Ok, I'm from Philadelphia and recently made a trip out to SF to visit. Being a girl with poker straight hair, I've been searching and searching for the perfect perm. I've had a few disasters back in the day, so I really really wanted to brave it again and try the digital perm. Honestly, there isn't ONE single place in Philadelphia that I would trust my locks to, so I put my faith in Yelp and typed in "digital perm" and voila, "Arty" came up. Every review on here is nothing but good, so I made the call a week ahead of time (good thing to do, and try to set your appt on a weekday) with Junko. I was pretty hesitant and scared that I'll come out looking like a Chia Pet that hasn't been watered for a while, but Junko took my fear away. Junko spent over 4 hours with me and although my ass hurt from sitting, I enjoyed myself. She's soooooo nice and patient. Me being from the East Coast, patience is....well, most of us don't have it here. She explained EVERY step so I was prepared and didn't freak out when she went to do it. Plus, god bless her since I'm going to admit that I'm not an easy person to please and if I expect something, I better get it. She delivered. I would seriously fly back once a year or however long it needs for me to get my hair done again. read more

To sum up my experience at Arty's (each and every time): polite, patient, friendly staff and skilled hairstylists who offer excellent customer service (one girl blew dry my hair for almost fifteen minutes, a few strands at a time). My stylist, Abby, she's a sweetheart. Not only does she share my love for Urban Outfitters, but she always listens to what I want and does her best to deliver. She's even given me a few lessons on how to curl my hair, though I always forget by the time I get home. Sorry, Abby! The price for a haircut is reasonable, $50 for a cut and wash, $5 to trim bangs, $100+ for hair dyes, and they take Visa! read more

ONE STAR!!!! why? I'll tell you why...I had asked to have a light brown as a new color for my hair and what they had given me are SPOTS of different shades of color..from gold, brown, and dark brown...I asked for ONE color, she seriously did not know how to color hair, as if it's her first time!!!! I look like a cheetah...thanks kyoko and I seriously regret paying that $170.00.----IF YOU WANT TO LOOK LIKE SPOTTIE DOTTIE...go here! Thank god there was Maritza from CINTA that save my day! & take note she did not charge me over a $100 only $78. I GIVE PROPS FOR THE REST OF THE LADIES THAT WORKS AT ARTY THOUGH, THEY SEEM TO KNOW WHAT THEIR DOING. read more

I got hair extentions here and it turned out REALLY well. Better than i expected! Less expensive too! I was ready to pay $500+ for cut, hair extensions (w/ human hair), and styling. I only paid $355 (tip included). Well worth it b/c it came out really natural, well blended, and well styled. $50 for haircut $10-25 per extension x 22 extensions ** by Kyoko** The haircut before the extensions was so good, i was actually going to reconsider the extensions. It turned out great though, so i'm glad i did it! read more

Sipped on lightly-sweetened iced tea and perused various magazines as I got my first digital perm. I was nervous, I was anxious, I was wary because my 4th grade perm job gave me a 'fro helment. But, alas, all was in vain as I left the salon with a sigh of relief knowing I will no longer need to ponytail it up to hide my mess of hair. Although some areas aren't as wavy as I would like, I will not be going back for the complimentary re-perm for risk of drying out my hair. Despite this, I still believe that Arty is good. Go. Now. read more

This is my first yelp review, and i'd love to contribute it to a place that i've loved for a long time. I've been going here for 2 years, and so far I don't feel like going anywhere else for haircut. michi is my hairstylist, and I've tried digital perm, coloring, regular haircut etc with her. They all look nice. The only thing i'm still not quite get used to is that the reservation takes at least 1.5 weeks of waiting. read more

Still LOVE my digital perm. Thinking about going back to get it done again... not 100% sure since I normally don't like to perm my hair more than once in 5 years.... hahahaha. But, definitely thinking about going back for a haircut with Kudo-san :) read more

I drive 2+ hours to get my hair cut here. Everyone is highly trained and produce excellent results.

