Hair 2001

I’ve been going here as long as I could remember. I’m always treated like a princess… The staff is great and everyone knows your name… My hair designer, David is the best!!! Looking forward to another great hair day!!!

I drove up from San Diego for these people. I naturally have light hair but I like going icy/​ashy white platinum. If it’s yellow or golden at all, I’m not a happy camper. I don’t like bleaching my whole head either, I’m a foil person. I drove up because I’ve been trying different salons in San Diego every time I get my hair done, for the past 5 years, and have never been satisfied. I promise I’m not crazy and unrealistic because I show them a picture of me 6 years ago with the color I want (of which I got done in Orange County by a man whose since retired) and, I don’t know! I’m a conspiracist that it’s a water thing.
Anyway, Toby was the first person in 6 years who finally made me excited about my hair. He got me to the white icy platinum I’ve been searching for. And on top of that, I decided to cut off a foot of my hair and get a little bob. I was freaking out about it, and I couldn’t have been happier about the results. My hair stayed soft and healthy for so long after the cut & color. And I received so, so many compliments on my color long after I’d consider it ‘freshly colored’.
The only con: it was suuuuper expensive for me (San Diego is just overall cheaper to get your hair done). I would not consider this salon two dollar signs. I wanted to cry, but it was still very worth it. It’s cash only so I had to walk to an ATM across the street.
Keep in mind you have to consult before you make another appointment later to get it done! There was a miscommunication through text so I drove up thinking it was for a hair appointment and when they told me it was just a consult, there was scrambling involved but thank goodness Toby was able to squeeze me in. THANK YOU TOBY, YOU ARE A HAIR GOD.

Read my other reviews, as my experience last weekend was as good as the other ones. This time I went super ashy blonde! I’ve gotten so many compliments on the color and the blend of David’s balayage! Plus David is the only one I can trust to cut my hair and not leave it oddly uneven or too short.

Toby fixed my bad attempt to go blonde, and gave me the color I always dreamed of. He’s a miracle worker. Everyone in the salon is extremely nice and accommodating. I highly recommend Toby if you’re looking for a great dye job.

Recently, David was able to fit me into his busy schedule for a trim. My hair was in desperate need of one. Although I did have to wait, it was worth it. I’ve tried other salons and I still come crawling back each and every time.
David is truly a master of hair. He is like an artist. He really spends the time on you and listens to your needs and wants. I’ve always trusted him and still do. His prices did go up, but that’s just the economy. He’s gotten a lot busy over the years, and the prices are still considerably reasonable.

I really appreciate them taking me in for a last minute walk in after I had called every salon in town to get a hair trim. I’m glad I came here, the service was astonishing very warm and welcoming. I loved how Toby & staff took their time with my hair. Toby left my hair smooth & silky & I loved the cut: D definitely recommend the salon! They are so sweet and professional! Thank you!

I came into the salon on Sunday asking to get gray hair but obviously I couldn’t do it in one sitting because my hair was super dark and David got it at such a light beautiful color, I’m so happy with the results. The workers in the salon were super friendly and welcoming & I felt really pampered. I’d recommend this place to my family and friends.

Came here after seeing all the reviews and must say this is my new place to go for hair. David was awesome! My hair was so long and way overdue for a good haircut and he did an amazing job. I use to get my hair done at Carlton hair salon but rather give my business to a mom/​pop shop. Price is about the same as Carlton, haircut, blow dry all for a $ 65.00. My hair looks luscious and healthy and so shiny, Love it! The salon is also very nice, looks like they recently remodeled it, it’s clean and very chic.

I found this place thru Unilocal,I came November last year with my blonde damaged uneven hair, as you can see that first photo on the left. I wanted to do a balayage but David said my hair is too weak, so I told him to do the best that he can and it came out amazingly. I came back yesterday to do silvery Ashly tips, Toby told me he can’t do exactly what I want. A few hours later, he styled it and omg I’ve never been so in love with my hair! These guys knows all about hair, if you’re looking for good stylists they will definitely exceed your expectation. They do magic! I love this place, I will never go anywhere else!

