My Keratin treatment Sept 6 with Johannie was OUTSTANDING. She is a very confident, talented, professional-perfectionist! She painstakingly applied the treatment and the results are the best. To management: I was a little confused about the separate day, required consultation. I informed that I had this treatment several times before yet it was still required. The consult lasted about 3 mins; the drive, however, was over an hour! Johannie's expertise helped me forget that. Wink. read more

I had the best experience with Alchemy--Jesslyn was phenomenal! She's now the only hair stylist I'll go to.

Love love love it! i have since moved far away from the salon, but I still keep going back. Everyone is really friendly and hilarious, and I really enjoy the laid-back atmosphere. Prices are somewhat high-end, but in my experience, it is always worth it. Cookies, tea and infused water are available for customers, and the chairs at the hair-washing stations are massage chairs. It's the small touches like that that put the place over the top. read more

YES!!! My curly hairs are happy again. I like to think of myself as a low-maintenance kind of girl, but have lately realized that sometimes, life hands you a high-maintenance head of hair. That could be a metaphor, or not, but at any rate...my curls are TROUBLE, especially in the last couple years that I've been growing them out from a historic pixie-cut. I swim regularly in over-chlorinated pools. I bleached them blonde without the help of a trained professional. I cut ill-advised bangs after everything had finally got to ponytail length. My last stylist tried to help me by thinning things out, which has resulted only in a frizzy, frightening mess. After sending me off for a really nice shampoo and head massage and turning a sympathetic, non-judgy ear to my various hair-abuse confessions, Jody spent half an hour carefully and strategically snipping and shaping, then sent me off to sit under the dryer with a cup of tea, some Hershey's kisses, and a rack of trashy magazines. The result? For the first time in memory after a haircut, my hair does not look noticeably shorter. Instead, some of the disaster area has been pruned back and everything else looks much, much better. It's gonna be a while before I have the long, ringletty, ready-for-the-Ren-faire-except-better-conditioned hair of my dreams, but in the mean time, Alchemy is making great strides in helping me not walk around looking like a rained-upon sheep. In short: ladies with abused, rebellious, curly hairs? Make an appointment with Jody. She knows her stuff. read more

I have been a customer here since it first opened! I love love LOVE my hairstylist Gwen. I trust my hair to NO ONE and she never disappoints. I usually go for color, partial highlights and of course haircut. I have long thick hair and she always works her magic. ( I must admit, I feel guilty sometimes as I know how much I hate to blow dry my own hair because I have soo much! Gwen never complains). She is so talented as are the other stylist at the salon. I love the different patterns she does when I get highlights...I also get many compliments from random people. I have a 9 year old daughter who adores Gwen, and also looks forward to "her appointment," with Gwen. She has been going to Gwen since she was two; she also LOVES her as much as I do. My daughter has also seen other stylist for various up-do's, (weddings) Kate and Jessica, and Johnny for a few cuts as well. They all did a terrific job! The up do's were fabulous......worth every penny! Everything here is always worth every penny. The salon's atmosphere is great, very relaxing, and everyone is super nice. The owner is wonderful, extremely welcoming and does a great job, customers and employees seem to love her just the same. They serve gourmet tea, cookies, juices, candies, etc., while you wait. There are many great products on display, as well as jewelry. ( I do MISS the Semi-Di-Lino line of products.) I must admit, I can't get out there as often as I'd like to, motherhood has RSVP'd all my free time and extra $$. I look forward to seeing Gwen and relaxing when I do have the time to get my hair done. If you are looking for a place that will treat you like a queen, do an amazing job on your hair, and get an amazing shampoo....this is the spot hands down!!!!! read more

I recently moved to the area and was lookig for a new hair salon. I get highlights so I was VERY nervous about where to go...and I had a wedding to go to that weekend. I read the reviews on YELP and decided to make an appointment. I went to Holly who was super fast and my hair highlights look better than the place I went to before. Before we started we kind of did a "consultation" - I originally went in for a full highlight but Holly was honest with me and told me I really only needed to do partial (which was nice bc she wasnt trying to take my money). She also made recommendations for what we could do in the future, which got me excited! Holly was super nice, efficient, and did an EXCELLENT job on my highlights. read more

