I came for a wash and blow dry and wow this was the best wash I've ever experienced. For $23 I got a 30 minute scalp massage and multiple shampoo/conditioner washes. This is a must go to place! read more

Unique 8 Hair Place - Hair Salons Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I'm extremely disappointed with my experience at Unique 8 Hair Place. I called the day before to make an appointment for the next day at 5pm. The day of, I called again to see if they could add another appointment for my friend--both of us just wanted a wash, blow dry, and curls. They told us they could actually take us earlier at 4pm, which sounded perfect. We arrived right at 4pm, only to be told it would be over an hour wait before we could be seen. At that point I asked what the purpose of making an appointment was. The staff told us they couldn't account for walk-ins. So essentially our appointment was pushed back because of walk-ins? That makes no sense. If walk-ins are prioritized, then what's the point of scheduling ahead? There was also no call or message to let us know they were running behind before we arrived. It felt very unprofessional and like our time wasn't respected at all. Appointments should mean something. Otherwise customers might as well just walk in. read more

I have been going there for years. Jacky cuts my hair although first time someone else cut it. Their skills are superb and prices very affordable. I'm used to high standards in Europe so I'm very careful whom I let cut my hair. I even took a friend there who was visiting me. read more

Amazing price for amazing service! I went with two other family members and we all had different hairdressers who all did a great job! Our haircuts were $35 that included washing, cutting, and blow drying. The washing was especially comfortable! Definitely recommend for a haircut! read more

They have started taking card! Simple Chinatown hair salon with prices currently at $25 for men's wash, cut, rinse, style. $30 for longer women's hair. You can opt to pay cash for $18 cut only. I usually go to one stylist who listens very well to how long I want a cut and never cuts too short. He also did my brothers hair and my brother was very pleased for the price. I would definitely come here for trims and simple cuts that can be explained in Chinese. I've almost always done a walk-in without reservation. There's nothing luxurious about this salon, but it's truly good for its price, especially if you can speak Chinese. read more

I have fine straight non-Asian hair. The reason I state this, the location is in Chinatown and caters mostly to this community. The shampoo is phenomenal WOW. You lie down on a flat bed and get a very thorough shampoo and head, neck and upper back massage, very relaxing. Shampooer did the scalp and hair incredibly well getting rid of build-up of hair products and conditioners, very clarifying to the hair shaft. I always tip the shampooer. I get a trim and blow dry and it's a good cut, I don't have complicated requests, just a trim. Did I mention the killer shampoo...that is why I really come here every so often from my regular place. Prices are around 25.00 for shampoo/cut/blow dry, reasonable. Shop is usually busy. read more

I have been going here for 5+ years, Jackie is my go to. Heads turn after I have just gotten a hair cut here and the price is right.

I rarely leave a review but feel the need to give a shout-out to Alan! He was meticulous about cutting my hair, and clearly prioritized doing the best job and not just rushing to get it done. I was unsure if I wanted it shorter than what he was suggesting, but he offered his professional opinion on what is likely to be best, which turned out to be spot on. I was considering perming my hair too, and decided on it after seeing how well the cut turned out, even though Alan gave no urging. Again it was done with the utmost care, and styled so well during the blow dry that I had to take a picture when it was done to preserve that happy moment. Overall, very satisfied with my hair, very reasonable price, and a pleasant experience to boot! read more

This is another one of my options in Chinatown when I need a haircut. It's located near the New Jumbo Seafood Restaurant, next to the Best Little Restaurant, and very close to the Chinatown gate. I have been to this place a few times, and I think they do a decent job. I don't think they speak English really well (even though I have seen a non-Chinese customer come in), because I had to speak to them in Cantonese Chinese, and I think they can also understand Mandarin Chinese as well. The haircuts I ask for are fairly simple, just short on the sides and the back, with a decent trim on the top. I paid $10 (not including tip) for a simple haircut. The stylist was also fairly nice and friendly as well. They also offer body and foot massages as well. Overall, this is also one of my primary choices for me to get a haircut. read more

Unique 8 Hair Place - Hair Salons Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Gret and cheap place! I went to dye my hair and they were really nice and professional. Of course, the equipment is a bit outdated, but for the price I think that's ok... The reason for the 4 stars and not the 5 is that nobody speaks any English in this place, and I think they were a little dishonest with me about the prices. Still cheap though... read more

