their chair for a good 6 hours first with bleaching and then toning– they make the process fun and enjoyable the whole way. My nail person Izzy is also much loved, whenever I want to feel truly pampered I go to her– she takes great care of you. Everyone there makes sure that you’re comfortable and get whatever you need– I can’t speak highly enough of this place! So lucky that they’re close my house! :)

SO happy I found this place! Roque is the best.
I recently moved to the area and needed to find a new salon. I’m very picky about my hair, so I was nervous to do so, but decided to take a leap of faith based on good Unilocal reviews and give this place a try. I was absolutely not disappointed.
The salon itself is very cute and modern. A bit difficult to find, but you’ll find it eventually and be like, «Oh, duh.» Everyone there is very sweet, and I was offered drinks while I waited for my appointment.
I sat in the chair with Roque and told him exactly what I wanted. I’m sure I was very vague and my description was confusing, so props to him for doing EXACTLY what I wanted. It looked even better than I had imagined it. This was definitely a good haircut experience, and let me tell you, those are rare. Thomas Shelton (and Roque!) gained a returning customer that day.
Be aware that they don’t take tip on credit cards, so make sure to bring some cash.

Was in desperate need of a beard trim the day after christmas most places were closed. I walked by the salon and saw a guy using clippers so i wet ahead and walked in. Was greeted by the owner who was really polite and told me it would be about 25 minutes. I was staying across the street so i went back to the lobby got some hot chocolate and came back. Thomas i could tell was a professional with his confidence while using clippers. HE suggested to go a bit higher on the clippers than i did which was a great move cuz i basically wouldn’t have had a beard left. I was in and out with in 20 minutes, I imagine this place is busy during normal times not holiday days after but nevertheless def a great place!

Carlos cut my hair, and he did an amazing job. I have very straight hair that shows every scissor cut, and he was able to give me nice, subtle layers and make my hair look less heavy but not choppy. I have lived in DC for six years and this is the first decent haircut I’ve gotten here. And it was a very reasonable price for DC. $ 70 plus tip. Carlos is very friendly and quietly talkative and made me feel very comfortable. He had a great balance of giving me what I wanted but also telling me what would work well with my hair type. I’d strongly recommend him and Thomas Shelton Hair Design.

It’s been a year since I took a chance on a new salon and am so happy I picked Thomas Shelton hair design! I always go to Roque who continues to do an amazing job with my hair! It’s the cut I’ve gotten the most compliments on in my life. And i got highlights for the first time in my life (first color ever) and he knew I was nervous about it looking «streaky», so he was so careful and spent a long time making it look really natural and blended. The gold highlights blended beautifully into my medium brown hair. I loved it! In addition to doing a fantastic job, Roque is fun to visit with! It’s just a great salon experience.

Roque does an amazing job on haircuts! He knows what will work for you and will make sure you are okay with how much he cuts. Roque is very knowledgable about hair design and provides a great hair cut experience.
I live in Florida but came to Thomas Shelton during the summer when I lived in DC and completely changed my hairstyle from long to a short/​medium bob. I was a little nervous about the cut but Roque did an amazing job and I was very happy with the results. I came back to Thomas Shelton in November all the way from Florida while visiting my friend in DC just to get a hair cut with him. He remembered me and did yet another amazing job! Very happy with my hair and will continue to come back during my DC visits. I would recommend him.

Been going here for 3 months now,
Great friendly atmosphere. I’ve been seeing the same stylist; Kesha, she does a fantastic job, I’m usually used to getting my haircut by men, but Kesha’s amazing.

Stay FAR, FAR AWAY from this place for your waxing needs!
I came here once out of the blue and got a random eyebrow wax which was pretty good, so I went back today — four days before my wedding. The woman who had done the previous wax wasn’t there, so I got a completely incompetent guy who it seemed had never performed a wax in my life. He a) took forever (30 minutes!), b) put all kinds of ointments on my eye area that made things redder, ultimately, c) did not listen to my very specific instructions on how I wanted my brows shaped, and d) gave me an end product that was sloppy, uneven, with stray hairs everywhere and nothing like my instructions.
Worse, the woman at the front desk just shrugged when I complained to her. No reaction whatsoever.