Stepping through the door of this salon is like being warped to a salon in Japan. Japanese speaking staff, japanese magazines, cleanliness, and, good, friendly, polite customer service. A really hip girl named Michi cuts my hair, and I do not let anyone else touch my hair. She always makes my hair look exactly how I want it to, without fail, and is skilled with layers. I walk out with my hair looking perfect, but with natural, soft edges so it looks like my hair just happened to grow into that perfect style. I can't imagine coming here as a non-Japanese speaker, though. I assume some of the staff speaks English, but it seems like for the most part this is a 100% Japanese place. They even answer their phones in Japanese! read more

I was assigned to Miki. She's very nice and sweet...i was very pleased with her. But the cut was so so. Nothing special and it was pricey. $55 for a trim that took her less than 30 mins to cut. I only tipped her $8 since I don't think I'd go back. I gave 4 stars coz I thought the staff were really nice. read more

LOVE THIS PLACE! My friend suggested this place to me, but I was iffy b/c of the price, but the time spent, attention, service and quality if excellent!!! I feel like a queen here. You tell them what you want, they will make it happen! I been here twice and I have Ayoko do my hair. love her! and i started getting compliments from my colleagues and friends about my hair. that's when you know they did a good job. i think i found my place! I used to go to Hair Republic, but the wait and lack of attention is not there. I will go back to Hair if I am broke and need to save $$. read more

Hana is THE BEST hairstylist ever! Not only can she cut my hair exactly like the picture I bought to her, the hairstyle lasts overnight! It's simply amazing! I cannot stop looking at myself in the mirror.:) read more

Always get great and stylist hair cuts. The digital perms have given me the "natural" curls I've always wanted. Hiro is a great stylist. read more

Arty - Digital perm - Hair Salons Near Me - San Francisco, California

It was time to get my hair done and I had to wait 2 plus weeks to get an appointment at JCBC. Since JCBC did a great job last time, I was willing to wait. But 2 plus weeks.... Really? At the same time, I've been hearing good things about Arty from my best friend and thought I'd give them a call. I got an appointment within 3 days. My appointment time was 10am on a Monday and I was the only customer there. I just wanted to have my damaged hair trimmed up and get a little highlight. My stylist was Kyoko. Our communication was simple but to the point. She is very skillful, experienced and wastes no time at all. I got exactly what I wanted and was extremely pleased with the result. I don't find them more expensive than JCBC even though the money I spent per visit at both places equals 4 or 5 visits at supercuts but you do get what you pay for and I like to spend more money and feel pretty and happy. Sorry JCBC! I'm coming to Arty from now on! read more

I had a Digital Perm done here by Junko. Love her. Hated my hair. I went in a day before the appt to get an idea of what my hair would look like after a digital perm, and no one really gave me insight. They did however, show me pictures of what digital perms look like. I bit the bullet and kept my appt for the next day. In my own mind, I had a vision that a digital perm would give me super loose waves, im talking BIG S-waves, like super big S that it doesnt really look like an S. What I got looked like a regular perm. The kind that is small waves and totally looks like a perm. Not long, not sexy, not beach-like hair. Instead, I got what looks to me like a 1990's perm. There was no communication barrier, and Junko speaks english very well. There WAS miscommunication in what I wanted. She told me AFTER the perm that she used smaller rods because I have fine hair, and she worried that my hair wouldn't hold a perm well, and that she thinks it'll last 2-3 months, while for others it could last 6 months-1 year. Now, had she told me all this BEFORE my perm, I would still have 200 bucks in my pocket and a better head of hair! Seriously, that infuriates me. Be honest about my hair outcome when I ask about it before the process! Oh, and bangs. The part I hate most about my hair. I showed her pictures of what I wanted AND what I DID NOT want. CLEARLY. Now what I DONT understand, is how she could have misinterpreted what I wanted and GAVE me what I DIDNT want. I thought we were SO CLEAR on it. I asked her TWICE even, if she understood. But whatever, my bangs will grow out fast. This perm however, will NOT. I really, really, REALLY wanted to like this place. I'm even going to go as far as to say that my hair COULD have been great. Junko is good, I'd still recommend her. I really liked her. She's super friendly, and speaks english fine. I just WISHED she had been more upfront with it all AND hadn't confused what I wanted for what I didn't want. It's probably just my luck. Sucky. By the way, the profile picture is BEFORE digital perm. read more

