I love the results of my highlights. I showed her what I wanted and got exactly that. Would definitely recommend her to anyone and especially because she seriously takes her time with the hair so it is NOT sloppy. read more

Iky Hair Design - Highlights - Hair Salons Near Me - San Francisco, California

Finding a hair stylist I like has been a huge trial for me, for most of my adult life - I never found one I remotely liked in Berkeley (and refused to ever get my hair cut at Cal, after an unfortunate salon visit that left me looking like a North Korean communist soldier movie stereotype); found an okay one whilst in Silicon Valley, but who I bore no great love for; and failing once more in Seattle, leaving with cuts reminiscent of Socal ricers or Justin Bieber, opted to grow out my hair instead. Coming back to the Bay, I experimented with some medium (~$30) to high priced (~60) salons across the city, just to rule out the "you get what you pay for" argument - and rule it out I did. You'd think a "I don't know, you decide, make me look different" would lead to differing styles each time wouldn't you? But nope, somehow it always ended up the same, be it a $15 cut, or a $60 one. The only differences were in actual technique, but those had no correlation with price points either. So, eventually, I found myself sitting in Iky's chair, having read all these rave reviews here on Yelp. And you know what? For the first time in my life, I have a hairstyle that I actually love (I'll worry about the age-appropriateness of a fauxhawk when I get there), and a stylist who is dedicated and very well-trained, to boot! Iky will schedule you for a full hour, and actually be cutting your hair for that full hour, all the meanwhile making conversation, be it about life, or the technique and reasons behind how she's cutting your hair. On top of all this, she's affordable too, at $15 for first time customers, and $18 thereafter, not including tip (it'll do you well to tip her well - she works hard, remembers clients, and, more importantly, treats returning customers well). One last thing to take note of though is that it can be fairly difficult to book an appointment with her. She has a lot of customers, both old and new, and given the full hour bookings, and the fact that she's a one-woman operation, it means she's always booked, and booked out far, with two months not being uncommon. Since I always book my next appointment at the end of my current one, this is of little consequence to me though - well, unless I miss it. Then things can get a bit... hairy. read more

Called her in the morning to see if she could fit me in for that day, and she had room. Cool. I usually hate hair cuts cuz i never know what i want. Stinky asian hair -___- i just wanted a trim and more layers, so thats what i told her. She could tell my hair had been cut by a noob (my boyfriend) haha. and explained all these hair stuff. A nice chatty lady, not tooo chatty. Hair came out alright, shorter and layers, just wish my hair grew faster so it was longerr with layers. but i will be back when i need my little trim. around 20 with tip. read more

Awesome turnout! Last week, I came in to get my hair cut for graduation for a last minute and Iky fit me in! After not cutting my hair for over a year during the pandemic, she got me in tip top shape. I was looking the freshest I have in a long time. 10/10 will come again. read more

I've been through a lot of hair dressers: American, Chinese (HK, China, ABC), Vietnamese. Some costs $20, some costs $30, some costs $5. Couple weeks ago, my wife found Iky on yelp. The only reason why we drove 45 miles when there are plenty that only a few miles away is that review states that Iky only use scissor and the price is right. So we came and our whole family had our hair cut. My wife reserved her opinion on Iky, it's hard to tell just by having a minor trim of her hair. As for my 7 and 11 years old. I'm very happy with their hair cuts. There is a significant difference between their hair cut by scissor than by electric razor. Let's just say they have difficult hair and we tried many barber and Iky did a good job. I'm still struggling about paying $12 than $5 when they are only kids. As for my hair, I'm quite happy with it. However, it's too soon to tell how good Iky really is because we didn't do any hair styling, just cut. And after 2 weeks, my hair still look pretty good. I have to go back at least another time to be able to comment further on how good it is but for sure, at $12 for an adult, it's a very good value. That's why the rating is 4 stars and not 5. All in all, I'm quite happy with Iky. read more

Iky surely did her magic on my hair! i went in wanting a subtle change to my hair, and i wasn't sure how to do it without further damaging my hair (i box-dyed my hair before and it made my hair really dry and new roots were coming out). so Iky recommended doing a color treatment to tone my hair while deep conditioning it. she added some subtle highlights for more depths and texture to my thin hair. i basically just let her make her best judgement for my hair. and i loveeeeeeee how my hair turned out at the end and how not damaging the whole process was (Iky explained everything that she was doing and made sure i understand). would highly recommend Iky. she's professional and she customized a one-of-a-kind color for me! will def come back! read more

