Braid Bar &amp; Beauty

Locally owned & operated

20 years in business

TL;DR: This place is great! Book with Mark--he's an *artist*!…read more Longer version: My hair stylist quit the biz a few years ago to pursue a career as a therapist (so fitting, right?!) I was stoked for her! But since then, I've been adrift and searching for my hair match, trying out a new stylist for each cut. (My hair is fine but wavy with a weird cowlick, so it needs just the right layers. I had some great cuts and some so-so cuts, but never the right combo of close enough, a decent amount of availability that I'm not waiting months or driving across the bay, AND a great cut.) I tried Mark at Maru on a random rec from a friend whose daughter works at the salon--and after one cut, I feel like my search is over! The salon is very well-run and had an opening within a couple weeks. I arrived on time, was offered herbal tea, and waited under five minutes. It's in a nice spot in Berkeley with plenty of street parking with pretty cheap meters--$4. Mark asked me what I was looking for, got it right away, and was of course fun to chat with. I walked out with a cut I love for a reasonable price. I will definitely be back!

I was nervous about getting my hair done since it was such a spur of the moment thing to get a…read moretrim. My stylist, Shawn, led me through to the second area of their salon which was cool and was so detailed about doing my hair. I've never had a stylist so precise and who really took great care in making sure everything was even and cut in exactly the way I wanted. I showed him one photo, and my hair looked exactly like it after. It was definitely the longest haircut I've had and pricey as I'm not used to Bay Area prices just yet, but honestly, so worth it.

See all

Lili Hair Salon

4.1(178 reviews)

1.1 mi•Downtown Berkeley

Great great Haircut and has been for decades. I remember coming to this location in my teenage…read moreyears. I was here today and they did such a great job. I usually get my hair cut by the other woman here, but today I was with the other woman and the overall haircut and service were absolute best. I noticed the other haircuts they gave to others while i was there too.. really nice work. They seem to do consistently great work. Really happy to be free of all the hair i grew!!! Whew!! What a relief!!! Thank you Lili's Hair Salon!!!

This place has been my go to hair salon for 6 years straight working with both Irene and Cristy…read more They're both really great but im sad to hear though that Cristy no longer works here. If anyone knows where she works now, PLEASE DM me.

New hours

Haircut by Jen

See all

Hair before

La Petite Hair Salon

4.5(222 reviews)

2.0 mi

I've known La Petite for many many years. Professional…read more Punctual. Fair Pricing. Great Work. Friendly staff. Would definitely recommend the hair salon to anyone.

I went to get a haircut Friday afternoon for a special occasion and showed them exactly what I…read morewanted: a classic Ben Affleck Bruce Wayne-style haircut with regular-sized sideburns, just like the character. They asked me if I was graduating, and I said no, I was meeting my fiancée's mom the next day. Five minutes before the haircut was finished, the stylist took a big chunk off my right sideburn. She cut it too high, which ruined the whole haircut, especially since my face shape doesn't suit short sideburns. I told her I didn't like it. I didn't overreact or yell, I was just uncomfortable. The hairdresser said, "Too bad!" and tried to dismiss the issue. I told her again that she should have asked me about the length. She then took it personally and told her boss that I was making things up so I wouldn't pay, saying, "They do this so they don't pay." What do you mean by "they"? Not only did I feel dismissed and treated unprofessionally, but also disrespected. I was upset after the whole situation, but even then I was willing to pay and didn't want to leave without paying because I didn't want to prove her point. Plus, it's not that expensive. At the end, the stylist said she had 40 years of experience. Well, after this, it feels like you wasted 40 years and somehow skipped the basics of customer service. Not coming back, even after being offered a free haircut. I would rather pay three times what I paid today for a standard service where you're treated with basic courtesy.

Quick trim with long layers and slight face framing

La Petite Hair Salon - A photo of me later on in the day after I got a haircut at La Petite in 2016. I show this photo to all the stylists I go to as a reference.

See all

A photo of me later on in the day after I got a haircut at La Petite in 2016. I show this photo to all the stylists I go to as a reference.

Fox and Belle Salon

4.9(214 reviews)

1.9 mi•West Berkeley

Women-owned & operated

Certified professionals

I've been going to Vichida for tint touch-ups and haircuts, and I can't recommend her enough. She…read moreis consistent--not just with her timing and precise application, but also with the quality of her work every single visit. What truly sets her apart is her kindness. Over the years, she has always been warm, welcoming, and genuinely caring, which makes every appointment such a great experience.

I got a hair cut and Color from Reena Kumar and she is literally a miracle worker. She gave me the…read morebest hair I've ever had and her vibes are immaculate

Sunkissed Balayage with a soft root shadow for a blonde but natural look.

