I am a hair dressers worst nightmare in the sense that I never go in regularly for hair trims, I…read morepull my hair back into buns daily, I don't hydrate enough and occasionally I'll take out my own scissors to chop away. In general I usually only force myself to get my hair cut when I have a wedding to attend, and this time was no exception. In efforts to not be the bridesmaid with horrendous hair at my friend's wedding this weekend, I set out to find a decent hair salon in Chicago that works on damaged African American hair. Little did I know, the same salon my co-worker (with fabulous hair) has been raving about for years was the same shop I "discovered" on my yelp search. Time Hair Gallery's close proximity to the Chicago Loop and awesome reviews is what convinced me to bite the bullet. The area (Morgan Green Line) is super cute and has several yummy restaurants to dine in after you get your hair done (Nando's Peri Peri didn't disappoint). Upon my arrival I was warmly greeted, instructed to hang my coat and offered refreshments. My time was valued and I did not have to wait before my stylist - Victoria came to get me to consult on what I was in for. I clearly laid out my lack of devotion to hair care and she sweetly listened without lecturing like most places have in the past. Victoria is the first stylist that has ever said, "Okay we are going to start with a hair cleanse, I'll give you a deep condition and then we will discuss what I think should come off and what you feel comfortable with." In the past I have always had stylists just wash and then start chopping with little regard to what the client wants, so I was really impressed with her thoughtfulness. My hair cleanse was so lovely, with Victoria perfectly executing that magical tip of the finger pad scratch that only the pros can do. After a solid go around with the shampoo she put in a conditioner that smelled amazing (honestly all of their products smelled great which is such a major bonus) and sat me underneath a steamer. I have never been under a steamer (at least not that I can recall), so I was unsure about whether the steamer was on for the first five minutes. Sure enough just when I was about to ask if it was on I felt the glorious steam start to settle in and laid back to enjoy a relaxing sit-down there for what could have been anywhere from 20-30 minutes (I really suck at guesstimating time). After the steamer stopped Victoria washed out the conditioner and took me back to her station and dried my hair. She showed me the areas that needed to come off and in total only took about 1.5 inches off (much to my surprise since I was prepared to lose more). Prior to Victoria cutting my hair she asked if I wanted to leave with a straight do or with curls and told me I could think about it as she worked. After seeing her magic come to life with the scissors I gave her full reign to do what she wanted and she whipped out some lovely loose curls with her hair straightener. I walked out of that shop with a pretty, light and bouncy lob (long bob) and was feeling myself. Long story short, I am a fan and will be back in eight weeks to see Victoria. If you're on the fence.... go! Thank you Victoria for the awesome experience.

**BEWARE BEFORE BOOKING. WILL CHARGE YOUR CARD THE FULL AMOUNT BEFORE SERVICE**…read moreI've been going here for years so I am appalled to learn that this salon is willing to lie to make $110.00. I have been going to see Charminique for years. She does great work with color and styling but she is consistently late to every single appointment and always "running behind". My biggest mistake was to continue to go to a person who isn't timely. I made an appointment for June 8th at 9:00 AM. **I booked online and was charged for the entire amount before having a service** I arrived to my appointment 5 minutes early. Charminique had another client in her chair when I arrived. She hadn't even started styling the clients hair. I took a seat and Charminique asked me to wait 10-15 minutes to finish her client. 10-15 minutes went by and she wasn't ready for me. 30 minutes passed and Charminique was not ready. I got up to leave as I had another engagement to which I needed to be on time. I filed a dispute with my credit card company to get refunded and Kenyon (owner) and Charminique lied to the credit card company stating I showed up late and left without saying anything. Actually, I told Charminique I was leaving because my appointment was at 9 AM and it was 9:30 AM and she was still servicing another client. She said sorry and asked me to wait (the audacity to ask me to wait more than 30 minutes past my original appointment time). The owner was there and witnessed everything and didn't say or do anything to right the situation. If you like sitting around for hours wasting your entire day in a salon, go to Time Hair Gallery! If you like a business that has no integrity and will lie and to keep your money, go to Time Hair Gallery. If it took $110 to be rid of this place and poor service then it is a $110 well spent. would give negative stars if possible.

Kat is a Master of All Hair Styles! Don't let the ultra-cool, gothic decor fool you--this salon,…read moreand specifically stylist Kat, is for everyone. I'm a lawyer in my late 50s with a conservative colored bob, and Kat gives me the perfect, precise cut every time. Yet, I see her creating incredible, bold colors and cuts for the diverse clientele around me. Her versatility is phenomenal. Kat is talented, kind, and offers great early hours. Whether you want a sharp professional look or a creative transformation, I would highly recommend booking with her!