This was my first time to Arty's. I had Yumiko cut my hair. I went to Arty's to get bangs since it got such great reviews, so I was close to certain they would do a good job. Well, it didn't turn out as I wanted. She cut my bangs exactly to the length to where it was poking my eyes directly. When cutting the rest of my hair, she was very hesitant when making cuts and didn't really cut much. So it took quite a while to cut my hair. For the first couple weeks, I had to pin my bangs up since they were always in my eyes. I finally couldn't stand it and trimmed them myself. But, on the plus side, they give you a a neck and shoulder massage at the end of your haircut. Also, I got the basic oil treatment after the haircut. It was very nice and their products smell great. When washing your hair, they are very gentle and cover your face with a tissue, which I think is very considerate. The overall atmosphere at Arty's is great. I would try again in the future, but with a different person. read more

I've been to Ayako twice, once for haircut and second time for cut/color. She is a great stylist/colorist and she communicates very well. I have Mexinese hair..Mexican and Chinese, but its more asian. I did a search on yelp and found Arty's. After reading the reviews, I was concerned about picking the stylist. I decided to just call and get the luck of the draw...I got Ayako. She thined out my hair and the cut grew out well. 2 months later I came in for cut/color. My summer highlights were looking brassy which Ayako agreed and gave me some highlighting around my face but low lights on sides/back. The color came out perfect. I was here for 2 hours, she initially trimmed my hair, then washed, then cut the rest dry, then colored. In between there was some massage and green tea. The salon has great energy and all the assistant shampoo folks were fantastic. read more

I've been there twice and I decided to use this hair salon as a regular. Chiha was my hairstylist this time and she knew a variety of styles and cuts. So as requested, I could get what I wanted. Also she gave me some useful tips how to arrange/ set up my hair and how to keep it. I've been able to do it by myself so far. I used to go to Zippy's. They are really good too but it is just a bit farther away from me. The only bad thing about Zippy's is that they only accept cash or check. read more

It had been about 5 years since I had last seen Kyoko at Comsa and it was so nice to see that she remembered my sister, my mother, and I. My mother went first as she had to dye her very gray hair and while that was setting, Kyoko started on my cut. I can never decide on what I want so I usually give some guidelines. This time I wanted bangs and my length to stay roughly the same. The haircut turned out very sleek and stylish. But she didn't stop there. She asked me if I'd like to have it curled and I said, "Sure!" It's been about 2 years since I curled my hair and when it was all done, it looked AMAZING! I have never come from a haircut "glowing" with pride as I did that day. I took my son to the mall across the street and I noticed so many people looking at me. Sure, it could have been my very cute 1 yr old, but I think it was mostly that my hair looked freakin awesome! The cut is so well done that if I jump out of the shower, place my bangs in their rightful place and let it airdry, it looks perfect. But if I want to go glam, I whip out my brand new ceramic curling iron (that I bought because I loved the way Kyoko curled it so much) and soak in the beauty. The other thing to note about every haircut I've ever gotten with Kyoko is that it grows out beautifully. Every time I'd get it cut with her, it would be about 6 -8 months before I'd get it done again and that's only because I wanted to try something new. I'd still get compliments on my grown-out hair. Now if you're asking why it's been 5 years since I've seen her, well, I moved out of state. I happened to be in town when my sister wanted to get a haircut so I said, let's go for it! I'm so happy I did. TL;DR Kyoko is an amazing stylist. I will be saving all of my future haircuts for her petite hands! read more

I went to Arty's for the first time half a year ago which is late for this review. Michi was the one who cut my hair. She asked me how I wanted it and she cut my hair with precision. She was very professional and made sure every strand was in place and set before she showed me the final product. Even when I was heading out the door after paying, she brought a bottle of oil and did alittle finishing touch as she noticed some dryness. This salon is alittle pricey around 60. or so for a haircut and came here from a recommendation since I had an appt. nearby and in need of a cut. I do enjoy the hairwashing as well since they cover your eyes with a towel and give their clients an added bonus of a nice head massage with the wash. As soon as you walk in the door, all the stylist and receptionist greet you in Japanese. Great customer service and but pricey, but it is expected for a high-end salon! Problem also is the parking and they do not do validation. read more

I went in as a walk-in and even though it does say appointment only, it wasn't as busy so they accepted me. Rei cut my hair and I gotta say, I really liked how it turned out. I never got hair cuts in the US (I usually wait to do it when I go to Korea over break) because the last time I got a haircut, it was uneven. However, I loved how this one turned out! Throughout the entire session, she asked me if the length was okay and if I wanted it shorter. It's definitely a lot better than someone cutting my hair too short and not being able to do anything about it. The only downside is that they only accept cash and credit card. No debit cards. :) I'd definitely come again! read more

My hair got extremely dry and started to fall out after this visit. I paid $83 to buy a rude service. I won't come back ever again!