Ive been going to David and Toby for 10 years… they are the only people I trust with my hair. Ive had all sorts of looks done by them… Ive had jet black hair, I’ve had a super short bob, Ive been strawberry blond, Ive had long textured layered hair– you name it, I’ve done it with my hair lol. They are the best hair colorist in town and just nails it. I am currently a blonde as you can see on my profile pic. I recently went there just yesterday… I wanted to get my roots retouched before enjoying a saturday night out with my friends.
They are pretty famous in the community, they’ve built quite a reputation for themselves.- they are definitely the best colorist in town!

An expectedly weak response from a weak business.
Before his Unilocal response, David decided to text me close to midnight the night I posted my review. I didn’t reply, figuring I’d get over it and move on, but after reading his Unilocal response, I feel the need to clarify the «expectations» that made him so uncomfortable. All I wanted was a simple ash blonde balayage, something these two claim to have mastered. I never once asked for anything OTHER than that, and the only time I complained was when Toby completely butchered the toning job and turned my hair bright pink, to which David reacted by belittling my intelligence and trying to convince me it was «fine.»
Now here are some choice words from David’s rambling five-​paragraph text:
«When we’re nervous, we can’t do a good job. No idea you’d take it so hard!!!»
«Toby is mostly drama-​free and always tries very hard. Think about it! You’re smart. Why would you want to spend that much money if he is such talentless bum?»
«I’m crazy busy; and can’t do much. Hope you understand.»
Absolutely no remorse. These two clearly do not cater to their customer base; they throw their clients away like trash. David’s own words speak for him; I don’t need to say any more! Just horrible.
UPDATE: David has edited his response 7 times since I posted this updated review. He has removed the aforementioned «expectations» and added an insincere «apology.» All I can say is, learn how to run a business because this is definitely NOT the way to do it.

I usually never leave reviews, but David deserves all 5 stars and more!
I came in with brassy, overgrown, damaged, blotchy blonde hair. I’m not new to dyeing my hair light, but my only problem is brassiness. I absolutely hate how my hair turns orange after a few months. So I decided to do an ashy brown ombré look for the winter and I didn’t even know if it would be possible but DAVID WORKED HIS MAGIC. my hair is a lovely shade of ashy brown, with a slight blonde ombré which is exactly what I had imagined. My hair feels silky and amazing.
David’s prices are super reasonable and he left my hair better than some higher end salons where I paid upwards of $ 300 to dye my hair.
All in all, I will definitely be coming back to David and would recommend him to anyone.

At first glance, the name «Hair 2001» might throw you off. I was skeptical at first, but the reviews don’t lie. This place excels in customer service, reasonable prices, and amazing results.
On a whim, I decided to chop off about a foot of my hair. It was a drastic change, and I only had a vague idea of what I really wanted — textured, angled lob; reddish brown dye. I called ahead of time, and was asked to come in for a free consult. I came in, and David was quite congenial, and asked me what I did for a living. I told him I was a teacher. He looked at me and told me he would not give me school teacher hair, but hair that was sexy and fun. We had a good laugh, and I immediately felt at ease and scheduled my 3-​hr appointment for the next day.
David and his team were fun to work with, and as soon as the first locks of my hair hit the ground, I knew I had made the right choice. We had some relaxing conversation and he asked me if I would like some refreshments. His team worked efficiently and tirelessly to make sure my color and cut came out just right. I even heard him kindly send one of his team members home, since it was almost closing and he could handle the rest of the job himself. He is clearly a thoughtful and considerate person, in addition to being dedicated to his craft.
Since then (Nov ’15), I have received countless compliments on my hair — even from strangers. My boyfriend said he liked the new, short hair and color better than my long, natural colored hair. I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere else to get my hair done. Thank you, David and team @ Hair 2001. You have scored another loyal customer!

