I needed a haircut for my toddler daughter, whose hair we haven't cut since she was born! I wanted to finally get it professionally done, and this was a decent spot. They charge $35 for all haircuts, no matter if they're adults or children. No appointments taken - just walk right in, and the place was empty for me. Cash only. They had a special booster for kids, but nothing cute like a little airplane or anything like that. They gave her the same little poncho they would give adults, and it just looked so cute on my daughter. Generally the haircut was super fast, only taking about 15 mins, and my toddler did surprisingly well. However, the lady cutting my hair didn't hear what length I wanted. I wanted it shoulder length for her, and it looked like what she cut was only an 1-2" shorter than her original length. So basically, she had to go back and redo the whole haircut. This is when my toddler started to lose it. Thankful for the screentime, a little goes a long way, and her haircut looks wonderful. She layered it, and really fixed up her bangs. At the end of the visit, she offered a balloon. My daughter and I got excited, until the lady just opened a bag of deflated balloons, and asked if I wanted to blow it up. Really? I just tipped you $10...I was hoping you'd blow it up with helium in the back! There's some metered parking in the area, but also free parking that's down the block...down a hill FYI. Mixed feelings if I want to return. It was close, convenient, and although the haircutter did a good job with the haircut, it was annoying she couldn't just listen to me from the beginning. Sigh. read more

Judy did an amazing job with my 2.5 year old daughter. No screens or other kid distractions there- very simple vibe. Just plopped her in the chair, and it was kinda like magic. Judy held my daughter's attention the entire time! Thank you Judy and the other reviewers who posted similar experiences. read more

One of my neighbors highly recommended Judy. Came here 30 minutes after it opened on a Saturday. There was a customer that was already there when I came and there was a customer when I left. Judy was so nice and understands hair so well. My hair can grow out really long and heavy. She knew exactly how to thin it out and what length fit well with my face and frame. She even gave me layers that will look good when it grows out. She's also a great person to talk to while getting your haircut. There was no sense of any awkwardness during our haircut conversation. She's a kind lady that loves her family. I can't wait until I bring my toddler to come get her haircut with her because I hear she's really patient with younger kids. She goes through a slow learning process to help them feel comfortable. If you haven't been here yet and you've been thinking about it, you should really come. read more

There aren't many places I have found that willingly take 3 and under. I took my son here and he did so well with his haircut! She was so gentle and kind so he wasn't scared at all. It helps that the L Taraval goes right past her shop so that kept my son entertained. She even turned the chair towards the window so he could watch them go by. She wasn't pushy like other places who insist on me giving my son screentime to keep his head still, or leave areas unfinished. She was patient, and listened to the type of cut i wanted and did a great job! read more

Amazing work! Very quick and efficient. My son loves getting his hair cut here. Thanks for all you do!

Judy is great! She cut my hair well and we had a lovely conversation. Can't believe I've been sleeping on this neighborhood gem all these years as a local. Will be back! read more

Gentle Cuts is not a hipster barbershop. There is no industrial exposed brick walls and steel beams, no espresso bar nor cutting edge dance tunes playing on the mixing board. It's a small, aging barbershop staffed by one of the nicest ladies to cut my hair in a long long time. Judy apparently has been dishing out solid and timely haircuts for everyone in the family for decades. I was driving in for the day to catch a theatrical performance downtown and since I'm no longer nearby my former barbershop I was looking for a reasonably priced and highly rated place without reservation fees and an over the top website presence. Called, was told there is no wait and to be sure to bring cash. Thirty dollars ($30) plus tip ($5) and less than thirty minutes later I'm back in business. She was friendly, chatty and a nice balance of efficiency and friendly. By the time I was done there were two more guys waiting to get cuts. This was a Wednesday afternoon before the July 4th holidays. I will definitely be back. Great job Judy and keep doing your thing the old school way ! It's perfect just the way it always was. Keep this level of service and fair pricing and we will keep coming back. Well done. I'm a fan. read more

Gentle Cuts - Unassuming entrance. - Barbers Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Been getting my hair cut from Judy for a year and a half. She does a great job! Friendly inviting atmosphere.

I read other reviews about this place and there was only one lady inside. I was a bit nervous at first but I explained the type of cut I wanted and she did an excellent job of delivering. Will definitely be coming back here in the future. Other reviews are definitely reflective of her great service and skill! read more

This is my new place to get a haircut. I was in need for a haircut this place fit the bill. The haircut turned out to be good. Easy and good is my tempo. read more

Gentle Cuts - Barbers Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Great haircut for my first time there. Nice fade. Very sweet. Expect to pay $30+ tip.