Wanted to treat son a special haircut for his driver's license photo. Last minute. They were kind enough to squeeze him in. Heard sbout Arty many years. Totally insane, too cheap to go myself.... but easier to open wallet for the kids. Nice cut but could not tell difference from the nicer cuts he got for a third of the price. His aunt saw him that evening and said "worth every dollar". $65. Oh well, apparently they don't take a new driver's license photo....they use same one taken for the permit. read more

I love Arty (formerly known as Comsa), the staff are all very friendly and pleasant and the facilities are clean although the waiting area can get a little tight sometimes. They also often offer you a drink while you're there, and yummy Calpico is one of the options. The cuts are great and they specialize in Japanese style cuts. Although you should be careful who you wind up with, as one of the stylists - Michi has given a friend and I 4 unsatisfying haircuts between the two of us. I'm much happier with my current stylists however, so it's just a matter of finding the right one for you. read more

Went in for my first haircut in over 4 months, so its the least to say that i was pretty shaggy at this point. Got an appt with Ayako a week in advance and left with a somewhat j-poppy look. it was pretty close to what i had showed her from the mags that they have on hand, so i was happy with it. Good experience, everyone was friendly. I'll be going back. read more

Michi is fantastic! Not just she is a very skilled beautician, she has a very positive and bubbly personality which keeps me occupied through the long process of coloring, treatment and a cut. Other girls are great too. Ayako once gave me a very nice sophisticated Ginza style hair cut. Their skills are good. I used to get a hair cut in Daikanyama, Tokyo until last year, which is hair salon central in current Tokyo, but I don't see that much difference. The prices are moderate including the tip compared to the salons in Tokyo. read more

Worse than when I cut my own hair. I just wanted a simple haircut with some layers, got a chunk cut out in the front and that's it, like a mullet. Also be prepared for super rough blow drying, kept poking my head really hard with her fingers. read more

I've had my hair cut by many stylists in Japanese salons in SF. I've had my hair cut by many stylists in general.. Ayako is the best. Makes me look better than anyone else ever has. I'm so happy to do my hair/touch my hair/look at my hair for 2.5 months til I have to go back again to get a trim. My hair grows fast. I don't live around the area so sometimes I can't go to her.. :( I have long, fine hair and she layers it just right so there's volume where I want it. My friend went to her after she got her hair cut into a bob that she didn't quite like .. she called me raving about her afterwards. Long hair, short hair, oh.. I've had pretty highlights done before as well.. you're good to go :) read more

I have been here twice for hair cut and color with Kudo-sen. I was counting on the fact that he is the owner and should know and cut better hair cut, but it was not! The first time was ok experience, my hair style did not wow me, but I like the hair color and they way they carefully color my hair without getting the coloring into my skin too much. Actually it was the assistant who helped dye my hair, Kudo cut my hair but I did not like it that much. He would give you opinion and advice but eventually you are the one to tell him how you want your hair to be cut. I expected something more from a professional hair stylist....anyways, first expereince was ok. My second expereince was a mistake and I was so upset that he thinned my hair so much that it's all stick out of my head (only 2-3 inches from my scalp). Before I sat down, I told him that I am having a weddingin October and I just want to a trim on the bang and on the back, I want my hair to grow so I can have an updo for my wedding, he said OK. and will just cut a little bit. I don't know if he understood me or not, but obviously, his definition of "little bit" is totally different than mine. I expected little trim but he first layered my hair (so ugly....its like you cut across your hair but with 3 obvious layers...oh my gosh, I am not kidding) and then he thin my hair, after he is done, I looked at my hair in the mirror, it doesn't look like he cut my hair...it looks terrible, my hair is shoulder length and his explanataion is that my hair is too short for new style, I need to wait for my hair to grow so I can change style. Well, I understand that and thats why I don't want my hair to be cut too short, but he did it anyways, he asked me if I like my hair, I am Chinese and I don't want to say NO right in his face, so I said, I don't notice any difference, what do you recommend? He then thinned and layered my hair even more...he pulled the outter layer of my hair up and then start thinning my hair underneath, I thought it was fine but not until I got home and washa nd dry my hair, I noticed that the hair under my outer layer is extremely short, it's only a few inches from my scalp, I was like WTF?! what has he done to my hair? trust me, it's not even funny and I was crying like hell! I have a wedding in 4 mouths and how the hell am I going to get an updo with uneven length hair all over my head?! I was literally shoccked when I see my self in the rear view mirror. I was so upset and I still am. I don't think I want to go back ever again, they are very expensive and I don't want Kudo-sen ever cut my hair again because he doesn't know how and he doesn't listen and understand. read more