First and foremost, I am shocked that the business owner would call a customer a «bridezilla» and accuse me of lying.
Thank you for posting the other pictures. Yes, I thought that «Elle A» updo was workable until I had saw how much the bottom of my hair stuck out (picture included). Regarding changing styles, your stylist told me that he would try as many different styles as time allowed. However, the first style veered so much off the sample pictures, that I kept showing him the examples on my laptop in order to remind him what I preferred (that is, a clean, tight low-​updo).
Secondly, the appointment did not take 2 hours. Please do not exaggerate as your stylist had a 12:30 pm appointment and mine was at 11. I also have the time-​stamped receipt.
Also, I canceled my second trial the night before. I have the text message to your stylist. If you would like me to post it, please let me know. It was your stylist who stated multiple times that the Sunday appt would be free of charge. Therefore, when I called to make the appointment… Yes — I had the expectation that I would not be charged.
Thirdly, the other salon did NOT refuse service. The stylist simple stated that she was uncomfortable working with asian hair due to lack of experience. The manager contacted me and offered to have one of their other stylist do my trial, however at that point I had already scheduled my trial at Thomas Shelton.
I stand by my reviews and would not recommend this place.

Izzy is Wonderful! She is so personable and friendly it makes getting your nails done a wonderful experience. Not only is she warm and personable but she does a wonderful job at doing nails! I got a gel manicure for my first time and she explained to me everything i needed to know about gel manicures and did an excellent job. Thank you Izzy for a wonderful first time experience.

RYAN always delivers excellent, thoughtful, & accurate service! I came for a balayage rescue from a recent sloppy color disaster from another salon in NYC. Ryan and Thomas were so attentive to my concerns and the perfect style I wanted (sun-​kissed balayage smoothly blended with ash blonde tones, not brassy as it is common for asian hair).
I came for an emergency consultation after having done my hair the past weekend, I was in luck that they were able to accommodate me right away in the mid afternoon! I got my color fixed and styled within 3 hours. Now I just need to go in for a cut to complete the look! I’ll re-​update my review again then. I always recommend Ryan, but now I also recommend the entire salon service as it was my first time with them. :)

If I could add more stars I would!
This place exceeds all expectations. I went there for the first time last month to tone down my ombré and deepen it a bit — for the ombré I went to Queen. Let me tell you I was beyond (and I mean beyond) happy with the results. She is the ombré queen! It honestly keeps looking better and better everyday.
Yesterday, I went to Ryan for a cut and he is literally the sweetest most genuine person I have ever met. First and foremost I got there early so he gave me a deep condition for the ends of my ombré for free! And the lady that washed and conditioned my hair did so in a way nobody has ever before. She took her time and it was magical.
When I got in Ryan’s chair, he listened to everything I had to say and then explained everything he was going to do in the beginning and during the whole cut. I got a trim, he cut into my layers because my hair is fine but its heavy and I could honestly tell how good the haircut was BEFORE he even blew it out and that’s rare.
He chopped into it more when it was dry to give it texture — the more texture the better! He styled it with some sea spray that gave me a messy, just woke up but I look perfect look. I hate the prom blow dry other salons give you, I just want to look normal not have pageant hair!
I walked out of there BLOWN AWAY by the service, the cut, the blow out, the ocean spray, the conversation, just everything! If you’re new to the area (like me) and need a suggestion on a salon, this is the suggestion! Even if you’re not new to the area go to the salon and have the greatest cut, color, blowout of your life (no exaggeration).
QUICK NOTE: June they have a special if you pay with cash you get 20% off. Also, I paid $ 65 for the cut and blow out (which is amazing if you ask me) and with the 20% off I paid $ 52.

Such a cute and darling spot!!!
They are so great here and everyone is professional and sweet. I came in for a blow out and I think I am switching salons. My hair is so soft, silky and shiny… They did an incredible job. I asked for a wavy blowout and he took his time to dry it straight and then curl it with the curling iron. Wow!!! $ 40 and the best blow out ever. Attention to detail is huge here. Plus the shampoo massage was at least 10 mins. Amazing!
Small quirky cool note. They share a bathroom with the bagel place next door. So the bathroom smells heavenly!
Thank you TS Salon. I loved it!!!

