I had bought this deal to get hair permanently straighten and when I went in to get it done she gave me a lot of tips as if she knew it all so I was impressed thinking I'll walk out of there happy but she burnt my hair so bad. It took me 2 year to grow my hair out the length it was and she ruined it so pls if you love your hair don't go there. read more

Koto Salon - This is after paying for permanent hair straightening. More like paying for having your hair fried. - Hair Salons Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Koto has been cutting my hair for about 15 years and I won't go any where else and I drive all the way in from Coquitlam. I have my hair colored with this organic dye that doesn't burn and it's totally worth the price. Some may say she's expensive but I mistakenly went somewhere else because I was in a hurry and I regretted it. It really wasn't all that much cheaper either. I'm of the school of "you get what you pay for" and Koto is totally worth every cent. read more

I've been in the market for find a salon that I can become a long term customer with but its really not that easy. I've been paying so much to walk out not completely satisfied and generally disheartened I have to keep looking. So I thought, why not try a Groupon, that way I can try the place on for size at a discounted price. I figured to, that the whole point of a Groupon is that the place is trying to get new customers so are going to ensure that they do a good job. Really wow you and make the time enjoyable. I couldn't have been more wrong. It didn't take long after getting there, showing my Groupon that suddenly I was a second rate citizen. I was made to feel I was some kind of cheap loser. I tried to explain I really wanted to find a place that I could trust and know that the hundreds of dollars that I drop into my hair was worth it. This didn't stop the attitude I received, maybe I thought, that was just the way she was but when a regular customer came in she was friendly and bubbly.... All I ever wanted was to go fully blonde but places are really against giving you the bleach wash, they say to save their hair, but really that they can make you come back for highlights after highlites.. I tried to say this at the least I just wanted the roots done and more of the brown removed. The Groupon was for a cut, blowdry, and partial head of headlights.. i.e 65% off their normal service cost. What I ended up getting felt more like what $60 would get me. My roots are barely covered and I don't know what color she put in? A couple strands? Or something? I felt more stupid when apparently I wasn't conveying what I wanted clearly. She spoke english but I guess we had a failure to communicate? Also, I'd like to point out how terrible I feel when people speak in another language - especially over my head. Its just very rude. I can deal with getting a bad hair cut, etc what I can't is being treated like I'm just not worth it. With no word she just left me and attended to the full paying customer not acknowledging me until I was on my way out. I was left with her assistant... apprentice? he was nice but didn't seem to really listen. I said bare minimum for hair off.. I just really wanted a slight minimal trim.. he said "3 inches then?" Whhhaat?? Bottom line.. maybe this place is fantastic if you go in not having a Groupon but I wouldn't recommend trying it with one. I have no idea why companies even bother to get them if they are just going to treat you like some piece of shit for purchasing it. read more

I've been eyeing Koto Salon for the past month or so 'cause it's right in my neighbourhood and I'd love to find a good hairstylist close to home. I finally took the plunge yesterday - I wandered in without an appointment and only had to wait about 20 minutes for Koto to cut my hair. I'm always nervous about trying a new place, especially because I have curly hair. I was watching her with the client that she was currently with and was really impressed with the time she took to get everything perfect, including a last minute suggestion for bangs, which she thought would look really good on this particular person. When it was my turn we had an initial consultation, then headed off to the sink for a wash. It was the most comfortable shampoo I've ever had because of the adjustable sink (to accommodate the ever-uncomfortable neck position) and the little metal footstool. Koto dried and straightened my hair before she cut it, saying that this was the best way to get an accurate cut with curly hair (at least for the style that I have). She took a lot of time to get it just right and entertained me with her sense of humour and infectious laugh while she did it. She dampened and diffused my hair to get the curl back (I never wear it straight) and continued to trim, making the final adjustments once my hair was in its usual style. She had several excellent suggestions on how to improve my current style and they really turned out well. I'm extremely pleased with my new haircut and will return for sure! The price was fair for a professional haircut and I really love it! For those of you with curly hair, she definitely knows what to do with it. read more

Koto is amazing, she has wonderful style and gives the perfect hair cut. She recommended this hair brush that is amazing, so I got one and it just brushes out the tangles even on wet hair. I will recommend koto to any body who is looking for a hairdresser. read more