I'm definitely in the minority here -- not as people who have had good experiences at Arty, but as a man in a salon whose clientèle is 98% women. My old stylist Aki at Glam-Up Salon in the Miyako Mall (just across the street from Arty) moved back to Tokyo, so I was left without a stylist I could trust. On the strength of the glowing reviews I read on Yelp, I decided to give Arty a try. Not knowing which of the ten or so stylists to ask for, I requested an appointment with Kudo-san, the owner. Surprisingly, he had a slot available on the day that I wanted an appointment, so it was all set. I *love* being welcomed into an establishment with a chorus of "irrashaimase"s from smiling Japanese people. In my opinion, there is no more civilized culture on earth and, in a service industry like hair salons, where in the West you _might_ be grudgingly welcomed into the salon by one surly college student behind the desk, it's so refreshing to be treated as if you, the client, are indeed the reason for their being there, rather than as an inconvenience to be accommodated and sent on their way, $50 poorer. Arty welcomes and treats its clients wonderfully. Comfortable seating area, stylish decor, huge supply of new Japanese magazines to look through (including one of my favorites, "Men's Non-No"). Have I mentioned that the young ladies behind the counter are adorable? Well, they are; even my wife said so. They take your coat (and in my case, my satchel, my helmet, my scarf, my cat...) and they offer to bring you something to drink. Faultless service! Like at all good Japanese salons, they give you a nice little scalp and shoulder massage after shampooing you, and about 3/4 of the way through your treatment, they bring you a steaming hot towel to clean your hands with. Was I supposed to have done something dirty with my hands? I don't know, but I certainly wouldn't want them to think so, so I'm happy to use the towel. Oh, and it feels nice too. Kudo-san is the model of a professional Japanese stylist. His English is excellent, and he's a charming conversationalist. And he's so skilled and confident at scissors-only cutting that it seems as if he's working without even having to think about it; it's all second nature to him. He goes to their sister salon in Harajuku every year to catch up on all of the latest trends and techniques. Very impressive! I should mention that in Japan, having your hair done by a salon's owner costs between 25 and 50% more than having it cut by any other stylist, so I'm pleased that my haircut is just $50, the same as it would be from any other stylist in the place. That means that I'm happy to tip Kudo-san $15 and his assistant $5, and not feel like I'm splurging. I mean, I'm getting as good of a haircut as is possible to get in San Francisco, in a stylish, welcoming environment, for a lot less with tip, than a cut at any of the top-tier SF salons, minus the tip! What's not to be happy about? With 6 weeks between cuts, that works out to $12 a week for me to look like a model in a Japanese fashion magazine. (Well, maybe not, but not too far from it.) I do have one complaint -- although it's got nothing to do with Arty, their staff or their services: a couple of the times I've been in for a cut, there have been fathers in the seating area, waiting with small children for their mothers. Both times, the children were noisy, and the fathers noisy as well. Word to parents: a salon is NOT daycare. If your children can't be very quiet in such establishments (restaurants, galleries, etc.), leave them at home. Others who are paying for the service do NOT want to hear your toddler squalling and shrieking! Occasionally thoughtless spouses of clients aside, Arty is at the top of my list. I'm very pleased with the result of Kudo-san's work, with the rest of the staff and the salon itself, and with the value-for-money. And just like the way they welcome you into the salon, you're thanked by everyone in the place as you are bowed out when you're done. I won't be going anywhere else. Enjoy Tokyo, Aki-chan! Your old client's in good hands again. read more

