i randomly found this place online and im SO happy i did, lijah was sweet, funny, amazingly talented, and we talked the entire time about music and life in sj. her cozy studio made it so comfy and i loved the way she checked in with me to make sure i was good. places will charge 200+ for a cut for wavy hair which is fine but its nice to find a place that wont charge that much for such an amazing cut. this will be my new regular spot for haircuts for sure! also lijah has some sick music taste read more

Taylor is the Queen I need! These naps of mine can be unmanageable, especially with a broken hand. Taylor braided my hair up SO NICELY! I will be rebooking her very soon! The owner is also extremely nice. I recommend to anyone looking for a great hairdo at an affordable price. read more

I'm not gonna lie. I love my black folks, but it's hard to do business with my fellow people due to canceled appointments, extended lunch breaks, gossiping on phones while assisting clients, and long appointment times. I simply needed my hair washed and flat ironed and was privileged enough to have Chana/Shayna (?) book my appointment. Imagine MY surprise when SHE called ME the night BEFORE my appointment to CONFIRM that I would be arriving at my scheduled time!!!!!!! I ALWAYS have to confirm, but SHE beat me to it. I was VERY impressed. I had some trouble finding IE, but Chana was accommodating and courteous; she guided me and waited outside until I found the salon. When I got in I was impressed YET AGAIN. CLEAN! Calm! No loud talking! No gossiping! Chana was working on a client's hair and was able to attend to both of us at the same time. It was like clockwork. Me to bowl for shampooing, other client to the dryer. Me to the dryer, client to the stylist's seat, and so on. My lovely stylist and I discussed my hair plans for my wedding (Uh, TODAY!) and I had a good time getting to know her. Chana was quick, tended to my hair in a caring manner, and YES! I promptly booked another appointment. I cannot believe my great fortune. Thank ya, Jesus...and Chana! read more

The place is a beauty salon. Ms. Raooff is the owner. She's cool! I like the way she color and hilites my hair. The salon moved to Julian St. in San Jose, CA..Checkout her place! *Updated address: Image Ie 46 W Julian St # 225 San Jose, CA 95110 (408) 298-2901 read more

I was in desperate need if a haircut and my regular barber was not available. I remembered seeing this salon as I was driving down First st. Right by Julian. Lijah was the beauticians name, she's so polite an professional thy i just had to give a review. I dont post a lot of reviews only because I really haven't had the time. However the experience at Image IE was beyond exceptional. i would definitely recommend checking it out. read more

After having a horrible experience with a different loctician at another salon(strictly braids) I found the reviews for this place and immediately went about to booking an appointment for my 2nd appointment. All I can say was not only was the quality of work so much better. The price was much more reasonable too. All the ladies in this salon are wonderful. Samantha will be my permanent loctician going forward. And I'm more than happy with her work... She worked magic with that chaos. Thank you Soooo much! read more

Image IE - Thank you Samantha for getting me right - Hair Salons Near Me - San Jose, California

Lijay is the BEST!! Sweet lady who really knows what she is doing and so KIND!! Came in for the first time without an appointment and she was able to see me!! Can't stop myself from going there now Lijay, you ROCK!! read more

I started coming to this salon ages ago after it opened. Due to scheduling conflicts on my end, it took about 5 years for me to make it back to Lijah. It was like coming home! All the ladies are talented and handle multicultural hair with skill. The conversations are never gossipy, funny and even socially conscious without being overbearing. This is because the vibe put out by the stylists is never catty and very refreshing. There isn't anything Lijah hasn't been able to tackle with my hair over the years - she's done it all: weaves, braids, big chop, natural styling and, now, relaxed and colored. Her expertise has enabled my hair to be relaxed and colored at the same time with minimal-to-no burn and while retaining growth. She also truly trims/dusts the edges and isn't scissor-happy. The best part are the prices. So reasonable and worth every penny! read more

If you have time to waste, this is a fine option. I arrived for a 1:30pm appointment only to find my stylist Chana in the middle of a weave on another client (which takes several hours). She did not acknowledge my arrival and decided to start on me 20 minutes late and put me under the dryer for almost 2 hours, all the while acting like it was normal. After waiting for 3 hours with only my hair washed I decided to forego the blowout and leave. But there's more! While I was under the dryer for two hours, the second stylist was straightening her own hair in the mirror. When her client arrived for her appointment, she told her she'd have to wait, and continued straightening her own hair in the mirror. They know how to do hair, but good luck getting them to do it. read more