I called on a Friday evening as a new customer and was able to get an appointment for the next morning. I was warmly greeted, only had to wait a few minutes for my stylist, Julie. She was kind and attentive. She asked about what I wanted, listened carefully, asked a couple of questions ...then gave me exactly what I had asked for. She didn't try to push services onto me that I wasn't interested in ...she just gave me the haircut that I wanted. It is a bit pricey, and parking can be a total pain ...which are the only negatives I have about my experience. read more

Brittney was great.I am so happy with my cut the front desk was great too. I will definitely be back Brittney is knowledgeable in her work she took her time she doesn't rush the service . read more

Been going to this salon for about a year and a half and have never had a bad experience. Just started seeing Jesslyn when Kate left (sad!) but have found her service and styling to be fantastic! read more

KATE ROCKS! And my experience with her was transformative. Not only did she provide me the best haircut I've had in a very long time, she also taught me about my hair and showed me different techniques for getting the most out of its natural features. I was also very impressed by how great other clients looked and how happy they appeared with their service. I will definitely be going back! read more

Another long overdue review! I have been going here for almost 2 years, and I love this salon! My stylist is Dez, and she is AHMAZING-- I drive down from Columbia to go to her! My hair has never looked better thanks to her! She has substantially changed up my style and my color (at my request of course!)--I've gone from a mild highlighted dark/med brown to dark reddish brown to a medium/light blonde over the last few years, always with loads of compliments! Dez is masterful with color and cut, and she is awesome to boot! I always look forward to seeing her, and I have complete confidence in her. I always leave feeling pretty and hip! The rest of the folks at the salon are also great- nice people, great atmosphere. I cannot recommend highly enough! :) read more

I went to Shideh for an asymmetrical chop, and I can't recommend her or Alchemy enough! I've never gotten an expensive hair cut, but decided that chopping off six inches merited one. Thank you so much! read more

I had a great experience today at Alchemy salon. I've been here a few times before for haircuts, but today I went in with a mix of brown, blonde, and red dye in my hair hoping to go back to full blonde. Desirea took on my case, which quickly turned into a whole staff effort to help me return to blonde for the summer! After 9 hours (seriously, 9!), a bleached head, highlights on ever strand of hair, dyed roots, three toners, and a haircut, I have an unbelievable result. My hair is beautifully gold and looks really healthy. The staff were so patient and willing to spend all day assisting me. True professionals, and I highly suggest this salon to anyone looking for a place to go for cuts and color. read more

I am completely APPALLED at what I just witnessed at Alchemy hair salon this past weekend! I never experienced anything so unprofessional in my life and felt so moved by what happened that I had to write a review. This past Sunday I accompanied a friend who regularly comes to Alchemy to get her hair styled. We went through the regular salon routine of being checked in, and greeted by the stylist to begin services. Mid way through my friend's service a manager began having an argument with her employee (in plain sight). It seems as though she was clearly firing her employee. She didn't even attempt to take the employee to the back/out of sight to be discreet about the ordeal. She screamed and yelled and slammed the door a few times. As a customer, I felt completely uneasy and uncomfortable as well did the other women sitting next to me. The stylist seemed completely shocked and I felt terrible for her for I've seen her around the salon the other times I accompanied my friend and she always had a bubbly personality. I am writing this review because this is not the first time management has made me feel uneasy. There's a blondish/brown haired woman who I believe to be the manager who always has a nasty attitude. She's borderline offensive when she speaks. I heard her speak rudely to the receptionist a few times while at the front desk. Her face never looks pleasant and I have yet to understand why they have her at the front desk for everyone to see. I would think being in the front you would want someone bubbly but I guess she didn't get the memo. I believe there's two managers, one heavier set woman with short black hair and the other is the blondish/brown older woman I mentioned above. The one manager (black hair) is usually hot and cold. Sometimes she smiles and other times she looks sad or mad. I can't figure out which. All I know is this is the straw that broke the camel's back for my friend and I. I told her she needs to start coming to my salon where they don't have this drama and customers are never made to feel uncomfortable (especially when a salon is suppose to be serene and fun). This situation never would have happened at the salon I go to. At Alchemy they have talented staff (the little I've seen) but I will never support managers who belittle their employees and disregard the comfort of their main priority... THE CUSTOMERS!!! J. read more

I'm new to the area and needed to make an apt ASAP for a military ball I had. I walked in on a Thursday and they told me they had nothing available for Saturday but they would call me. Sure enough they left me a msg the next day that something had opened it up and they would block the time for me until I called back. I was seen Saturday by Leah and she did a PHENOMENAL job! She saw a photo I brought for my up do and did it even better than the picture! My appointment was at 1245pm and it held until 1am! I received many compliments on my hair and will definitely be returning! read more