This review is for the DIGITAL PERM. I waited for 1 month to see the results before I write a review about the digital perm. I paid $220 for the perm + tips. Here are my thoughts about digital perm: I got a digital perm 1 month ago and I loved the way it looked for only 1 month. The hair dresser asked me whether I want larger or smaller curl, I chose the LARGER CURL. The bouncy and wavy curls did not last too long. There are only 30% of the curls remain & the rest of my hair looks puffy & wavy towards the bottom. I think the reason why my curls didn't last long was because I have VERY THICK and Straight hair texture. So if you have similar hair texture as me, you may want to choose SMALL CURL for the digital perm. Also, digital perm gives my hair MORE VOLUME on the BOTTOM of my hair, but NOT the top. I would have to spray hair fiber to create volume on the upper part of my hair. Here are the benefits of digital perm listed on numerous websites vs. my actual experience: 1) Digital perm is supposed to make your hair healthier with very nice and shiny texture: Reality for me: My hair is very dry after the perm & I have to use lots of hair products to keep the frizz down and make it look less dry. 2) After a digital perm, the hair looks LESS curly when it's wet, but MORE curly when it dries: Reality for me: My hair looks more curly when it's wet and less curly when it's dried. I'm giving my hair a break before I get another perm, but it won't be a digital perm again because it's expansive and I'm not getting the results I expect. I'm going to try the new Japanese air-wave perm instead. The air wave perm is supposed to provide better results for people who experience dryness and less than optimal results in digital perm. FYI: I have typical thick, very straight, and dark Asian hair. I did not have a hair straightening at all for more than 5 years prior to getting a digital perm. I follow my hair dresser's advice religiously. I put jojoba oil and anti-frizz serums on my wet hair after I wash my hair. Then I put some hair gel on my wet curls before I blow dry my hair. When I blow dry my hair, I break my hair into sections then curl them into little curly buns. I search online and find an advice from a blog that you are supposed to twist you hair into 2 buns like Princess Leia before you go to bed. I didn't get this advice from my hair dresser and it seemed too much trouble for me, so I didn't do this step. My curls are 70% gone after 1 month of digital perm!!! read more

I'm Japanese, so I go to Japanese hair salon, which is quite natural. After all, Japanese hair stylists know about Japanese hair the best. My former hair stylist Eriko once told me that there are distinctive differences even among Chinese, Korean and Japanese hairs --- Chinese: thin and straight, Korean: full body, straight, Japanese: full body, slightly wavy. And my hair is really thick and hard and it's always hard to manage....so that's my excuse to spend $100 for my haircut! Eriko was a great stylist, she's in early 20s but had great skills, knows what I want, and chatting with her was fun too, but unfortunately she went back to Japan several months ago ---so now Kyoko is my stylist. She is rather quiet, but very professional. I tried "digital perm" recently --- it's a new technique using ceramic rods and layers of chemicals to protect your hair during the perm, and gives you this gorgeous, natural curls (I really can't explain well about this digital perm, so check http://you.inq7.net/2bu/stories/02142006/sto2-1.htm if you're interested). It took me like 3-4 hours and $200 or so but it was worth it! I will give four stars, not five, because it could be expensive (cut starts from 40$ or so), and it might not work for people with certain hair types. (M) read more

I had a perm with no haircut here, my perm barely lasted 2 weeks, it was $130 + $20 tips, enough said.

My sisters and I are totally obsessed with Japanese/Korean hairstyles and have been looking for a salon that could replicate our favorite haircuts on us. Thus, we followed the glowing reviews for Arty by yelpers and decided to give the salon a try. Now that we have, we're not sure if we can ever go to another salon again. Here's my experience with most asian salons I've been to: 1. I make an appointment for my sisters and me. 2. We arrive at the time of appointment and have to wait 10-20 minutes before things get started. 3. Our stylist(s) are usually overbooked so they flit from client to client. A shampoo, haircut, and blow-dry ends up taking about 1 1/2 hours. What's worse is that sometimes they take us one at a time, so we're not out of the salon for at least 2-3 hours. 4. We've never been anywhere that really "got" the Japanese/Korean look, so, while our hair looks pretty good, it's never exactly the way we imagine it to be. Here's our experience at Arty: 1. I book an appointment for my sisters and me. 2. When we arrive (armed with Japanese hairstyle magazines for inspiration) they courteously offer to take our coats and bags. I'm so loving it! I hate having to keep an eye on my bag while I'm getting my hair done. We each have our own stylist and they get started on us right away, no wait! 3. The shampooing is so gentle and relaxing. I don't feel like I'm being scalped like at my usual salons. Bonus points for putting a tissue over my face to keep water from splashing my makeup. I even like the way they bundle my hair up in a towel after shampoo. It's totally cute and efficient. 4. Our stylists give us their undivided attention and we are out of there in 45 minutes flat. What's more, our hair looks exactly like the image samples we brought in. EXACTLY. I'm so happy! 5. Shampoo, cut, and blow-dry came out to $55 p/p. More than what I usually pay, but completely reasonable considering we all got what we wanted down to the last hair. Each of our stylists took the time to give us specific advice about our hair type and how to maintain our looks. (Oh, and did I mention that they gave us neck and shoulder massages during our appointment too?) We definitely left big tips. From my experience, the stylists at Arty really know their stuff, especially in regards to types of asian hair and how to manipulate it in order to make their customers happy. My stylist was Kyoko, and my sisters vouch for Yumiko and Chiha. These three ladies were super-friendly, accommodating, and really paid close attention to detail, making sure that we were absolutely happy with what we had. If I could give Arty 10 stars, I would! read more