Lijah is the best loctician around! Can't beat the price, can't beat the service. She is diligent but quick and efficient. Can always call and get an appointment, even with short notice. I get stopped on the street often and asked "who does your dreads?" I moved to LA and have searched everywhere to find another Lijah. Worth the trip back to the Bay just to get my locs did! read more

So I was shopping in Trader Joe's one day, and there is an employee with beautiful dreads. I had newbie dreads, and asked him who his stylist was (please note that while I loved my dreads, they were homemade.. And I was new to sporting them)... It was his Aunt. Lijah. He gave me her name and number on my receipt. Called up Lijah (I had no idea what to expect) and made an appt. What a delight. This lady is so multi-facited. She is a marathon finisher, small business owner and has a calm, warm demeaner. I've been to see her over the course of the last 2 years and I love being in her salon. Things to note... much like your favorite doctor who spends a lot of time with you - and the other patients - sometimes the time schedule is loose. Do yourself a favor and just block a couple of hours to be there - it's a gift to yourself. Lijah will spend quality time with you and not rush. Which is a rarity nowdays. I wish my dreads needed more maintence... I would be there more often. read more

i def have experienced better. lady who does locs had me waiting there a hour for her to start. She also used regular old shampoo and conditioner on my hair. If i knew that they didn't have special dread stuff i would have brought my own...but the fact that she doesn't is def a minus star to me. I've done my best to educate my self on loced hair and most of the things she said were contradicted by the majority of what i've read online. She did really lazy interlocks that had tons of hair sticking out when she was done. All my hair was sticky and felt greasy after i left---what the hell did she put in my hair?? i don't know because she didn't tell me shit what she was doing. minus star for taking so damn long minus a star for my hair looking not very good after i was done with my 3 hr appointment minus star for not asking me what i wanted done/telling me what she was doing and why/not having dreadloc specific products minus star for using regular shampoo AND conditioner (i would not have done this, its one thing to moisturize and another to have me sit under dryer with conditioner. when she went to wash my hair again i learned that there was some freaking pantee pro V on my hair wtf!) beware, this is not a natural or organic kinda place. was excited to find somewhere close but i guess i'm going back to Oakland read more

Ok, so Chana (f' my bad... wrong name originally) was/is my stylist. ' I was in this spot earlier this year, and my stylist did a phenomenal job. I broke off a ton of hair in one 3'' by 3'' patch, and was told I'd have to chop everything else to blend things just wright. OMG. I was hella stressing, because out of all the hairstyles I picked out, I was told I had to reevaluate my thought process, since my hair had broken in that one spot. I took a deep breath and put my head in Chana's hands. I hadn't met her before this, and was scared s(&$less. When all was said and done, everything was beautiful! 70 or so bucks latter, and I was looking hella fly! A short short do, yes.... but this girl hella hooked it up. When I left town a few days latter to visit my family in Louisiana, I got a ton of compliments. Everyone loved it. My hair had crossed state lines, and your girl (moi) was still fine! Anyhow, some time has passed now, and recently called back, not quite remembering who had originally done my hair. I described her to the best of my ability, and long behold I was talking to my original stylist! She remembered me, and had been waiting for me to contact her! Wow, what a nice feeling! Anyway, my silly self just called at 6pm on Saturday, hoping for a last minute appointment tonight or tomorrow! Wishful thinking? Yep! Anyways, I'm excited for my next appointment! read more

I gave Layja a five start review, as this was very well deserved!! I absoultely loved the work she did with my hair. It took me at least 3 years to find someone compitent to replace my last stylist who sold her business. She has a very delicate touch and an excellendt knowledge of doing relaxers. She is now my new best friend!!! I will continue to come to her for as long as I need her services. I no longer need to dread visiting a stylist who may or may not do a good job. Also, her pricing was excellent compared to the crapy jobs I've ended up paying for before. Only two minor negative details: This place only accepts cash, which I was unprepared for. Had to run to the bank and get it., which felt a little bit ackward. Also, there aren't any parking lots dedicated to that building and had to park next to a metered pole thingy that only took money enough for two hours only. Other than that, I have no complaints! read more

First time visit to the salon for my 17 yr old daughter, Jaci M. and her cut came out amazing! Not sure of the name of the stylist, Eleanore(?) but we were happy with the work she and another stylist had done on Jaci. Just had to share her pic since she had about 5" cut off that day and right before a show she performed at that night in Downtown SJ but her hair came out beautifully. Thanks Image IE! read more

