Great service and great results. I love everything about this salon and the people in it. I am so…read moreexcited about referrals and connecting people with this great experience.

Tamika is thee BEST at what she does! I've been going to her for about 8-9 years and I always get…read moretwo bundles sewn in with a closure! I come with my hair washed and blow dried and she does my braid down and I'm usually in and out within an hour and 20 minutes. The shop is always a vibe and you'll feel super comfortable and welcomed! Her pricing is also super reasonable and affordable! If you're looking for someone who does an outstanding job and a variety of styles, Tamika is your girl!

I started going to Simone because of the reviews mentioning her hair cutting skills, as well as her…read morefocus on and attention to hair health. Those reviews were not wrong! I'm happy to say that my hair is the healthiest it's been in a very long time and that I get a lot of compliments on my cuts. She asks a lot of questions so that she can always understand the current state of your hair - what you've been doing to it, what products you've been using etc. She uses this information to not only approach your hair in the right way but to make product recommendations and give other care tips. I'm really appreciative of her knowledge, expertise and professionalism. I want to re-iterate her skills when it comes to hair cuts. I've had many great hairstylist over the years, but none of them had the cutting skills beyond a basic trim. She is truly unique in this way. Simone is also really fun to talk to and I've enjoyed getting to know her! And, I'd be remiss if I didn't add that she is always on time and never double/over booked. Thank you, Simone!

Simone has done my hair several times and each time I walk away looking fabulous! From short curly…read morecuts, dye jobs, to silk presses...she can literally do it all. She gets even more cool points for being a fellow Leo ;)

Damn right The Braid Bar is as good as it gets! And not only…read morebecause it is Local and black owned! But, also because: The Bar is a Beautiful, professional shop with multiple chairs and inviting interior, (there's tons of candy). The most impressive aspect of the Braid Bar is that there are plenty of stylists, assistants and booths. They have their own well-stocked beauty supply within the salon; that carries rare hair colors and hot new accessories - that I adore because I love having braids and playing up my styles. There doesn't seem to be any unnecessarily long waits and no shortage of hands like some traditional shops. Finally, I've actually never had my done here but I have the pleasure of being friends with Ricky, who works at the shop. He always does a beautiful job on my hair during our private sessions, and is very gentle and has so many years of knowledge.

I am sorry to write a negative review, especially for a local Black and woman owned business!…read moreI had originally made an appointment online to get my daughter's hair braided on Friday August 7th. A scheduling conflict came up so I called the salon on Thursday and had a nice conversation with a worker (owner? bad on me for not getting the name) and we were able to reschedule to Monday the 10th at 3:15pm. My daughter was SO excited! We arrived at the salon a little before 3:15pm, and no one was there, shop was closed and locked. After 10 minutes, I called the same number I had used on Thursday (shop number) and left a message. We ended up waiting for 30 minutes, I called one more time and no one came. My daughter was absolutely devastated as she had been waiting to get braids for a while. No return phone call or follow up from this shop. I can understand if it was just human error and they had forgotten to write down or reschedule the appointment...but ignoring multiple calls without following up to apologize or clarify what had happened was disappointing and unprofessional. Unfortunately can not recommend.

I have been going to Shameeka at The Luv of Hair for a year now and I can't say enough about the…read moreamazing work she does! When I moved to the Bay Area from the land of amazing hair (Atlanta) I was in desperate need for someone who could keep my hair on point. She is not only the nicest person I have found she also is the best at selecting hair, creating natural looking weave styles and helping my own hair actually grow! I have used The Luv of Hair for looks for my competitions as well as several modeling photoshoots and can always always always count on her to make me look flawless. I am definitely a loyal customer and will gladly drive the 100 miles round trip to see her... Including tomorrow for my next appointment :)))