I went to Arty for the first time today for a haircut after seeing so many raving reviews (despite my initial impression of a dog grooming station when I saw the store picture). After going to the same ol' mediocre salon for 5+ years, I was ready to move on. Called in around 10am this morning, I carried a slim hope for an appointment the same day and somehow got it (woohoo!) Lenka was my stylist and did a fantastic job (also very friendly)! I told her that I wanted to trim off about 3" with some layers and thinning. She really listened to my needs and took her time cutting my hair. Maybe the salon was not as busy as usual, but I really appreciate the fact that I was seated almost immediately and received full attention from my stylist throughout the appointment. One thing I want to mention is that Lenka didn't really explain what she was doing and why until the very end (Perhaps it's just a language barrier since I don't speak Japanese?) BUT - she and I were definitely on the same page. When she was telling me at the end that she wanted to keep my layers long, I then realized "Oh, THAT'S what I forgot to tell her!" Lenka looked like she knew what she was doing and, from that, gave me a sense of comfort, so I actually didn't mind to not know all about the details in the middle. I was going to give Arty 4 stars only for being on the slightly pricey side. But because they offer their staff health insurance coverage and help them with sponsorship, they deserve to have the last star added. read more

So, I only went here based on the great reviews. I went here because I thought this place was affordable and had good quality. Boy, was I wrong. So, my husband said I could get extensions for my birthday. I was so excited. When I arrived I was greeted by friendly people. But, the hairstylist said my hair was too short to do the extensions. My hair is to my shoulders. She then said okay, I will do your extensions if you don't complain, because the last girl who came cried and wanted her money back. I should have ran then. But, because I wanted long hair, I wasn't thinking straight. So, she painfully tied a zillion braids in my hair. The sides looked amazing. But, she said that my hair looked terrible and wasn't willing to work on it anymore. Yet, she still charged me five hundred dollars. What kind of salon doesn't want feedback and who would put extensions on somebody's neck hair? These people are crazy and should not be in business! read more

I've always had short spiky (Asian-pikachu-ish) hair since college and never felt the need to change my hairstyle. It took 5 min. in the morning to style and I thought it made me look pretty swanky. Anyways, I was in Korea for the last 5 months doing a little bit of soul-searching and at one of the higher-end salons that I frequented in Korea, the stylist suggested that I get a perm. At first, I shuddered in fear thinking that I was going to look like the Asian equivalent of Carrot Top, but in the spirit of discovering myself, I agreed and the end result was actually phenomena. And since that day, I took a vow to perm my hair until the day I die or all my hairs fall out, whichever happens first. When I returned to the Bay Area, I somehow convinced myself that, 'Ah.. only another Asian who understands short Asian hair can recreate the greatness that is the perfect perm.' So I started doing my research of all the Asian hair places in SF, and that is how I found Arty. I had high expectations, and I was very excited when I walked into Arty and spotted an Asian model-esque male customer sitting in front of a mirror with the PERFECT perm that I was looking to get! But to test the waters, I asked my stylist for a simple haircut, promising her that I'll be back in a week for a full perm. Well... I guess I was just fooled by his model-esque good looks because the haircut that I got was just not that great: it was uneven, and the stylist thinned my hair with this fancy schmancy silver matrix, s&m looking scissors to the point that I had nightmares that night (and several nights after the cut) of going bald! (Thank god baldness doesn't run in my family although my mom's hair is looking suspiciously thin nowadays....) I really wanted to tell my stylist to stop thinning my hair, but I guess it was like watching something awful happen and you feel powerless to stop it. Maybe I got the wrong stylist, or maybe I just had too high of an expectation, but needless to say, I will NOT be returning to Arty anytime soon. And honestly, it pains me to give Arty 3-stars, because my stylist was so SO nice, and the shoulder massage at the end, although it reminded me of Japanese soft porn, was really relaxing. To end, I am tempted right now to make a cute association between Toyota (when the whole faulty brake debacle happened) and Arty, but it is 12:36 am and my brain isn't performing optimally, so maybe next time! read more