I absolutely love this salon. I just moved to the area from Germantown and was in desperate need of a hair cut. (It's been 1 1/2 years!) I called and they could squeeze in a trim the day of. I have always have long hair and I don't trust many people to cut it, but Jodie did an amazing job. I was expecting to loses a few inches because of all the dead ends but I still got to keep some of my length. My bangs look amazing and the best part is they offer free bang trimming with no appointment. This place is awesome. I will return. read more

I had tried a Regis Salon because it was easy to get to at the mall and had found a good stylist at one in another city. That was not the case here in Silver Spring so I was hunting again and found this place. Prices are based on what I think they call the tier of the stylist that is working with you. I have been going to Leah for many months now and she has done a great job (I think they told me she is a tier 1...since I haven't been to a place like that before I was a tad bit intrigued and worried). The first time she had to work on fixing the bad job the other place did with color and cut. There are a lot of people that come in here, including to her, so I am impressed that she always remembers the wacky things about my hair. A fabulous bonus is that when you get your hair shampooed they massage your scalp and you're sitting in a massage chair! I was just getting over a migraine the last time and I only wish I had had this at home because I was so very relaxed. For everything I get from Alchemy and the compliments I get on my hair it is worth the price to go here and I am so very glad that i found them! read more

I have purple hair and Mary Ann always makes sure it rocks!!! I love Alchemy and the shampoo is the bestest thing ever.

I went into Alchemy solely based on Yelp reviews. I was assigned Leah (Lea?) for a cut and color. I was woefully unsure of what I wanted but she managed to pull together everything I asked for into a very good haircut and an amazing color. I'm pretty darn happy :) read more

I've been here twice, one for a hair cut and once for waxing. The haircut was fine, I don't love it, but I also don't hate it (and she basically did what I asked her to). My stylist was Leah, she was really nice and personable. She didn't really provide any constructive input when I asked her opinion on what haircuts would be good for me. Generally I like to give stylists a bit of creative freedom with my hair. I chose this salon because I thought it's stylists would suit that mentality. I will definitely go back and give them another shot, but I'm not sure if they'll end up being my go-to salon. I saw Krystal for a waxing. She was really nice and extremely helpful and informative regarding aftercare. I went here for the wax because my normal waxing salon couldn't get me in before my vacation. Generally I prefer going to salons that exclusively do waxing (I find others are just not as good), but I think I'll keep this place as my back-up. read more

Highly recommend. Nice atmosphere, nice music, nice staff. I had my hair done by Leah. She did color on my roots and a couple highlights thrown in since I didn't need highlights yet. Wonderful cut that works both with curly style and hot iron. I have never had so many compliments in my life from old, young, male, female, store clerks, strangers, fellow doctors and nurses, other staff, family. I am embarrassed by the constant compliments as they have nothing to do with me. The cut and color were amazing and outstanding. I'm 72 and feel 45. What an uplift to life!!! read more

Ok. I am a guy so my reviews are not nearly as long as a lady's experience would be. So here it is. This is a great salon. Massaging chairs to great hair stylists. The customer service was great. Someone offered me something from starbucks. That was very nice of them and they did not have to do that. But...they did. Ask for Nikki or Dez. :) read more

Wonderful first experience at Alchemy! Dan did a wonderful job reviving my butchered hair. I've already received three compliments! The staff was really pleasant and fun to talk to. Comfy chairs for shampooing and for the haircut. Lastly, while it seems a little pricey, I understand that I am receiving a service that takes time and consideration. Dan really knew what he was doing! read more

Jodi is awesome when it comes to curly hair!! She asked great questions regarding how I style my hair and knew just what to do to make my hair look great! The scalp massages here are great too! The price here is a little higher than I've seen in the area, but I feel like it was worth every penny! I highly recommend this place! read more

I have been going to Jessica for years. She is extremely talented. I strongly recommend her for any treatment, cut, and highlight/color. I have thick curly hair; Jessica has mastered styling it. My highlights and cut always look fantastic. Jessica has recommended great products and styling techniques. She is not just stylist, but an artist. If you are looking for the quality, skill, creativity, and professionalism look no further. read more