Such an amazing place. Came all the way from Chicago to have my hair done by David, and it was worth it. David is so kind to giving me explanations on how the color would turn out on my hair. As for my case, I originally want to have my hair to be rose ombré/​balayage. However, I would need to touch up quite often since the color will be fading quite fast. In the end, we went for ash blonde with a hint of rose on the top, and I’m down for every strand of hair lol My 6 hours at the salon paid off! I love how the color blends out nicely from the root to the ends. Don’t hesitate to ask for hair care tips ladies and gentlemen #teamDavid

— — — — -edit
The day after I wrote the review, David reached out to me. He truly showed me what it means to have quality customer service. He touched up my hair and made it better than it was before. And I can tell that hair styling is not just his job but it’s really his life and passion. So when he is concerned about the results and your satisfaction, he genuinely means it and is there for you.
Warning to future customers: 1. Listen to everything David suggests and warns you of
2. If you’re going blonde and bleaching you hair, BEWARE OF HAIR BREAKING/​FRYING consequences! Be prepared to have unhealthy hair!
3. KNOW EXACTLY what you want (how the hair looks from back, front, sides, color) because David will deliver exactly what you show. [I showed a picture of a hair that was too blonde not knowing that it would look that badly on me T_​_​_​_​T]
But thank you David, you really saved me from what could’ve been a blue Christmas
— — — — -original post
I really like David and the place had a good atmosphere. I was really satisfied with the ending result until the next day when I showered. It was nothing like how David styled it and my hair is literally breaking. It’s been really over-​dyed and over-​processed that my hair looks like ugly straw. And maybe it was my mistake for wanting to get an even color correction but I regret bleaching my hair more and going blonde/​balayage. I’m just upset that I paid $ 400 for this and I’m thinking of chopping my hair off because it’s so damaged… David said he would do his best to not make my hair break and I didn’t understand what he was saying but I wish he had explained more so that I made a wider choice of just going darker and cutting my hair to color correct.
I’m just honestly so sad.

David’s been cutting and styling my hair for the past two years. I got a bayalage and colored my hair for the first time ever last year, and I’m glad I found this place to do it !!
Their prices are pretty reasonable for a higher end salon just don’t forget to bring cash!

David is hands down the best stylist and colorist ever. I’ve had only compliments with my color and cut. Historically I’ve changed stylists every other visit because I’ve never been fully satisfied. I have now found my forever stylist — David! I’d recommend scheduling time in advance because he’s the man and worth the wait.

Before last year, I had been looking for a place with reasonable prices but most importantly, with amazing and talented stylists. I had dyed, styled and highlighted my hair at so many places but I had never found THE place where I can fully trust the stylists. Until now! I found Toby and the staff last year when I was in search for a drastic change in preparation for my birthday event. I was nervous because I was going from natural dark to an ombré/​balayge (sp?) style I had seen on a magazine. I was super nervous ! But after 3 hours … Ooaallaaaaaa! I had an amazingly crafted flow to my hair color. I got so many complements! My color lasted for so long !!
Today, I went in for another pre-​bday hair coloring and again, I came out super satisfied!
The entire staff is amazingly attentive and sweet. The lady that washed my hair was so gentle I nearly fell asleep lol. And Toby was just this super fun and funny guy to talk to.
Go and check it out!
Thanks everyone at Hair 2001!

I came in with this ridiculously brassy, orange, overgrown ombré hair and David brought it back to life!!! I told him I wanted to go lighter and he is the first person in 5+ years that finally achieve what I wanted. My hair is so dark so I get a ton of hesitation from stylists whenever I say I wanted to go light but David was kind enough to tell me how it is and tried his damn best. Absolutely in love with how it turned out. He took his time even though the salon literally closed and they had to stay past their hours. Normally they close at 6:30 and I was there until 8! None of the staff rushed me out of there and it was a very pleasant 6 hours being in that salon. Thank you again David and the whole team! You guys are the best. (: see you guys again soon!