We all know that the classic barber shop has just about disappeared. The barber who was licensed by the state and had gone to "barber college" has retired or is gone forever. What remains are amateurs who can't use a scissors and who service the exotic trade who mainly want furrows in their scalp. Well, Judy knows how to cut hair. I asked for a business man's neat haircut and got it. I recommend this shop. She listens and delivers. 5 stars. read more

I needed a quick cut and saw that her shop was still open, so I went right in. She is as nice as I remembered and asked if the cut was ok before finishing up. Got the mirror for me to look at the back and I was on my way! Quick in and out in about 45 mins including waiting time. Glad I stopped by and know that she is doing well! Be prepared to wait since it is drop in appointment only. read more

Honestly was not expecting much since this seems more like a family haircut place but so glad I just tried it. The lady who cut my haircut, Judy, was so fast and precise with her scissor and clipper work. I've had about 2 consistent barbers in my life and she was very on par with her speed and accuracy. Not to mention her attention to detail was spot on, she knew to thin out my hair without me mentioning anything and also confirmed and checked before she made any shorter cuts. I was in and out of this place within like 20 minutes. I will definitely be going again and would 10/10 recommend this to any other guy who is looking for a high taper cut, the only caveat is that this cash only but that's not a deal breaker for me. read more

Judy has been cutting my hair since 2012. I am proud to be a loyal customer here. She deserves more biz. Super nice lady and talent to boot! She cares about the experience and consistently asks how the haircut is going. I will always wait even with 6 ppl in front of me. read more

I am happy with my haircut from Judy and how fast, and accurate to what I wanted my haircut ended up being. I highly recommend and the atmosphere is cozy and welcoming read more

Did a really good job with my haircut for a very reasonable price. Could not be happier with the cut and service.

One of the best places to get a haircut. The proprietress is very nice and sweet-she always thanks folks for waiting. She can also speak Cantonese! read more

Don't be fooled by the quaint atmosphere - this lady knows how to cut! I left with one of the best haircuts I've ever gotten, feeling like a changed man. They don't take cash, and I didn't bring any. But she was nice enough to let me leave and come back with cash in hand to pay. Really affordable haircut and amazing and gentle treatment just like the title. Well worth it. read more

Went here for a cut in my area that was inexpensive and she was fantastic! Quick, clean, I showed her a couple of reference photos and it wasn't long at all. She's also super nice!! Also note that it's cash only :) read more

Judy the owner is very nice and cut my hair a longer, asking if Inwanted it shorter which I did. She doesn't cut hair like a lot of places, speed. She takes her time. I've had three haircuts from her and they've all been excellent. If you want a great haircut go see Judy. read more

I love getting my hair cut here. The location is really convenient and cuts are very affordable. Gentle Cuts is always takes walk ins so you never have to worry about making an appointment. Judy is experienced cutting hair for adults and kids. She takes a lot of care in each hair cut and checks if you want anything adjusted. Highly recommend stopping here if you need a trim :) read more

Gentle cuts is a great local haircut place. The business is ran by a very professional and great person in general named Judy... she opened the place years ago and glad that's she always busy... she listens and is open minded and does great fades... I use to go to her when she shared a location further down on Taraval until she open gentle cuts... I'm so glad she opened the business and seems a lot of people can enjoy her professionalism... I only wish I wrote about her great work earlier... thanks Judy for all the years of haircut... read more

Great haircuts, cheap prices and a wonderful owner who always has a smile on her face.

I have been taking my sons to Judy at Gentle Cuts for their haircuts for several years, and I can't recommend Judy enough. She is very kind and patient with kids. She consistently does a great job with their haircuts and always checks in with me to see if I'm happy with the length. We missed her during the lockdown! read more

Gentle Cuts - Barbers Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is a great little shop. My son and I I Got great haircuts from Judy. She listened to how we wanted it cut and did a great job on both. Best haircuts we've had in a while. Will be returning here regularly. read more

I haven't gotten a hair cut for 5 years, and during those 5 years I was scared to get a haircut due to past experiences. I did so much searching for salons, and came across Gentle Cuts. I am so glad that I found a great salon. Judy cut my hair. She is very sweet, and kind. She makes sure you like the cut, before finishing. Making adjustments based on feedback, and requests during the cut. I am in love with my cut. She also takes her time. I will definitely be back as a regular. read more

I've been coming to Gentle Cuts to get haircuts by Judy since I recently moved to the Sunset district. Today marks my 9th time coming by for yet another great cut! She listens very well to what style you want and provides a comfortable experience. When I started coming, a haircut cost $12 however, today I realized it jumped to $15 (I take it because people are realizing how awesome she is). It's well worth coming here! read more