First time here and I'll definitely be going back! Sheree really listened to me and did a fab color (darker for winter) and cut and even showed me a new (to me) way to style my heavy, slightly wavy (who knew?) hair. Funky, fun atmosphere and friendly staff. Only thing...I don't think I got the scalp massage other reviewers have mentioned, but it may have gotten lost in the shuffle (a couple of people worked on my hair.) oh well...hopefully next time! read more

I've been there twice and both times i went to mary ann. I love how she works with my hair. She takes her time before hand to talk to you and see exactly what you want and does her best to stay with what you want but also makes sure it looks good on you. I've never been so happy with how my hair has been done. I have a lot of hair and it is very thick and not to mention very wavy. I went to mary ann after a bad experience with another salon when i cut my long hair that was half way down my back to a short cut. Mary ann listened to what i wanted and found out about my personality and did an amazing job in giving my a fantastic rocker chick short hair cut. The price is a little steep but its worth it because the quality of the cut is non comparable. read more

Three years later and I'm still going here! Jesslyn is no longer there so I go see Holly now. OMG. She's amazing!!

I have been frequenting Alchemy for the last five years, and immediately gave it a try after I saw the amazing job that Dan did for my mom. I tried Dan, and at another point tried Johnnie, and can say that I have had a wonderful cut and or color every single time. I started with Dan, when he needed to do corrective color on me (I had burned my hair from box color), and I knew that it was going to take several processes to fix it. He put his hands in my hair, and changed it. My hair started to repair, and the color correction that he did was just amazing. I continued to go to him for a couple years after that, and then he took a break. During that sojourn, I went to Johnnie once. He was fantastic. Johnnie gave me an asymmetrical bob with a small bang, because I asked for something that would make my face look a little thinner, as I was going out of town to visit friends. I absolutely would have continued going to him, if Dan had not returned. Dan returned to Alchemy, and I am back in his seat. He does amazing color, and really knows my hair. Between Dan, Johnnie, and the shampoo/massage (NOTE: there are a couple girls that have just started there that are rough -- ROUGH, but Desi is the ABSOLUTE BEST), I absolutely adore Alchemy! It's worth it! read more

I visited Alchemy for the first time and had the best salon experience ever. Even from the moment I called to make the appointment, I felt well-cared-for and like a valued client. Shereen did an awesome job with my hair. I loved that she presented me with options to choose from and we decided together on a style that would work best. I've never had so much fun getting a haircut! I so appreciate everyone's professionalism and courtesy. I love the confirmation via text too. read more

I had a lovely experience at Alchemy. I took heed to a couple of other reviews and booked with Madinah. I am so glad I did! After being back in this area for 6 years, I can finally say I found someone I will go back to. I have very curly, frizzy hair and have had one too many hack job haircuts. Madinah is a natural who made awesome suggestions that I felt comfortable letting her execute. My curls are bouncy and healthy and I am relieved to have found a solid hairstylist! read more

My haircut with Gwen was great. As a guy I am used to most barbers being somewhat rough while using and electric razor for fade and shape up but Gwen was not only amazingly gentle but also very meticulous with her scissor work. I was really amazed at her skill level. Of course this also translated to a great haircut that I was very happy with and will absolutely be returning! read more

I popped into this salon after moving to Silver Spring and I must say, it was one of the best experiences I have had... and I have had a LOT of bad experiences when it comes to my hair. I didn't know anything about the stylists, so when I called and asked for an evening appointment, they assigned me to Shereen. She has a really trendy haircut and clearly knows a LOT about styling hair, and I don't, so that can be sort of intimidating sometimes. Luckily, she was really happy to answer any of my questions and even took her braid out to show me how to blow dry my hair with a round brush by myself (which has always seemed really difficult). In the end, I loved my cut and she wasn't pushy at all about products, which I really appreciate, although I ended up getting a mousse that I'm in love with. Bottom line- I will be back! read more

Brand new to the area-read reviews here and called for an appointment for a cut and a style. After answering some basic questions and describing what I liked, I was given an appt with Jeremiah--and was completely satisfied. He cut my hair so that it will take little to get it to look good on my own-explained what to do so that I can do it at home. Deidre gave me the best shampoo/massage that I have ever had ever. I really liked the salon as well-quiet, clean, and friendly. read more

Wanted to add another review to comment on Gwen. She was the initial stylist that I first met in '08/'09. She was knowledgeable regarding the curly hair cut and products. It is now 12/2011 and just saw Gwen again. She is very knowledgeable about the physiology of hair, the dynamics of products and how certain ingredients may or may not be beneficial to the hair. Products are recommended, never pushed. Overall, Gwen certainly takes her job seriously and I find her a specialist in her field. So pleaed with my hair care! read more