I wish I could give this salon a million stars for saving my hair!
After experiencing a horrible HORRIBLE ombré job from a previous salon, I hated my hair and needed it fixed ASAP! I called in on a Wednesday, after researching salons in the OC area and made an appointment for Saturday. I was so happy they could take me in such short notice.
Came in for an appointment with Toby. Immediately was greeted with warm hello’s and was seated. I needed a lot of work to fix my ombré job and Toby explained everything step by step. He took a picture of my hair from the back and I couldn’t believe that I was walking around with my hair looking like that. It was red on top (because the previous stylist didn’t dye the base color) and yellow on the bottom with no blending and a huge disconnect!
After showing Toby like 3 pictures of what I wanted it to look like, I told him to do whatever he thought was best. I put complete trust in him and just wanted to color correct and fix my ugly hair! He first changed the base color to a natural brown, then lifted my ombré to blend better, then tone. During the 5 ish hours I was there, everyone at the salon treated me with such care and excellent service. They kept restocking me with new magazines, always checking up on me and just doing the most! They get really busy too, but will never forget you and leave you hanging! Finally I started to see the finish product and I couldn’t stop smiling.
I seriously think this is the first time in a salon that I REALLY REALLY LOVED MY HAIR! Toby completely transformed a UGLY UGLY ombré to this beautiful ash blond well blended ombré. I couldn’t believe how pretty it was! I thanked him over and over and over again and really wanted to cry because I loved it so much!
I came into the salon so sad about how my hair looked and even more upset at the fact that I spent so much money on my hair fixing the ugly ombré. But I left the salon feeling so happy and in love with my hair! It is a little pricy here (don’t forget to bring CASH-​they don’t accept cards), but I really believe now that you get what you pay for! I wish I came here from the beginning, but now I know and will take this as a lesson learned.
There’s so many things I love about this place, but I think what I liked the most is that everyone here helps each other. Toby was my stylist, but when he was busy, David blow dryed and styled my hair (I love him-He’s so funny!!). They work together as a team and I love that. The women who work there are also super nice!
I’ve been getting so many compliments about my hair, and my friend even wanted to get a consultation from Toby the day after! I’ll recommend this place to everyone and I’m sure you will love your hair too!

Professional hairstylist, clean salon and super friendly staff.
I went there to color and highlight my hair and I ‘m supper happy with the result.
David suggested me to not doing highlight in this session since half of my hair had old highlight. I just color my hair and the result was so good; no orange hair anymore.
I totally recommend this salon. Thank you so much David. Looking forward to highlight my hair someday in near future.

Let me start off by saying Hair 2001 deserves the 5 stars it has on Unilocal.
To me, hair is the most important attribute a woman can possess, with eyebrows coming in at a close second. With that said, a woman should treat herself every now and then and give her hair some TLC. I am EXTREMELY picky with who works on my hair and money is not a deal breaker because cheap hair ain’t great, and great hair ain’t cheap! I have spent countless hours on Instagram and Unilocal trying to find «the stylist» and that is how I stumbled upon the amazing David at Hair 2001!
Thank you hair gods for David. My experience from the start was easy. I called a month in advance to book an appointment thinking that I needed to give them ample time to schedule me in, but no need. They are booked maybe a couple of weeks in advance, unlike some stylists who require you to book MONTHS in advance. If they don’t pick up, DO leave a message and they will call you back. I left a message and David called me back a couple of hours later. I had an appointment at 12:30 and didn’t leave the salon until 8!!! Once you sit in the chair, David asks what you would like achieve and tells you if it’s realistic or not. He will explain the entire process and then give you a price.
Yes, I sat in a chair for 7+ hours. David kept offering to buy me food while I was waiting for my hair to process. Very sweet him and it goes to show how much he cares about his clients.
Yes, I spent a GRIP. To give you an idea of pricing, I have long asian hair. I was quoted $ 325 for a balayage/​ombré + $ 55 for a haircut. Hella pricey, but worth it! You get what you pay for.
In the end, I walked out of the salon looking fabulous and feeling like a super star! Granted, my hair came out more of a rooty blonde/​balayage, but I am still in love. Every time I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I have to do a double take. I honestly don’t think I have ever stepped out of a salon feeling 100% satisfied, EVER.
CONS:
I don’t think David uses Olaplex and that’s a major bummer.
Everyone knows that wet hair is more fragile. With that said I wish they were more gentle when they were brushing out my wet hair. It broke my heart to feel and hear my hair snapping from all the tugging they were doing.
They are CASH ONLY.