Looks like Unique 8 has renovated recently and the interior looks great! Much improved and on par now with other local salons like Le Gala. I came by earlier this week for a simple wash, cut & dry and was very pleased with the results. Joe did a fantastic job with the cut and the price is more than reasonable at $18 (before tip). He got my hair exactly the way I wanted it and for ~2/3 the cost of other places around Chinatown. Oh and Mya K.'s spot on about the lady who does the pre-wash - definitely takes her time and it was a nice, relaxing break from a busy day =D read more

Been coming here for almost 8 years now. If you're a guy looking for a fresh, stylish cut, ask for Alan or Philip. Tell them exactly what you want and they never disappoint. Great head wash and massage too! read more

When ratings a hair salon everyone has differing experiences because they don't always see the same person. This is purely my review of Jackie- I request him before I go and he is consistent and great! I love that they wash my hair twice- before and after the cut, so I don't end up with hairs all over when leaving the place. They only speak mandarin/Cantonese so I can imagine this place isn't for those who don't. My mandarin isn't great but they know what I need. I see Jackie pretty much once a month and have never been disappointed. $26 plus $10 tip for a clean cut! read more

Probably the cheapest and yet most well cut hair salon. I didn't have to wait (Thur evening) and they did the job in under 20mins

千万不要去！特别是不要找一个叫Alan（这样发音，但不确定拼写！）Never!!! If I can give 0, I'll definitely do that. I asked Alan to cut like 2 inches of my hair. He roughly cut several pieces of my hair then he started to dry my hair then told me he finished the haircut already. I looked at my hair on the ground which was less than the hair in my bathroom when I wash my hair!!! He told me that's finished?!!! I then told him I could not take it and asked him to cut it shorter. I have very thick hair so all of the hairstylists before always divided my hair into several layers so that they can better manage the hair. However, this Alan, again, roughly cut my hair without ever dividing them into different parts. I found the length was inconsistent between the left side and the right side, which was very obvious!! He was very reluctant to admit and tried to fix it roughly. But it did not work!!! Trust me. He was not at all professional. Suck!!! Piss me off!!!! I actually went there with my friend. Both of us get very dissatisfactory haircuts. I'm telling you sincerely... Don't go there for a haircut even though you just want an ordinary haircut (you think it is easy haircut) !!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Cheap, cheap, cheap for a pretty decent haircut. After moving to Boston, I realized that hair salons around here are ridiculously expensive. I heard about Unique 8 from a couple of classmates and decided to try it out. The haircut wasn't bad - the only thing was that most of the stylists do not speak english... at all. This usually leads to me using all kinds of hand motions and facial expressions to show exactly what kind of haircut I want. Language barrier aside, the haircuts I've gotten here have managed to turn out alright. They're not the best, but saving $10+ on a haircut has me wandering back in here whenever I need a quick fix. Also, I should note that most of the asian guys from my school come here for a haircut and they pretty much all have the SAME haircut. read more

For all you long haired ladies looking to just get a trim and clean up your layers, you MUST come here!!! $18 for a wash, head massage, and a cut (they take their time cutting your hair too, no rush)! I refuse to pay $35-50 just for a trim at all these other places. A nice gentleman named Alan cut my hair and did a great job. He made sure to ask me several times if it was ok and to get my opinion. I also instructed no use of the thinning razors as they are damaging. It takes longer and more skill on their part, but he happily obliged. Love this place!! read more

Unique 8 Hair Place - Trim and clean up layers - Hair Salons Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We gon' break this down real simple like. This place might be good for simple hair cuts (eg: 1 fade on the sides, leave a couple inches up top), but if you are going for anything more complicated or trendy, you should go elsewhere. Venue is clean. They give you a hair wash and massage before starting. I don't speak Chinese, so I showed a picture of what I wanted. This usually works. It didn't work. Came back a month or two later for a second shot. Same picture, different stylist. Much different result, still bad. On the plus, they are affordable and take credit card. (^_-) Venue (^_-) Service (T_T) Quality of cut x 2 (^_^) Bang for buck Not so glad I came. Well, maybe in the name of science. read more

If your looking to get a great haircut for a great price with professional and patient barbers, go to this place!!! Barber we had was Alan He did a great job and was very understanding and took his time to make sure my wife and I got the style we were looking for!!!! The total was $28 which includes tax ($18 for wife and $10 for me) read more

Just called... and they couldn't speak english or understand english so they just hung up on me. Called back, to ask what is their problem. Are they unable to understand me? The man just goes uhhhhhh, and I ask can anyone there speak english? Man: No sorry Dude, I'm sorry. You cannot run a business and not speak english. What if I really came and asked to do something and they shave my head bald? read more