Scott has done it again. He is a master. If only all men can make a lady feel this good! ! Hahaha. I updated my Ombré and it came out amazing.. Plus an amazing trim. My Hair is sexy, natural and with perfect tones. I love you Scott! !!

I have been getting my nails done by izzy for year now and I’ll follow her ANYWHERE! I’ve tried other nail technicians around DC and haven’t been successful. IZZY is very detailed when it comes to my Gel manicures or acrylics and is extremely careful with my ingrown nails when she does my pedicure.
She was at dupont nails before moving to Thomas Shelton hair design and theres where I read all her great reviews. She is amazing when it comes to nail art, when i first got my nails done with her last year around easter time she over did herself i brought her a picture and left extremely happy. She gave me designs on every nail and acrylic put on them to give them the famous stiletto look everyone was using then and two weeks later came back with the nails still completely on and no lifts or chips whats so ever.
She gives me anywhere from my simple french natural shellac nails to my on and off acrylics, i love how friendly she is and i can come and feel welcomed thanks to the friendly staff there. Everyone from the receptionist down to Thomas Shelton himself is very attentive making sure I’m doing okay and offering wine and the various flavored teas they have. I love it here! they do great hair and love how IZZY does private sessions, she is the only nail tech there. Great for some alone and relaxing time!
THANK YOU SO MUCH IZZY FOR GREAT NAILS ALWAYS!

Hands down, THE best haircut I’ve had in DC.
I definitely recommend Thomas, especially if you have crazy hair –as I do.
I booked an appointment with him after hearing rave reviews. After 5 years in DC, I still hadn’t found a stylist I loved, so I decided to give this place a shot. Thomas totally delivered.
First, the cut: I asked him for a cut that could be worn curly or blown out. My super fine, thin wavy hair turns into a poodle head with just a bit of humidity. I also travel a lot and can’t always take a blower with me or find one wherever I’m staying, so I was really hoping for a good curly/​wavy haircut that would look nice and put together without tons of styling. This was it! The cut works with my curl pattern, and it suits my features well. As opposed to most other people who’ve done my hair in the past, I noticed he took a moment to look at the hair and the way it grew before cutting away.
The salon itself was great and the staff was super nice, without being pretentious or annoying. They’ll offer you tea, water, etc. and I had a fantastic hair wash and scalp massage. Thomas showed me the products he used (which were great) but I didn’t feel any pressure to buy stuff.
It was a good experience overall. Now I can’t wait till I go back to try something a bit more fun and experimental! Oh, and the prices were very reasonable for a DC salon!

I think this is the type of place that totally rocks at coloring and fancy styling, but is just kind of average for a typical cut.
I came here after reading the rave reviews to get a basic trim and layer touch-​up for my curly curly hair. It was freezing outside and I was given some hot tea while I waited, which was a nice touch. The salon was not crowded, which was nice and helped to give a sense of calm.
Anyway, my haircut wasn’t bad at all, but it wasn’t anything spectacular. I’m pretty hopeless when it comes to my hair so I always tell the stylists to do what they think is best, and hope to come away wow-​ed by their technique and skills. I had a nice experience, but still didn’t feel like it was anything exceptional. If I was going to try something drastic or go for color, then this place might live up to the 5 star hype.