Image IE - Jaci M.- Hair cut by Eleanore(?) on April 11, 2015 @ Image IE Salon, San Jose - Hair Salons Near Me - San Jose, California

I have been getting my hair done by Chana for three years now. A few times I have been in the salon a little longer than I wanted to be, but absolutely every time Chana does my hair I look absolutely amazing! When I first started going to Chana I had a perm (relaxer) and she kept my hair healthy, shiny and it grew about 6 inches. Now that I have decided to go natural, Chana has really helped me along the way. Of course I had to cut off a LOT of my hair, but every time I go see Chana, she manages to make me look incredible. My hair is still being trained to stay straight so it doesn't yet look as sleek and shiny as it did when I had a relaxer, but it has never been healthier. Chana is great about telling me which products to use at home (cuz I can't afford $70 every week, yet), where to find them, and giving me tips about how to keep my hair as healthy as possible. Chana is an amazing stylist and I will be a client for years to come! read more

Linnae is the best hair stylist I've ever been to and I've gone to several people in the LA areas, Oakland, and San Jose. Most people do not get the complexity of hair, let alone black hair, and so finding the ultimate stylist who can do both extensions and natural hair seemed impossible... Until Linnae! God, she saved my hair! My last stylist before her worked on the Alameda at a black hair salon which seems to be the only other functioning black hair salon. My hair was in transition because I had seen so many stylist that disappointed me, but was growing and past my shoulders. That stylist, who shall remain nameless, burnt sections of my hair and never told me. I figured it out and I was livid, of course. She apparently couldn't multitask (e.g. talk on the telephone to her man and press my hair), and kept it a secret from me that I figured out when I got home. I yelped and found a review for Linnae on this site and thought, "What harm could it do?". I was clueless about how deft Linnae's skills are, but now I've seen the light and all you poor black women who think your stylist is "adequate" need to find out what superior skills can do. She's a master at both natural, press & curl, and extensions. I waited a year to put up this review because I was stingy, but I'm willing to share because she'll make sure I have a stand in appointment ;) read more

It's been a while since I got a relaxer from here but I felt that I needed to write a review. I've been having my hair relaxed for a while and have not been SOOO pleased as I was when I left here. Chana did an AMAZING job styling my hair. She was informative, and schooled me on the types of relaxers that are out there. She was nice, attentive and knew what she was doing. I'm looking forward to going back again! read more

After various attempts to find a good salon - I finally found this place! I called a few days earlier to make an appointment. The woman who picked up the phone was very nice and answered all of my questions. My appointment was made for today. I knew I was in the right spot when I came in and the smell of hot comb hit my face. I waited for a bit and was told I'll be seated shortly. Music was great. Some Alicia Keys, Amy Winehouse, Isley Brothers, Sade etc. I'm up and I introduce myself and asked for her name (Samantha). I began to tell her my hair journey. I told her I've straightened and processed my hair for many years. On Election Day 2016 (November 8th), I decided it was time to stop damaging my hair. I missed my naturally curly hair. Samantha examines my hair and tells me that I've been doing everything right to regain its health and I didn't have split ends that she could see. We talk about my hair routine and what I'm looking for. I showed her pictures of similar styles that I want. I wasn't sure if it was achievable as I still wanted to retain my length. I wanted more shape and volume. That was key! She started snipping away. I appreciated that she didn't wash my hair before applying scissors. Most salons make the mistake of cutting curly hair when it's wet. If you ever go to a salon and they do that - run for your life! She took her time. I mean she REALLY took her time. She checked in with me frequently about the length and the shape. Just so you guys know, I currently have a combination of 3a/3b hair as it's still recovering from heat damage. I can't wait for my curls to really spring up after it's completely virgin hair. Samantha said I have "fairy tale" hair. I was like, "What is that?" She said it's very pretty/versatile. Sweet. I laughed at her and said, "I bet you tell all the curly girls that and you cheated on me." But that's how she felt about my hair. She also used this cutting technique called, Point Cutting. I've never seen anything like it before and it helped bring volume to the top/back of my hair. After she felt she had cut enough she washed my hair. She then put me under the dryer for a little bit to get an idea how the curls fall into place. As my hair was still a little damp she felt she needed to cut a little more at the bottom and she did and applied leave-in conditioner. I wasn't worried about getting my hair styled. As soon as I left my hair curled up quickly in this summer heat. I highly recommend her to anyone. She is patient, kind, and knowledgeable. The girl has a vision when it comes to curly hair. Thank you SO much, Samantha! I will be back. read more

I've been going here for almost 2 or 3 years now. Very professional and great at what they do! See you guys soon.