I don't think I've ever had a worse blow out. They didn't use any product in my hair, barely used a brush while blowing it out, and left my scalp raw because he didn't brush out the tangles beforehand. He was "done" with my hair, leaving it damp and just a giant ball of frizz. I have to go home and fix it myself. read more

This place is the shiznit! I've been looking for go-to hair place for the longest time, and finally found this gem sometime last year. Usually, I'd rotate between random Chinatown salons that cost me ~$40-50 for a stylized haircut, but at Unique, I can get all that for under $20. I was skeptical at first, because $10 for a haircut is extremely cheap, even a cut for men. But the moment I stepped in, I knew this place was legiiiit! First, they were playing Chinese music concerts on their TV, which is usually customary for Chinese hairsalons. Second, every single hairdresser had some crazy Asian hairstyle, so obviously they know what they're doing. I got a few cuts here, and dyed my hair once as well, and I've had nothing but great experiences. read more

Okay, now that I'm back in school, I am super broke (quite possibly more so than undergrad), so I have resorted to cheap Chinatown haircuts. Of course, I was a bit skeptical of a $10 (or is it $12 now?) haircut, but who wouldn't be. Overall, I'm content with my experience. Ill probably give it another try to see if it can be a bit better. There was definitely a language barrier with my choppy Cantonese and them almost exclusively speaking Mandarin. I guess I could have just spoke in English, so my fault there. First, if you want it to be $10 (or $12) you should tell them straight up you just want a cut. I didn't know. They point me here and there so I just followed not knowing what the protocol is here. The wash was fine, but it brought my total to $20, which I wasn't okay with. I was also a bit worried when they cut my hair on top rather than the sides first. It was fine in the end, but I was just panicking because it looked weird going in this way. In the end, it was about 80% of what I asked for. Again, I'm sure this was due to the communication. For $20, I wasn't happy. If it were $10, I'll be okay or fairly satisfied. I guess I'll give this place a try one more time and be more direct. Maybe come in with a photo of what I want, and also tell them I don't want a wash. As for now, I'm waiting for my hair to quickly grow back. read more

Never let me down! I live kinda far away from Boston now, but if I get a chance, I always try to come back to get my hair done. They know how to deal with Asian hair. Jack is great, I don't need say a word, he knows what I want! read more

I have mixed feelings about my experience here. I saw nothing but great reviews for this location so I decided to give it a try. The cost factor is a big part of the positive for me here (I believe I paid $15ish?) I got a nice scalp massage each time I got my hair washed. The second wash was an unexpected consideration for leftover little hair bits that might've clung to my head (nice+!) but the communication was awful. I thought my hair dresser was just going to start cutting without even referring to me to see what I wanted, but a young girl came over to translate. We had a bit of a back and forth; upon looking at my reference pictures she noted that I wanted a hair cut for someone with straight hair and she kept insisting I have curly hair so it wouldn't work. She was surprised when I pointed out one of my reference pictures was -me- a few years back. Yes I have curly hair. I usually straighten it every day to wear it the way I like. I could rationalize that she was just trying to help me out and cut down the upkeep in the long run but I did not feel that it was necessary for me to argue about what I wanted. After showing both the girl and the hair dresser 3 reference pictures, and them talking about it before I went under the scissors, I walked out of there not having what I asked for. My hair felt very nice and soft, it was styled well after the cut, and the value was through the roof because I'm sure I would've paid upwards of $25 anywhere else, but at the time I was very irritated at not getting what I asked for after I came out. When I go to get my hair cut somewhere, I want to walk out feeling like I'm a fabulous queen bee and I want to shake my new, bouncy 'do everywhere, pausing for paparazzi as I walk down the street because I'm shooting stars with every step. That's what I like to feel like anyways. In this case I walked out of Unique 8, put my hat over my way-too-short hair and grumbled to myself on the way to the train. The only reason I would come back for another visit is because of the price. Maybe I should take up Chinese or brought a friend along who is fluent? read more

I have wavy hair that's curly when wet. The minute I walked into this place, the woman at the counter started trying to sell me a straightening treatment. I said no, she kept trying. I kept saying no. She then told the stylist who was cutting my hair that I SHOULD get a straightening treatment. He listened to what I wanted - then ignored it. Now, in fairness, the haircut I got looks great if I flat iron it - but I literally cannot leave the house without flat ironing my hair because it looks like a rat's nest with the cut he gave me otherwise. I cannot believe that they did all this trying to get me to spend an extra $200. SO PISSED. read more