The worst experience ever with a hairdresser. A dirty salon , an ignorant rude hairdresser who cut my back uneven. Everybody told me it is a very bad cut. I returned after a day and asked politely to correct it. She told me next time I do it myself! Who will tell you that. Considering I gave her a very good tip last time. Very slow , unprofessional , unfriendly. No rude person. read more

I only ever get my eyelashes dyed here but she's always been super friendly and uses a really good tinting agent, not a chemical, more like a henna paste. I've never had it sting or get into my eyes. That's a good thing. read more

Went here for a hair straightening treatment because I got a Groupon. It was a great experience. Koto knows what she's doing. She knows hair!! read more

I have been going to Koto for several years now and through many iterations of hair style and length. I have always been very happy with my cut and colour. Koto is very honest if you ask about whether a style will suit, which I greatly appreciate. She also uses colours that do not contain ammonia so they are more gentle on your hair. Now my whole family gets their haircut there and I have recommended her to many friends and neighbours who are also clients now. read more

If I could, I would leave negative stars, that's how bad this joint was. It took SIX HOURS for a simple cut and colour. I had long hair. I asked for a simple A-line bob and a bit of colour on the front, sorta Mako Mori-style. Six hours for a three-hour job. That and Koto's bloody assistant kept compulsively using the straightening iron on my hair... but my hair is already straight. And her idea of cutting my hair was timidly nipping away at the ends for four fricken hours and fretting over my really, easy-to-cut hair every five minutes. She also did not clarify anything she was doing, nor did she really seem to be paying attention to what I was telling her. Her English was just fine. Not only that, but at the end of said six hours, I came away with a pathetic colour job (I asked for red and blue. The red barely shows and it's supposed to be the BRIGHT colour), and a mediocre haircut. I was offered a discount, but for the time I lost and quality I received, I definitely overpaid. Bottom line: Do not waste your time or money at this place because you won't get your dollar's worth. Koto is a nice lady, but her assistants are incompetent. addendum: and yes, I signed onto Yelp JUST so I could post this review. That's how disappointed and ticked-off I am. read more

I came here with a Big City Perks voucher. This voucher included a haircut, style, shampoo, blow dry and IMPRIME Steam Treatment. My experience started out with a phone call to make the reservation. I called in and requested a certain time, the lady that i assume was Koto said yes it's available. After I mentioned I was coming in with a Big City Perks voucher however, she began to ask me if I can come in in the morning, i said no. "How about the following day, morning?", I said no as I preferred this time. "I thought you said this time was available just now?" She said, "Oh, since you're coming in with a voucher, the deal includes treatment that requires 2 people to do." I felt iffy about her answer, seemed pretty bogus. But I agreed, giving the benefit of the doubt. (which I later will learn I was exactly right...bogus) When I arrive for my appointment, I'm greeted by Koto's two apprentices. Turns out Kotos not even here, and I am about to become a lab experiment for these two apprentices. Being fully aware now that I am about to get my haircut by her apprentices, I was mentally prepared to give them as much detail as possible as to what I wanted, what I didn't want and stop them if I felt it was 1 snip away from a disaster. The male apprentice approached me and began asking me what style I wanted and giving suggestions etc. I was pretty nervous at this point. I have never liked having my hair cut by a male stylist. He then shampooed my hair (with rather cold water). He did ask me how the temperature was, but I bared with it. Of all the shampoos I've received from a hair salon, I have never once needed to tell them to adjust the water temperature, so it definitely threw me off. He then conditioned my hair, and put a towel around my head and stuck me under a steamer for about 20 minutes. During this time under the steamer, Koto had walked in, and shortly after a regular customer. Similar to the review from Jenny H. (in the filtered reviews), you could see a world of difference from the treatment the customer received and I received. My steam treatment was done, and the male apprentice rinsed out my hair and was getting ready to cut it. But, one word from Koto, and the female apprentice took over. She came over and told me she'd be taking over. (seemed like this was done intentionally to honor what Koto said on the phone to me about how it was a 2 person process...yeah right.) The haircut was alright, I stuck to a simple style so there wouldn't be any issues. However, when I was done my cut, the apprentice called Koto over to approve the haircut. This lead to a discussion amongst her and the two apprentices about what was good, and bad about the cut. Made me extremely uncomfortable...as I felt I was no longer a paying customer, but a bobble head. Koto critiqued, told her some errors in which she then fixed. I asked if she was able to curl my hair, in which she asked Koto for permission. The apprentice said she's not able to curl it for me. How odd...you are a salon aren't you? But I guess it's because I was using a voucher and it only includes a "blow dry". Minus 1 point there. I wouldn't recommend this salon. Even if you were a full paying customer, I wouldn't know how Koto cuts hair as I wasn't able to experience that with this voucher. (rather defeats the purpose of using a voucher deal to promote your business doesn't it?) read more