David Chu is a total hair magician! I have been going to a very well known hair salon in Orange County but I won’t say any names. Anywho I wasn’t getting the results I wanted after three sittings.
I was looking on Unilocal and the pictures of David Chu came up and they spoke for themselves. All I can say is I am a very happy client and he earned my business for years to come.
Thank you David for giving me exactly what I wanted, the pictures simply do not do justice to your work.

David and Co. is fabulous!
This post is long overdue — apologies. I called on a Friday to make an appointment after seeing the photos and reviews of this place on Unilocal.I let the lady know I work on weekdays and would like to come in on a weekend if they had any openings. She asked, «How about this Sunday?»
I was surprised they had availability until I realized it was Fathers Day. Lucky for me my dad lives in another state anyways so I didn’t have many plans that day. Sign me up! The lady said I should be there for about 5 – 6 hours.
Knowing that, I made pancakes, bacon, eggs AND sausages around 9am. IHOP ain’t got nothing on me. Anyways, arrived at noon and I ended up sitting at the salon for 7 hours. OMG there were so many times I thought I was going to pass out. I was getting a bit delirious and I’m positive it wasn’t all of the chemicals in my hair. I kept fantasizing about a spring roll or a bowl of phở at the restaurant less than 50 feet away but I had foil in my hair and couldn’t leave. Learn from my mistakes. Bring a snack or pack a lunch if you’re going to do the balayage ombré — or David please get a vending machine.
Despite being hangry, the whole process was exceptional. I enjoyed the entire 7 hours. David really knows his stuff. He first consulted with me on what I was trying to achieve. I told him I had been eyeing photos of the balayage ombré and would love some lavender and brown in my hair for the summer. He looked at my hair and quickly assessed my hair would be dead if I went too light because I damaged it with too many box color kits. Oops.
I then told him he could do whatever he wanted and that I trusted him. Throughout the process, he explained what he was doing, what he was hoping to achieve without killing my hair. After several hours of application, rinsing, and drying, he finally unveiled the color. I was shocked. The color came out so light I felt like I needed sunglasses before I could even look back at the reflection in the mirror. Not being used to it, I asked him to take me a shade darker. He was happy to do so and another 1 – 2 hours later my dream color was achieved.
You can tell David and his team are really passionate about hair. I was mesmerized by the amount of detail and precision they gave to each client. They really care about the final product. (I am good at people observing when I have nothing else to do for 7 hours.) After blow drying my hair they styled it two ways: curled and straight. David then spent an hour showing me how to properly care for my hair and what products I should use. He also trimmed my hair since the split ends were so noticeable on the lighter ends.
All in all I am proud to say I have found my new stylist. David is very professional, is intelligent, and just a very down to earth person. I appreciate all of the pictures he texted me and he even followed up the next day. He truly cares about his clients!
As a first time customer, there are a few things I wish I knew before going in that I’d like to share:
1.) bring food/​snack
2.) bring good reading material
3.) bring iPhone charger (they have outlets at every station)
4.) bring cash (cash only!) — my total came out to $ 350 after tip. ($ 305 before tip). I had to drive to an ATM and the max I could withdraw was $ 300. Luckily I had $ 50 in my wallet.
5.) the trim was $ 55. $ 260 for my coloring. It would have been nice to get pricing up front.
6.) find a couple of pictures of what you want as they don’t have any actual demos in store (the selection they show is based on their Instagram photos)