I mean... I paid $26 for a wash, head massage, cut, and blow dry INCLUDING tip. AMAZING. So I have bangs and long hair that I need to have trimmed regularly and I refuse to pay $65+ for a half inch of hair, which means I never get my hair cut and I trim my bangs myself. No more! This place is a gem. It's mildly terrifying bc no one speaks English well, but as other reviewers noted, just bring a picture of what you want and you're off to the races (for me that was Katie Holmes on the cover of August 2012 Elle). Alan was great and the gal who washed and massaged my hair was wonderful. I left a very happy customer! read more

Believe it or not, I have been going to Steve for 7 years now ever since I came to Boston and happen to stumble upon it with a cousin who forced me to cut the ends of my hair which had been dyed auburn in order to get back to my natural black roots. For this hole in the wall, this place a real find! Steve (the owner) does an amazing job with my hair..so ladies, this place is not just for the fellas! My mother owns a hair salon and I've been to high end places and general, am very particular with my hair so I do have high expectations. Maybe it's an Asian thing but it but it comes out great everytime. Just be sure to tell him exactly what you want. Oh and you get a great pre-wash. He has one lady who really takes her time and it's so relaxing! They don't speak any English except Steve so you'll have to take your chances if you call for an appointment or drop in and hope he's there. Recently, prices went up to somewhere around $25 and I compared this to my girlfriends heading to salons on Newbury street...can't compare! read more

I went to this salon on a Sunday afternoon. (They are open 7 days a week!) I have had several consecutive bad haircuts within the last year and needed my hair to be fixed as much as possible while growing it out. I did not have an appointment. I was taken to have my hair washed immediately and then the stylist was ready to cut my hair, again without a wait. The stylist does not speak any English but they have a translator. I asked them to maintain my length, asked for no bangs, and told them that I like to wear my hair down but cannot because the current cut is wrong. Alan was my stylist. He maintained my length, did not give me bangs, and re-shaped my hair. It was a challenge because of the bad layers cut into the back of my head. Alan's cut is a vast improvement. He is very precise and took at least 30 minutes to cut my hair. The shampooer also gave me a massage with my shampoo. That was a nice extra. The total cost was $18! Incredible. The shampoo, cut, and blow-dry were worth more than that. I will try to style my hair myself tomorrow and see how it goes. So far I am happy with the results. My prior hair cut really was bad and one could argue I should have gone short and cut it off completely. It looks like Alan/Unique 8 rose to the challenge. read more

Need a quick, simple hair trim ? check Want a nice hair style and expecting them carefully cutting it ? go somewhere else. The owner was nice, and he came over to translate for my hairdresser. I told them to cut just only 1in off, not adding much layers, even showed them the style I wanted. The result was, he cut 2 1/2 inches off & flat out my hair. It looks the same as to when I came in, but shorter. seriously, I could do this myself at home as i used to. i was so pissed as everytime I look at my hair. lesson learned: you get what you pay for. read more

I walked in, they cut my hair for 10 minutes, and then I was done and left with a bad haircut. They were speaking to me in Chinese the whole time and I couldn't understand a word. I can't judge the whole place based on 1 guy, so that is why I am giving 2 stars instead of 1. They offered to fix it for free but my friend already fixed my hair by then. It isn't a bad place, but I just had a bad experience. read more

These guys were great! For 18 bucks you get a head massage while they wash your hair, seriously the perfect thing on my day off--so relaxing and generous! I had Andy as a stylist, and while he didnt speak English, one of the other staff members translated for me, which I thought was just the nicest thing. Andy did a great job! I asked for bangs, and while he cut my hair a little short, he took the utmost care to make sure it was an excellent quality haircut. He took his time and you could tell he really knew what he was doing. He did a fabulous job, and even styled my hair afterwards. I wasn't 100% sure about it at first, but I got home, and even after my hair was tousled from riding my bike it looked AMAZING. He did a great job with the angles, and getting rid of all the split ends and everything, and made the cut a really unique style, which I love. I only wished I'd had more cash on me, I definitely would have tipped him better. The lady at the counter said to send all my friends here--and I will definitely be doing that! read more

This place deserves more reviews. I've been to almost all of the salons in Chinatown and never went back to any of them. Price hadn't been an issue for me; staff friendliness and quality of my haircut were most important\ - both of which I was pretty satisfied with. I loved that they do walk-ins. I went there on Monday afternoon and the place wasn't busy so it was nice that they took their time with me. My stylist, Philip, was nice but wasn't the most chatty person in the room, which is ok cause I didn't mind it. I was surprised they only charged $18 before tips - a fraction of what I used to pay for haircuts that weren't as nice. All these years I've searched for THE salon for me finally paid off. I'll definitely be back there next time. read more