Ask for Scott! I never ever write Unilocal reviews because I have a general rule that no place is worth reviewing unless you can either give them a five stars or 1 star. Well Scott at Thomas Shelton was worth a 5 star Unilocal review. He just moved from SF a couple of weeks ago and so lucky I found him.
I have lived in DC for 6 years and have struggled to find a stylist that didn’t charge 200 dollars for a good haircut. In the past, I ended up settling and overpaying at places like immortal beloved for mediocre haircuts. Now that I found Scott, those days are over.
His haircut and ombré have far outdone any 200 dollar haircut I’ve gotten in DC and he charges 65 per haircut which is a steal in dc and 185 for ombré and Blow out. You better catch him now because something tells me he’s going to be really busy with a huge client base in a few months. See pics for sample

And the Worlds Worst Ombré goes to… ME :(
My normal hair stylist moved to a salon in Maryland so I decided to try and find a new stylist here in DC so its not such a trek to go get my hair done. What a MISTAKE :(
I found Thomas Shelton on Unilocal… The reviews, pricing, location, everything seemed perfect. So I scheduled an appointment with She’dale for a color and cut.
I’d like to preface this by saying I’ve never had a bad hair experience. My hair is really long, brown and straight. I don’t get crazy colors or short cute bobs. things that could potentially go wrong. I’m very low maintenance. I get a cut and a subtle Ombré every 8 – 12 months and don’t touch it the rest of the year.
When I got Thomas Shelton I had pictures on my phone to show She’Dale. They were examples of cuts and ombré’s/balayages that I liked. She seemed confident, didn’t ask too many questions and got to work.
At the beginning I felt completely comfortable. I had just shown her several pictures of what I wanted. so there wasn’t any ambiguity. I felt confident that having shown her examples of what I wanted that she couldn’t veer too far off track… god was I wrong…
I started to worry when she brought out foils… I’ve been getting Ombres for 5 years now and in FAR less trendy and chic places than DC; never once has anyone used foils. I rationalized in my head, «this place has good reviews, you showed her what you want, and shes the expert here».
I started to realize she was putting alot of blonde on so I asked «I’m still going to be a brunette when I leave here right?» She laughed and said «of course!».
Anytime I have ever received an Ombré the stylist uses their hands, adds color to selected strands of hair and leaves the rest of my natural hair untouched. When they wash out the color I’m left with some natural light strands among my brown hair.
She’dale bleached EVERY piece of hair on my head from my ears down. The WHOLE damn thing.
I hadn’t gotten a good look at my hair and I told myself not to make assumptions until it was dry. As she was blow drying my hair (my back was to the mirror) one of the stylist was just staring at my head. I started to get really worried because typically when other stylists come over they’ll say something like «it looks so good» or «you’re going to love it». This stylist was just staring with a worried look on his face.
The final product was shocking to say the least. It looked like she had held me upside down, dipped my hair into a bucket of bleach and pulled my out with about 4 – 5 inches of my natural roots untouched. It basically looked like I had bleached my hair about a year ago and now had 5 inches of roots.
It was so horrendous and I was in such shock that I just got up, paid and left. I realize in retrospect that probably wasn’t the best way to handle the situation. However, I knew if I said I didn’t like it they would have tried to fix it… and the results were so terrible I wasn’t about to let anyone in that salon touch my hair.
I texted my friends right away and said, «its worse than you could ever imagine». They all thought I was being dramatic until they saw it. It was soooo bad that when I got home and showed my boyfriend and friends we all just started laughing hysterically. My guy friends told me it looked like I was white-​trash and had forgotten to do my box hair dye for a year.
Everyone was SHOCKED. They could NOT believe I paid for it and that I didnt have a complete freak out in the salon. They said that if I wasn’t going to get my money back then they would for me.
I keep replaying what went wrong in my head. HOW did this happen? HOW did she take the pictures I showed her and then give me this? It was SO far from what I asked for that I can only think of a few possible explanations:
–She had never done an ombré before and just kinda winged-​it
–She was completely checked out and literally gave no fucks while doing my hair
It was like everything I showed her and everything I told her completely went out the window the moment she started working on my hair.
My sister called the next day and Thomas did give me a refund.
++I’m attaching pictures of what my hair looked like prior to meeting with She’dale, a few examples of what I showed her, and then a picture of the final product and you can see for yourself. (Please note: I didnt edit, use a filter, or alter the photo of my hair in any way. This is truly what it looks like)
Also, I will acknowledge that with that many good reviews on Unilocal.I know there are great people that work there. But I HAD to share this so that hopefully I can save someone else the time and hassle this has caused me. Do your research and make sure the stylist you’re going to can do exactly what you want.