Kyoko trimmed my layers around the face. She is really good. I like the fact that she listened to what I want and showed me various pictures to make sure that she fully understood my needs. I love the cut. I can't wait to get a full hair cut from her next time. read more

george bush paid for my hair cut...thanks for the "stimulus" package, dubya! but arty is so well priced that i had enough left over to go stimulate the economy (PAUSE) somewhere else. perm, cut, highlites for $300. michi is fast, efficient, and not overly talkative. i don't need to know everything about my hairstylist's extracurricular life and vice versa, thanks. i brought her in a whole mess of pictures and she gave me her honest advice. when my perm didn't take the first time, she permed it again for free after she put in an entire day of work. so after being there THREE times, i say yes and five stars to arty! read more

First time I came here to this salon was to do digital perm was about few yrs ago. I had an appointment with the owner Kudo San. Prior the apt., I stopped by for checking the overall cleanliness, the knowledgeable of the staff, and to see if I was a good candidate for digital perm. Everything went well, I booked an apt the next few days. I experienced what everybody said about the digital perm. Minus the message on my neck during the waiting time for the curls to be ready. He also cut and layered tons of hair. I have tons of hair, but what he took, was enough to make full wig. By the time he finished cutting my hair, the whole pile looks like a horror movie. You know, that pile of hair suddenly start lifting from the floor and slowly showing a very pale white face with black evil eyes. Yes! That Much and it's scary! When I asked why he need to take that much, he said to do digital perm, I must thinning my hair since my hair is very thick. This is a lie, because I went to another salon a year after that, and the volume of your hair is not a problem at all. The stylist can adjust that according to your liking. Later on, I understand that, the less of your hair = the less of the product that they should use on your hair = bigger profit for them. It took about 3.5 hours to do my hair because my hair was perm virgin and the cutting/thinning process. I paid $200 exclude the tips (I tip the lady that washed my hair too) for my hair length that was a little over the shoulder. It was expensive, but considering, I was handled by the top stylist, that seems reasonable. I was surprised by the time I came home, my roommate comment was "what happen to your hair?" I said, "I permed it." But what made me run to the bathroom and start grabbing another mirror to check my back part was, when she said, how thin my hair was. I NEVER HAVE THIN HAIR!!!! I used to have tons of hair. And the next morning more sad news, the right side of my hair was started to look less curly. And I looked like a sick cancer patient with her thin hair and uneven curls. I cried looking at myself that morning! And I only cried once before regarding haircut, that was when I was in 4th grade when the stylist decided to give me the Demi Moore in the "Ghost" look. It was a disaster, and my dad gave him hell after that. I called to speak with Kudo San to explained my situation. He seems concerned, but he said to wait until the 3rd day after I washed my hair. I told him, on the 3rd day, I have to catch a flight to NY. He still insisted me to wait and said for me to come in the morning if it does become straight. 3rd day came, my right side was already back to straight mode. I went back, Kudo San apologies and fixed my right side right away. I was practically running to catch my flight. Great day to start a vacation right?! Anyhow, the curls only stayed less then 4 months. I was very unhappy with the overall look and wasted $200 for nothing. I also feel that Kudo San didn't hear what I want. And that was a deal breaker for me. I trust him once, and that's about it. It took me about 8-10 months to grew my hair again. I also got a nice surprised from the local neighborhood where I parked my car, it turns out, one of them reported that my car was blocking their garage entrance and I must pay a parking ticket. OK! Blocking was exaggerating. Maybe I was a bit over the line, but they can go in and out no problem. But thank you for teaching me the lesson to never to come to Arty EVER! read more