This is what I want and NEED from someone who is doing my hair: the ability to listen! Shameka did…read morejust that and my hair looks great! I am so happy I found The Luv of Hair. I by chance walked into this place while I was omw to go get my hair straightened at another salon. Luv of Hair was closer, cleaner and nicer looking than my original place so I figured I'd give it a try (plus I was super stressed for time). Anyway, I was greeted by Shameka who owns the salon. Told her I needed my hair flat ironed and not pressed with a hot comb (as some people are still doing can you believe that?!). She listened and used two high quality flat irons on my hair (a smaller one my edges). I'm mixed and my hair is natural, super curly frizzy, thick and can get pretty soft. I know my hair, what it can take, what products to use and how to apply them but I am no hair stylist. Shameka proved to me that I can tell her these things without her going into an eye roll thinking I'm telling her how to do her job. In my experiences, with situations like these, my hair is left over processed and damaged because the stylist used products or practices I know do this to my hair and had just told them not to use. Not with Shameka! She is a stylist and is versatile where she can listen to her customers' needs and apply them into her skill and hair practice. Believe it or not, this is hard to come by. I mean, no two naps are the same, what will work for one customer may not work for another. A real hair stylist knows this and seeks as much info, from the customer, as possible to make sure the experience, and hair, is set. Shameka is this chick. She is professional, nice, welcoming and clearly hard working. I have no doubt her place will do well with qualities like that. I paid $50 but I believe this is included with a wash, dry and trim (I came in with my hair already washed and skipped the trim), pretty good deal. There is free parking and the place is pretty nice and clean. There is even a little waiting/play area for kids. I definitely will be back and recommend.

After five years as a loyal client, I can honestly say this is the only salon and braider I trust…read morewith my natural hair. Every appointment reminds me why I keep coming back. From the moment you walk in, you're welcomed with warmth, professionalism, and genuine kindness. The salon is beautiful, spotless, and located in a safe, convenient area, creating a relaxing experience from start to finish. The entire staff is friendly, respectful, and makes you feel like family. What truly sets them apart is the exceptional quality of their work. My braids are always neat, consistent, and beautifully done without sacrificing the health of my hair. I appreciate that they listen to my concerns, especially about protecting my edges and hairline, and they always braid with care. My appointments start on time, and I know I can count on them to deliver beautiful results every single visit. Finding a braider you can trust is priceless, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have found mine. Their professionalism, reliability, attention to detail, and commitment to healthy hair are second to none. If you're looking for a talented African braider who truly cares about her clients and takes pride in her craft, look no further. I recommend this salon with complete confidence. Thank you for five wonderful years of consistently outstanding service. Here's to many more! Highly, highly recommended!

Very overdue review, for box braids done by Fatu in 2022. She did an excellent job, I never had…read morebraids before but needed a protective style for my travels in a very dry climate for a prolonged period of time. I had a great experience here, she was so gentle and kind. I was a little bit nervous about the tension and how my scalp would handle it, but she did such a good job not only was I able to tolerate it my hair grew a whole inch. I wore the braids really long don't judge me...3 months but that's a testament to the job she did, it didn't look raggedy after all that time AND I got an inch of length. We chose a side part, but I could wear any direction. Thanks again Fatu, wish I left this review sooner.

WOW! A local gem!!…read more For some reason I've always had difficulty in achieving the look I want with sew-ins. Usually they're bulky, too tight and recently took too long. Thankfully I came across Studio 99! It is perfectly located near downtown Oakland, in a small clean salon. Went in last night after easy scheduling with the owner, Melissa, via IG. Melissa is very knowledgeable and talented at what she does. My hair is now almost a week out and has been relatively painless (fresh braids hurt no matter what) and the style looks great! I especially love how she set the "leave out" do I can style my hair differently. To top it off my real hair was trimmed and braided with support to take the pressure off my natural hair. A gem! Diamond of the season! Get your summer hair ready and right at this salon! Thank you, Melissa! I love my hair!!