I am never disappointed when I leave the salon. Highly recommend Elvira the best. Back soonread more

Update: Still pissed actually 2.5 years later. You could have absolutely asked me if it was ok it…read moreshave my neck with buzzers. That's something you ask your clients if they want first not "there was nothing you could do" I had like 5" of hair that was shaved off without my consent.

Amaaazing service!! She was so quick! I went in with no appointment and they spoke both English and…read moreSpanish and had extremely reasonable prices with a cut wash and style! In love with how my hair came out after so many bad experiences trying to get bangs

This place is THE greatest place that cuts hair! I've been going for years, and for every time I've…read more gone, they've NEVER given me a bad hair cut. They are consistently great, and they some of the nicest people you'd ever meet. There is not a possible chance that I could give less than five stars, if anything, I'd give it 10 stars if I could! I love this place and I don't think I'd go anywhere else for a haircut!

Everyone is so welcoming when you come in. I had an appointment to get my roots done and for an all…read moreover toner and a cut. I had called and requested information on their Facebook in advance and they were so helpful. The service was very pleasant. I was offered coffee, water, or tea while I was there and they even charged my phone for me. I am so satisfied with the result and will definitely be back!

do not go!!! went to lily hair braiding on aug 13 2026!! had an appointment with lily! she was…read morebraiding my hair too tight! i told her and she said it will loosen up in two days!! following day i woke up with a fever and not able to turn my head!!! the next day aug 15th! had to go to the emergency room because the right side by my ear and neck was swollen and head had started to bleed!!! i was giving steroids and antibiotics due to infections caused by lily!!! called and told her and she said that she has been "doing hair for 20 years" and " does not do refunds". with no concern for my hair!!! my hair is gradually coming out and i don't know if my hair will grow back!!! will be filing a complaint with the health department and b.b.b!!!

I wear short natural hair after wearing crochet curls, and bald spots appeared. Once I grew my hair…read moreback and dyed it an unflattering color, I wasn't happy. I was looking for a black salon, believing they would know how to cut hair and could give me a cute hairstyle for the holidays. The stylist had just finished lunch and was engaged in a conversation about how she made cheesecake; she sliced my hair as if she were cutting cheesecake. What makes matters worse is that I gave her a $5 tip, not knowing she messed up my perfectly even afro shaping with men's sideburns. She went on vacation for the holidays and just returned on January 15, 2026. The phone number I had is not working. which means I must go to the salon and hold her accountable for the damages done to me. Restitution; Ephesians 4:25, Exodus 22:2-4

Miso gave me great service and was very respectful the cut was clean the deals he was is insanely…read moreaffordable i will be back

I got my haircut by Lyselle. Since it was my haircut with her, I was able to get a complimentary…read morehaircut. Lyselle is highly motivated and ambitious, and overall a pleasure to chat with. My fade haircut came out well, and I will definitely consider coming back next time! Thank you, @Lyselle_Lavish_Looks!

I called up there because I needed to get my hair done right quick and they always come through…read more To find out they were out of business was sad..

Awesome service awesome staff, I've been going here since 2010 I turned natural 2 years ago and I…read morelove the way they take care of my natural hair. You tell them what you want and as they are working on the hair if you have a preference of any sort they will oblige, I'm enjoying my natural and having someone to help with my journey is like the topping on the cake. I would not let anyone else cut/trim my hair, it always grow beautifully and stops shedding. When I don't go is when I have problems and have to start over again. 2024 more consistency, here's to long life and long healthy hair.

I can't believe no one has reviewed this place yet... I've…read morebeen coming to Illusive Image for quite a long time now. The owner Gwendy is thee go to person for an amazing cut and facial waxing. She is super friendly and understands your style instantly. She also takes care of men's hair too and she does an amazing job. Of course the place is sometimes packed with people waiting for her but it's definitely worth the wait. I get the occasional cut with Sonia when the wait is long. She's really good too. I would say I receive the same amount of compliments from both of the girls' work. Ultimately, I would say this is great place to check out.

I've been coming to this salon for about four years now to get my hair cut with Gwendy and I have…read morenever been disappointed. I finally decided to give Sonia a chance to cut my hair and I am extremely disappointed. It is so uneven, it looks like a toddler cut my hair. I am extremely upset at how bad my hair looks. I did not notice how bad my hair looked until I got home and washed it since she decided To curl my hair. Will be returning, but never again will I get my hair cut with Sonia. She will never be getting near my hair again.