Chana is my stylist at image IE and I've been going to her for about 6 years. Chana is a superb stylist who has a unique sense of style and quality hair care for my natural hair. She always styles my hair beautifully and always gives me a deep condition and always focuses on healthy treatment of my hair.So that mixed with her awesome styling techniques I get the service I need and will never let anyone else do my hair. Whenever I tell her the type of style I want she does just that. Also,Chana is a makeup artist,eyebrow master and she does the best eyelashes! So for me it's a full service one stop shop. read more

Chana does a PHENOMENAL job! I have struggled to find salons/hairdressers who truly know and understand how to cut short black hair PROPERLY! Many other places i have been to in the bay area have had to straighten my hair before cutting it - and this is a BIG NO NO! Chana is very flexible when making appointments, very good prices and is very precise in her hair cutting. My style is always what I need and want. She takes feedback well and is always ready to do something exciting when I want to try a new color. I see her REGULARLY and my only sadness is that i am not able to have her maintain my hair weekly (believe me if i could I would). I still remember the first time she cut my hair (more than a year ago) and i thought of how intense and how much attention to detail she gave even the smallest strand and I have trusted her ever since then. read more

Got put on to this place by a friend who I work with! Fell in love with the service and the team here! I dyed my hair for the first time ever and it came out better than I thought it would, came back to get my hair braided and blown away once again. Would highly recommend for folk with curly or kinky hair! read more

Superb stylist who is professional and personal. I have locs, which I "let go" and she put them right back in shape - but I have witnessed her work wonders on long hair, flat iron do's, children and men. They understand hair types and how to respect each customer. read more

This review is for Tay. I have natural Curly/Wavy hair and I'm always afraid to try a new hair stylist. I looked at some of the reviews for the salon and decided to give it a chance. I made an appointment and very nervously attended. Tay was very nice and did a fantastic job cutting and styling my hair. I'll definitely go back. read more

I have been a faithful client of Lynnea's since 2007 and have followed her since her transition to Image I.E salon, happily I must say as it is a very relaxed, comfortable, classy atmosphere. Since that time Lynnea has used her considerable knowledge base and expertise to transform my dry, course, fragile, never would not grow out hair into hair that I am proud to show. Lynnea truly cares about you and your hair being the absolute best it can be and has a wonderful talent she blesses us all with. Lijah (the owner) is very kick back type of gal, she has a quick sincere smile for everyone which is always nice to see. I hope your experience at this salon will be as positive as mine has been. Thank you for your support read more

Lynnea has earned my deepest appraises for her professionalism. For one thing San Jose doesn't provide a vast haven for black hair care Lynnea has strengthened my faith in Bay Area to provide quality services. There is a very simple reason why I have been very pleased with her services' She knows what She is doing and She get's it right. She is definitely one you want to follow. The good thing is She is established Her roots in the bay. People have been trying to define the term "good hair" in our modern day society. Good Hair is what you have when you leave Her care. Go get some!!! read more

This place exceeded my expectations. My 13 year old has so much hair and they were able to tame it and made it so easy for her to manage. Great staff friendly and had great advice. read more

on December 31 Ive seen Samantha to get my hair trim. I have natural hair and my hair has not been straighten in four years. Samantha wash blow dry and straighten my hair to trim it. I was very happy with the results. to be honest I was very nervous because Samantha is not a sista ;) however Samantha did a wonderful job!!!!!! she used a different technique to trim my hair. I was looking for straight even cut. she said the method she used was to preserve the length. since I wanted my length I let her continue with the cut. I will be a repeat customer. read more

Image IE - i love that Samantha didn't cut too much off - Hair Salons Near Me - San Jose, California

Image IE is an African American hair salon in Downtown San Jose. I have natural hair (no relaxer, no hair color) and she does an amazing job. The customer base is pretty diverse; If you have kinky curly hair and want silky shine straight hair this is the place for you. It's a small cozy shop, everyone is very low key, no pushing to sell services or products. Love it. I feel very comfortable there. Most of us are all regular long time customers. They're prices are average and not a lot of waiting time. I've been going here for a couple of years now and Lijah is great!. If you leave a message on the machine she'll get back to you within a day. There's plenty of metered parking, so carry quarters with you. Hair, African hair, African American hair, Black hair, ethnic hair, ethnic salon, kinky curly hair salon, press, flat iron. read more