Considering you only pay $18 for a wash, head massage, and a cut (plus she styled my hair for me just like the picture I brought in--added bonus!), it's a very good deal. I've paid $45 for the same cut with no wash or head massage, of the same quality. They were fast and did a good job. However, it's pretty critical that you speak Chinese or you bring someone with you who can speak Chinese. Thankfully I speak Chinese, so if she had questions for me, I was able to answer them. If you don't, you'll have to rely on a picture, making it considerably more difficult to get the cut you want. I'd recommend bringing in multiple pictures of what you want or past pictures of your self. read more

$20 plus tip, for wash cut and blow dry for medium length hair. Bring a picture of your desired haircut. The girl who washed my hair was friendly, but her long nails were piercing my sensitive scalp. Same with the hairdresser, his cutting technique was pulling my hair and my scalp being sensitive,I was in pain. I tried explaining them about my scalp, but again the language barrier. Overall I got a nice haircut. Not sure about going back again. read more

I asked for an inch off the ends and some long layers cut back in, my hair is naturally thick and was long and I wanted to keep it in the fairly simple haircut that I had before. My first clue should have been that it took about 4 people to finally translate 'long layers' to my hairstylist. I left with my hair about three inches shorter, short choppy layers and he cut all of the thickness out of my hair so it now feels really thin. Not at all what I wanted or had asked for. Edit: I have since been to my hairdresser at home and he said 'this haircut is a disaster, the easiest way to describe it is that they cut it upside down'. Don't go here read more

I came here for the second time for my hair cut, and I am still happy with the service I received here. When my hair was getting washed, the massage was so relaxing, and I almost fell asleep. I also like the scent of the shampoo and conditioner that they used, and I am trying to look for the same scent, but no luck at the moment. The only reason why I am giving this experience 4 stars out of 5 is because my hair cut is rather simple and quick this time. I was hoping to get a more stylish hair style. There must had been some miscommunications, but in the end, my hair is short again. I recommend to some people who does not speak Chinese to bring a picture of the style you want to show them instead of trying to explain to them. Overall, I am satisfied with my experience here once again. Tell me about your experience if you decide to give this place a try. read more

This salon is well worth for the price and most of the time you would get a good results for its services. My favorite stylist, Joe, always fulfill my demands and give me a satisfying result. I have been there for almost 7 years, which often I would experiment with different hair styles to see which one looks the best on me. I had Joe since the first time I went to this hair salon, he is a very experienced stylist to entrust your hair to. Hoping they will keep up with the good works!!!! read more

I was displeased with a haircut from another salon so I looked around for a place to get my hair fixed without paying an arm and a leg. After reading the reviews on Yelp, I decided to give this place a try - I'm very glad I did. This review is ONLY for their haircut service; I have not tried anything else this salon offers. Some useful information: - I called the owner earlier and he quoted me $18 over the phone for cut + wash. I was basically sold at this point. Where else are you going to find a decent hair salon that offers these kind of prices?? - Since my hair had been thoroughly shampooed the day before at the other salon, I opted to not get my hair washed before getting it cut. This actually brought the price down to only $10. *Note, it could be the fact that my hair was already short (a chin-length bob) that they were able to only charge me $10. If you have longer hair, the price might be higher. But honestly, if you check their website, they have some of the lowest-priced decent haircuts in the city. Like others have mentioned, the hairdressers don't speak a lot of English. They speak mostly in Cantonese but they know Mandarin also. Once my hair grows out longer, I'll try this place again for a full haircut. read more

Worst haircut of my life. Last year in February, got a perm and haircut here. The perm was fine, but the haircut reduced my hair to that of a mushroom shape. I asked for a slight trim (showing him a picture and communicating in Chinese) but the hairstylist trimmed it so much that the top of my hair was very heavy while there wasn't much hair left on the bottom. It looked so horrifying that I kept my hair tied up for an entire half year. With the perm, it looked like I had some dangly strands of ramen for hair. The reason I'm posting this now is that even 1.25 years later, I'm still recovering from the haircut as my hair is still messed up. I've already spent at least $200 more getting very frequent haircuts elsewhere (due to the high maintenance of having a mushroom like cut, where I need more I constant cuts in order for the top and bottom to match in thickness and length). My hair is constantly flying away even now, and I long for the day when I'll finally have grown out of this atrocious haircut. If you want to have your hair constantly commented on by hairstylists elsewhere who actually know how to give haircuts (most common: "who gave you this haircut??" Or "what happened to your hair") or spend more money fixing really bad hair, then come at your own risk. I came in thinking, "how bad can a haircut be?" I was sorely mistaken. read more