I had my first haircut at Alchemy last week with Mary Ann......she is AMAZING!!! The whole salon is, in fact. It has a very relaxed yet cool vibe, yummy snacks to munch on and the best magazines to flip through, massage chairs while you're getting shampoo'd. It's clean and organized, and the whole staff is welcoming, friendly, and talented . It's clear they love what they do and are very good at it. I could also see how they interacted, communicated, and helped each other out while working. It's always nice to see that in a business (any kind), because I think it says a lot when the employees really seem happy. Back to Mary Ann - amazing shampoo and scalp massage, and I LOVE my hair cut! It is perfect, looks great, and I can maintain it by myself at home. Aside from the cut itself, I also really loved how she talked to me and listened about how my hair has been, my last cut, what I normally do to it on a daily basis, etc. She offered great suggestions, but was never pushy in any way. Very nice and easy to talk to. There are sooo many salons around this area, but this one is the best!!!! read more

It is hard to find a stylist you trust and I went out on a limb when I moved to SS and got an appt with an available experienced stylist from Alchemy. I haven't regretted it. I've been pleased with my hair the times I have gone there for cuts and a highlight (been approximately 6 times or so), and will continue to do so as long as I live in the area. The cost is pretty high but I think it is on par with the service and not nearly what it would cost you in downtown DC (also I feel the products are reasonably priced). The stylist I have used a number of times now, Devon, has always been very nice and done a solid job. Overall - you can get a good haircut here without worry. read more

This salon is in my neighborhood. We're new to the area, I read good reviews and thought I'd give it a try. Jeremiah was my stylist & I liked him. We talked about what I wanted before he started working. My biggest complaint was the PRICE for the services received. I knew he was an 'upper-tier' stylist at the salon so the prices would be a little higher. I have short, chin-length hair. I had color, partial hi-lights, toner and a TRIM (NOT a style change) as I want to let my hair grow out. My bill came to $260! ($70 for the trim - which was just okay, $190 for color & partial highlights, $20 for toner.) Please keep in mind I have short bob-length hair! The total did NOT include a product I bought and a 15% tip! So the grand total was: $320! I was shocked by the bill. I certainly did NOT expect to pay that much. Yes, perhaps if I were in Georgetown or downtown D.C., maybe... I just moved from Europe and I visited some pretty high-end salons there, and the most I paid was around $200-220 -- and that was high for me! Additionally, thought the music in the salon was too loud. The environment felt too chaotic, busy and frenetic. Again, I liked Jeremiah, but I feel Alchemy's prices are WAY TOO HIGH for what I received. My hair does not look like $260 worth of work was done to it. Won't be back because prices are too high. read more

I visited Alchemy recently because I needed help recovering from an unfortunate hair accident. I accidentally went to another salon in the area and let the guy talk me into getting a body wave. The worst accident was sitting down in his chair. My hair turned out crispy, and resembled wild cotton. $50 of product later, and still cottony, I decided to take the pricey chance that Alchemy might be able to help. On the way, I stopped by the other salon - I thought that the owner might like to know the results and perhaps I could save someone from a similar fate. But no, he told me he did everything right, and it must be my hair. He also said that he didn't know how I thought the other salon would have some magical person that could do better than he could -- the way they would fix it would be to cut my hair off, along with the perm. Enter Julie and Alchemy. Some people think that a consultation means that the stylist doesn't know their craft. I deeply appreciated that she consulted several people to be sure that the conditioning treatment she selected was the BEST for my particular fright wig. She did a wonderful job, and didn't cut off all my hair. She also selected the right products for aftercare. So far, so good, it's a great improvement. For years, I thought I couldn't afford to go to Alchemy. Now I think I can't afford not to. Thank you, Julie, magical person... I will be back... read more

Just went to Alchemy yesterday for the first time. I went in thinking I wanted a hair cut and a body wave to add some life to my otherwise boring hair. After the stylist, Jeremiah, looked at my hair and considered what I wanted, he actually said that with the right cut and product, I could have the same results without a body wave. I was skeptical, but he was absolutely right! He gave me an awesome cut and voila, I discovered that I didn't need to spend $150 on a body wave--I had plenty of wave of my own. He suggested some curl enhancing products and I walked out very happy and with more money in my pocket than I expected. Very impressed. I will definitely be going back! read more