Gentle Cuts - Judy and I! - Barbers Near Me - San Francisco, California

I have been coming here for four years now and have always loved the haircuts I get! Judy is the nicest person you will ever meet and an extremely experienced hair stylist who can cut a range of styles. Anytime someone asks me for a rec on a place to get their haircut I immediately say Gentle Cuts. I've rotated through 5 different barbershops now and this is the one I've stuck with because of how good of a job Judy does. It's so good I drive from South San Francisco for it Could not recommend this place any more highly. I literally made a yelp account just to recommend Gentle Cuts read more

I don't know how she is for women's hair, but I have been coming here for years for both my kids and myself. Granted, we do not have the most complex hairstyles. But Judy is always very detail oriented, and she takes her time to do a good job for each customer. She is also very nice to have a two-way conversation with, and does not overload you with war stories, sales pitches or unsolicited advice. I've had barbers tell me how I am balding and / or tell me that the white hair is sprouting - which can only be dealt with by purchasing $100 conditioner with goat DNA. The only hard part is that she is popular and there is often a wait. It's good to drive around first to see if there is a long line. I'll often do a drive by before going in. read more

Judy/ this place is awesome! My usual (HK art salon) was closed today so I decided to check this place out. Looks like I've found a new usual! Judy really knows how to cut asian guy hair. Even though she's the only barber there, she's quite speedy and so there's no wait. It's only $20, so tip well! read more

With my usual stylist out of town again, I was faced with the daunting challenge of finding yet another replacement that give me something acceptable to tide me over until her return. And not completely satisfied with the replacement I found last time, I went, this time, with Judy over at Gentle Cuts. And, for what it is, and what she does, she's pretty good. To clarify, her style is that of a buzzer and shears hybrid: heavily utilizing a buzzer to shape and trim the sides, then doing some speedy work with shears to handle the rest of your head (versus Iky, who spends the majority of an hour with shears, or the last replacement I found, who practically stuck to a buzzer the entire time). The verdict? There's no way she's replacing my regular stylist, but, for $12 and a little over half an hour of work, I was satisfied enough that I'd see myself coming back again when my usual falls through! read more

I have been coming here with my significant other on and off for quite some time! The only downside this place is that it gets busy, a testament to the value of the hair cut you get here. Judy is always really nice, welcoming and does a great job with any hairstyle. I have had buzz cuts, brush cuts and trims here and have been impressed every time. Nothing but compliments on the haircuts I get from here. I drive all the way from Berkeley to get a haircut here. It's that worth it. I love that she is open every day with great hours and accepts walk ins. Again I can't emphasize enough that you try Gentle Cuts for your next haircuts. Thanks Judy!!!! read more

Judy did an awesome job. It was my son's very first hair cut and she did an excellent job. She was very caring, sweet, and gentle with him. She took her time, showed him the equipment she was using on him (which tickled), and when he was done she gave him a balloon and a sticker! He was a very happy toddler and a positive experience. Next time we will go early. There was a little wait, but I can see why. She does a great job and is worth the wait if there is one! We will be going back! read more

Gentle Cuts - His very first haircut! Thank you so much! - Barbers Near Me - San Francisco, California

My wife shaved my head. It looks terrible. I miss passing by your business and looking to see. If there was no wait I always came out looking amazing. Hope I can come back soon. Miss your skills and your easy awesome demeanor. read more

Judy does a fantastic job. Takes her time giving a quality cut and she is very nice. Small shop and seems to work alone. Not much of a wait even though she works alone! Street parking only. May have to park a block or 2 away unless you are lucky and find parking. At which point you should also buy a lotto ticket! read more

I've been taking my son here for his haircuts for 4 years now (since he was 2) and we love Judy. She does a good job and is very sweet and efficient. read more

Gentle Cuts was unexpectedly closed again. This place struggles a little too much to keep consistent hours.

Easy walk in appointment, clean, friendly and inexpensive. Tip generously. Oh yes and gentle is true!

Judy does a great job at dry cuts for men and women (I've seen the latter while waiting and I get to experience the former). Her price point in this day and age of hair care maintenance is also very hard to beat at $27 for a women's cut. However, her appointment system or lack thereof could use some work. Usually I call ahead to make sure she's actually in that day. But there is almost always a line of 3 people waiting which can really suck into your entire day if you're waiting an hour for a 30 minute haircut. Meters run rampant too around her area. Doubt she'll ever implement an appointment system (literally tatooed on her door is "no appointment needed"), but that's my only gripe. Guess you know she's good though if people are willing to sit and wait that long for her! read more