I HAD MY HAIR N FOR ABOUT 4 HOURS AND HAD TO TAKE IT OUT!!!! 2 OF THOSE HOURS I WAS DRIVING. I LET…read moreTHE LADY (OWNER) KNOW RIGHT AWAY ABOUT THE ISSUE. SHE TOLD ME TO GO W A RATTAIL COME AND RRY TO LOOSE. IT. UMMM HOW. I TRIED AND STILL NOTHING. I SHOWED HER PICTURES IF HOW MY SKIN WAS PULLING AND TURNING WHITE AND YOU CAN C THE FOLLICLES BEING PULLED. HAD TO TAKE IT OUT RIGHT AWAY. Sucks, because i gave her 250 and hair was over 400 . So I'm was out of 700 plus with gas, parking ticket and service. I have 4 kids and that could have def been given to them.. i only requested 125 back. She said ok then the games started. My time is more valuable than 125 so I just blocked her eventually and told her God bless and moved on w life. Life is too short! Chop it up as a loss and a lesson! She seems to be a nice person, however nice isn't going to fix the fact that I went there and my hair was way too tight. I don't live in the area, I'm 2hrs away so I couldn't go back to have it redone. I told her right away upon getting home that my hair was way too tight and I tried to modify it and cut parts that are tight out. Still did not work. I think she started rushing towards the end as another client showed up and did not realize how tight she was doing my hair. My hair was so tight I started throwing up. I called Er and spoke to a colleague there as I'm n the med field and she told me it's imperative to take it down if I don't get relief after trying to cut a few. I called her again she and she said she will redo it if I come back. Mind you my bday was the next day and my daughter's bday was the day after so I couldn't. I gave her a great tip bc she took me last min and seemed genuine at first so I was like u know what I'll just get half of what I paid back. She said to call her on face time to show her I took it down and so I did just as she asked. She didn't answer. I then texted her and she said oh I left my phone at shop. So I told her now bc I was using someone else's phone I no longer have access to ft but I can send pictures. I could have even showed her a picture of me and wrote a date on it. She didn't want that. I showed her a picture the night I took it down of my hair and the frontal completely lifted out. So fast forward she tells me no she's not going to do it and she needs a ft mind u I had already tried calling her at the exact time she told me to. I told her it's cool I'm not guna go back and fourth with you God bless and I left it alone. I do not need to lie about taking my hair down!!! It kind of had a wiggish look but I was happy that she was accommodating and agreed to do it. Now I 100% regret it. I got a parking ticket as she talked and showed me pictures the full first 1 and some mins before actually even doing my hair. So overall I wouldn't return. The service was ok but overall it's a No for me. Business is business and that's OK. Hope everything works out w how she handles hers! OVERALL THE ISSUE WAS MY HAIR WAS WAYYYY TO TIGHT. NO WAY ANYONE COULS HAVE DEALT WITH IT BEING THAT TIGHT. I GET MY HAIR SEWN IN BY SOMEONE ELSE AND NEVER EVER HAD THIS ISSUE Cons. Wiggish look of the sew in Rushed towards the end as another client came in Hair wayyy to tight Pros Nice Came in as a same day appointment within 1.5hr

I've been going to Akiya for about 9 years now. Despite anyone else that we have tried, my son and…read moreI still love coming back to her. She takes the best care of our hair and does the best job in styling after a retwist. She has an amazing spirit, highly professional mannerisms, and is super friendly and easy to work with. She is always on time, and it's worth every penny going to her.

Always on time, friendly, experienced with locs, clean atmosphere, professional, and the best…read moreconversations.

10 out of 10 recommend! Chrissy gave me a soft glam…read moreexperience and it was an amazing. I left more than satisfied. Her work is impressive.

I can honestly say Chrissy delivers on every style I've ever asked for. From the moment you sit in…read moreher chair, you know your appointment is going to be filled with great conversation, positive energy, and expert care. She always shares helpful hair tips on how to maintain your style and properly care for your natural hair, which I truly appreciate. Whether it's a weave, braids, makeup, or a full glam moment, she never misses. You will not walk away without a smile--and most importantly, you'll leave feeling completely confident and beautiful every single time. Highly recommend!