See all

Beautiful chic bob by Maritza

Vika Beauty Salon

4.6(228 reviews)

1.1 mi•West Berkeley

I walked in this week with very healthy hair and left with extreme heat damage, fried ends and…read morechunky uneven yellow highlights. When I stand in the sun, my hair is actually transparent. Virginia, you refunded my payment (thank you) and I wasn't sure whether to write this. I loved the haircuts I got from you before. But you cannot experiment on people's hair like this. And after this I do not think you should be coloring people's hair at all. I asked you directly before we started if you had knowledge and experience with blonde highlights and you said multiple times yes, and that you definitely could make it happen. But it turned out you had no idea how to do blonde bleach, let alone balayage. Once you rinsed out the bleach and saw how bad it looked, you didn't stop what you were doing to share what had happened. Instead of showing me the results, you applied a super-hot curling wand to give me a big hairstyle so I wouldn't notice the highlights. The wand on the new bleach left it with intense heat damage. The hair is falling out as I write this and my whole head stinks of burnt hair. This did not need to happen - you could have simply told me the truth, that you have no idea what you're doing with blonde highlights, and I would have been able to find someone who does, and my hair would still be healthy right now. Please let me be the last person this happens to.

I came to Vika Beauty Salon to get the haircut that I didn't get at the last place I went to…read more Virginia referenced my inspo pic a few times and asked questions along the way to ensure she was getting me exactly what I asked for. I have paid far more for lesser quality cuts. She is friendly, detailed, and efficient. I mentioned to her the other reviews that suggest booking far in advance but she said that it only gets busy around the holidays. I was able to get a booking within a week in mid-January. Leave a voicemail and she will get back to you in a timely manner.

Tonsure

Virginia is a master stylist.

See all

Keter Salon

4.5(712 reviews)

2.0 mi•West Berkeley

i hate haircuts! i always leave feeling sad and in existential dread (who needs to stare at…read morethemselves for that long anyway?) Nick made my experience awesome, he listened to me and gave ma cut i loved! The shampoo was so tender and i feel like my foxiest self. conversation was easeful and light. So appreciate! Will be back in 6-8 months lol

I cannot say enough about this salon and all of their staff. Everyone is truly wonderful. And, ACE…read morewas AMAZING. We had such a great time and the end result was "CHIC-ILICIOUS"! Purple, Teal, Fuschia, Oh MY! Thank you!

Huge makeover from long to short

After 1 year we cut 7inches of and gave our client a fresh new look!

See all

Bespoke graduation from our junior stylist Jess

Edge Hair Salon

4.2(362 reviews)

1.4 mi•Telegraph Ave

Got my first ever perm from Ana and it went great. I will also say she went the extra mile too by…read morejuggling multiple appointments due to my screw up. I just showed her a picture and bam she recreated it perfectly.

Finally came back for a perm touch up And a haircut with…read moreMonica after 4 months. She did an amazing job as usual, couldn't be happier with the job she did. My wife and friends said I looked like a kpop star lol.

See all

Wood Salon

4.6(491 reviews)

1.4 mi•Elmwood

Annika is amazing. She did a beautiful job with my highlights and style, and I couldn't be happier…read morewith how my hair turned out. She was professional, warm, and really took the time to understand what I wanted. The result felt fresh, flattering, and exactly right. I highly recommend Annika if you're looking for a talented colorist and stylist.

Annika cut my hair and it's exactly what I wanted! she was super sweet and taught me how to style…read moreit as well!

Color and Haircut by Eliza

Traci Rinella razor haircut, Wood Salon (917)917-5500

See all

Haircut by Julie Wood

Shear Perfection Hair Salon Berkeley

4.9(74 reviews)

1.5 mi•Telegraph Ave

Hairstylist is so nice and did such a great job! Basically no wait, very fast and efficient!read more

Ja is amazing! I went as a first time walk-in and she was able to fit me in her schedule (and I…read moreleft within a half hour). I had been looking for a spot that knows how to cut Asian hair (I have stubbornly straight, thick hair) as I was looking to get a textured mod cut, and I scored! Ja delivered what I asked for and I left feeling really satisfied with my new chop. If you're looking for a locally owned, affordable, sweet and friendly salon, Shear Perfection is it : )! Thank you, Ja!

Photo of my brand new haircut, after shower, no styling

See all

Lhasa Hair Salon

4.3(198 reviews)

1.6 mi•Downtown Berkeley

Great spot for a quality men's haircut at a very reasonable price if you are in Berkeleyread more

I love this salon. Have been coming for years. The haircuts are better than many "fancy" places and…read morethe owners are super kind. Also, I love that there is no shampooing or anyone trying to sell you products. Just a really good dry cut, which will look amazing once you wash your hair at home and dry it!