Koto always does a great job on my hair. She listens to what I want my style to look like, but will guide me to a better choice for my face shape and hair type. I highly recommend her. Trust her suggestions, she really knows about hair and style. read more

**I have been reading Yelp reviews for years but have never felt so compelled by a business to submit a review of my own until now.... I have been on the hunt in Vancouver for a good hair stylist for the last 15 years and after my first hair cut by Koto about a year ago, I knew that my hunt was over. To give some context, I have been to a number of higher end salons in Vancouver, including Suki's, Tony and Guy and Axis and also tried about a dozen hair stylists that have come recommended. My hair is quite fine and bone straight and does not take kindly to a bad haircut. I was never blown away by any particular hair stylist so continued to search for someone better. I don't know how our little neighbourhood scored someone of Koto's callibre (but SO grateful that we did!)!!! Koto has worked in Tokyo and London for over 15 years and was a graduate of the Tony and Guy Academy in London. Koto is the real deal - she is truly a master of her craft and has given me the best haircuts of my life - giving me the body/volume/texture that I have always wanted, but never thought my fine hair was capable of. Gone are the days of finding random out of place strands of hair or a lopsided haircut after leaving the salon. Koto takes so much time and care with each client - she is constantly cutting, checking, stepping back and looking at how the hair suits your face. She is a COMPLETE PERFECTIONIST and I have NEVER had to go back to get anything fixed. My husband who has the thickest, unruly hair (a hairstylists nightmare!) and sister are also now devout Koto followers. She really is THAT good and I can't keep her a secret - I even signed up for Yelp and posted my first ever review on a business! No more dealing with Junior hairstylists - visit Koto and you get a master stylist. I have spent all of this review talking about her amazing skills, but should also mention that her salon (which she designed herself!) is modern (finished concrete floors, crisp white walls, custom white leather barber chairs with gorgeous wood arm rests) with a touch of vintage/antique - a modern European feel. I imagine this is reminiscent of the salon she owned in London! If you live in the Hastings-Sunrise or Grandview-Woodland area, then you have to stop in to see Koto. If you live in the West Side or anywhere else in Vancouver and I would go as far as anywhere in BC, you need to bike, drive, take transit, train, or fly in to visit Koto. Your search for a hair stylist will end here! read more

Koto is an excellent stylist. Her products are top quality and quite affordable compared to a lot of other salons. She is a perfectionist who knows her craft. I can't go to anyone else now. I have curly hair and she cuts it perfectly. I know it's a great cut because even 4 months later it still looks good. I highly recommend anyone who wants a professional with artistic vision to try koto read more

I am the opposite. Koto was recommended to me by someone in my gym. I popped in and showed the style I liked, made an appointment and have been going for over a year. Very happy with cut. Have often had people comment and ask where I get it cut. read more

What a funky cool salon and I have say what a fantastic hair cut, I will definately be back.

it's a bit disappinting that when I went with a groupon the trainee or assistant did my hair cut. It felt like I am a model that being used for instruction demonstration for the entire 2 and half hour. Normally I am very patient, but after 2 hours cut the tranee showed the mirror and wanted me to check out my hair at the back which was not even and pointing, I started to doubt her ability. The owner showed her how to cut evenly and how to cut stylely according to customer face shape couple times during the cut. I said to myself at least the owner guided through, thing should be fine, but however, they spent all of the time to get my hair at the back cut evenly, didn't touch my hair at the front which is exactly the same when I walked in, and claiming is better looking that way. I found out it's hard to manage my hair after the cut, having a bad hair day always in the morning. The trainee or assistant asked me do I buy groupon for hair a lot. Actually it is my first time and the last time. Well, actually the price I paid for the groupon is almost the same price I paid to the other Japan salon I usually go to actually. I got the grouon because the salon I go to always fully booked for the coming 2 weeks, I need the hair cut soon but don't know which one. Obviously I made an mistake. read more