I usually don't write reviews, but I signed up with yelp just to write this. I would not recommend this place or Chana to my worse enemy! I went to image IE to have my natural hair trimmed, I asked her to only cut 1/2 inch, but instead she cut 2 to 3 inches off. Not only did she cut off my hair, she also cut it out of the style I had it cut into when I did my big chop six months ago. Once she finished butchering my hair she had the nerve to say now you have an Angelia Davis fro. No what I had before I walked into the shop was an Angelia Davis fro...now it's a Florida Evans fro. Natural ladies please beware !!! read more

Thank you Tay and Lijah for working miracles! I am so grateful for your help. Wonderful, kind people, and good vibes here.

Love Lijah. I have been with her for awhile. My hair is always well taken care of, the prices are reasonable, and the environment is great especially after a long day at work. I can always get an appointment and I'm never there all day. Good hair dressers are hard to find. Lijah is a the best I've found. I won't go anywhere else. read more

I've been coming here for years... I love all the ladies that work here. They're extremely well at their craft and down to earth. No snobs in this joint read more

Visits to the hair salon are on my short list of LEAST favorite things to do. This was my first trip to this salon. Lynnea did an outstanding job on the trim that I requested. I came in with my hair freshly shampooed and natural (very thick) and curly. Lynnea did a very nice blow-out in only a matter of minutes. She took her time, didn't burn me with the dryer, and didn't pull or irritate my tender-head. She then cut my hair with perfect, flawless precision. I enjoyed Lynnea's laid-back yet professional, pleasant demeanor. From the moment I met her I knew I was in good hands. Image IE has something many places lack in these times - Integrity. Lynnea gave me her honest professional opinion on certain trendy (expensive) products and service treatments that I inquired about. She explained why she chooses not to offer certain services. Her reasoning came down to one simple thing - the health and well-being of her client's hair, which she places tremendous value on. I found this to be both impressive and informative. Finally- the prices she charged were very reasonable. When it comes to both quality and value, this salon (esp. Lynnea) would be difficult to surpass. I look forward to returning in just a few short months. read more

My daughter wanted an extreme short hair cut, she had never had her hair cut this short. Lijah did a wonderful job and everyone loved it. My daughter felt like Queen B. read more

Wonderful, Wonderful service, relaxed atmosphere and the stylist did a fantastic job on my daughter's hair! You really feel that you are getting personal one-on-one attention, as they cater to your needs, every step of the way. It is really refreshing to come to a salon where the stylist doesn't give you attitude and thinks they know what's best for you. I highly recommend this salon for women of all cultures and hair types. read more

Lijah is the best! Thats all... I saw her for my first time about 3-4 months ago and she fixed everything from broken, split ends, to color issues in my hair. She brought life back to my over processed hair and put me on a regimen to get it back into healthy condition. Her advice is and was invaluable. She's genuine, talented, and an all around wonderful person. Check out the salon. Parking can be abit difficult but its well worth the quality of service. read more

Amazing! I called and asked if they could take me today, and Shaina was able to. I had hair about down to my shoulders and she gave me a good cut for my naturally curly-wavyish hair. Short on the sides and fluffy on the top. And she also recommended a foam pomade for me. She was very precise and made sure that things looked even and textured and good. I'd never seen her before this but I'll keep going back to her! read more

Samantha at Image IE saved my lifeee!!! She stayed open until I arrived (5 minutes after they close at 6), because I got stuck in horrible traffic (I'm visiting from out of state really didn't think it could take an hour to go 10 miles). I called her to update her on traffic, and I explained it would be an additional X minutes, and she was so nice and understanding (when quite honestly I would have told me to try again tomorrow!). And she did that JUST so she could wash my box braids: that was my whole appointment (I had just gotten them done before leaving, but needed to wash them and didn't know how for the first time and left my shampoo at home...double fail). She was so friendly, professional, and took her time explaining how I should wash it for when I get home. And then she waited for my hair to dry in the dryer. She went above and beyond what anyone has ever done, and I am forever grateful. She is the definition of an amazing hairstylist (and a really nice person!) I will DEFINITELY be coming back to thousand salon next time I'm in town!!! read more