Iky Hair Design - Hair Salons Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I'm giving you guys 1 star for giving my money back. I specifically asked for a trim, keep my v-shape and layers, trim the top for volume but instead I had 4 inches cut, lost my layers, my v-shape changed to a round shape and every part of my hair was cut crooked. This is the first time I cried because I got a bad hair cut. I had hair down to my back and I had to go to another hair salon to fix your mistake. Now my hair length is a little passed my shoulders. Very upset because this was the first time in my life growing my hair long and it's all chopped off. I don't understand how you manage to get such good reviews, 4.5 stars and are backed up on appointments where some people have to wait for a month to 2 months to get booked. I am not over exaggerating when I say I felt like my hair was butchered. But I guess it was my fault for taking a risk to allow my hair in the hands of someone who is not Korean. This is the first and last time I will ever get my hair cut by you. No wonder the place is called "IKY." read more

Iky Hair Design - horrible.... - Hair Salons Near Me - San Francisco, California

Being fairly new to the San Francisco I was a little afraid of getting a haircut. I've been going to the same stylist for the last 3-4 years in Milpitas. Now that I'm in the Outer Sunset that is no longer an option. I tested my luck at a few other places (Revolution Hair Studio to name one) before trying out Iky and failed miserably. They didn't have the skills and technique I was looking for. I have thick black Asian hair and if not done correctly can turn out flat. Of course this wasn't a problem for Iky. She's been doing hair for the last 5-6 years and it shows in her work. No electric razors needed because she does everything by hand (scissors). Yes, I know! That takes a lot skills, talent, and attention to details. Let's just say I left with a big smile on my face and will be returning in 3-4 weeks for another trim. Recap: My hair was textured perfectly where it had just enough volume while maintaining the style I was trying to achieve. That's hard to do. Trust me... I'm very picky when it comes to these things. Still doubtful? Try her out and you'll see I wasn't lying. read more

Wowerzzz Iky's gotten so popular over the year. I first found her on yelp. Back than she had about 5 reviews, her hair cuts were $12 and I was able to book a same day appointment. Now she has 40 reviews, her hair cuts are $18 and it takes about a month to book her. I'm actually quite sad that she's popular now...WAHH Thanks yelp :( Nevertheless, she's a great hair stylist and I wouldn't be writing a review for her if I didn't think she was absolutely amazing. She definitely deserves all this recognition so YAYY to her! Anyways, I've been to Iky twice. I really like medium to short hair styles with bangs, but I hate bobs, so I had a hard time finding someone that didn't make me look like I was from some village in China. Thank god I found Iky because she was the only one that gave me exactly what I was looking for, something short, cute, and non- bob like. I've had lots of compliments from her hair cuts. Oh yah, and she cuts your WHOLE HAIR with scissors. Only pro barbers do this! She's against using razors and saws to shave your hair to get layers. read more

I purposely waited a few days after my appointment before posting because I'm sure like many people, I sometimes walk out feeling good only to find things that weren't quite was it seemed when I get home. I almost passed on Iky because the storefront is unassuming and the $12 haircut sign on the window scared me a bit. But I put faith in the reviews and decided to give it a shot. Boy, am I glad I did. I colored my roots and did color treatment for the rest and a haircut. Iky was honest and frank about my hair and made suggestions. In all my years of getting my hair color, never did a hairdresser suggest doing both color and color treatment (basically a colored oil treatment) at the same time and at the same price. I'm very happy with that. My hair looks more shiny and healthy just as Iky promised. I always felt that there was something wrong with my last haircut but thought that I didn't know how to style. Iky confirmed that he didn't do a good job and gave me a trim to fix the problems. My hairstyle isn't drastically different but it looks so much better! I usually don't give a 5 star review but feel that Iky deserves it. The big warning is that she runs solo and dedicates time to each customer so she's quite booked up so appointments need to be scheduled in advance. read more

This place is new and I am surprised by how popular it is already! Kinda wish no one knew about it so I don't have to call in days in advance to schedule an appointment. (Tip: schedule days in advance!) You can definitely tell Iky is passionate about her job. She is really nice and talkative and she definitely knows what she is doing. She even tells me she tries to keep up with all the trends all the youngsters are trying to go for nowadays. Second time coming here and my haircut was very consistent unlike other places that kinda mess up here and there. Unfortunately, she just raised her prices to $15, but I guess that is because she just gets so much customers now read more

It's been 2 weeks since my haircut and it's been great! Not only is her service affordable, she's a professional. Iky has been cutting hair for 20+ years and knows what type of cuts work for specific texture of hair. I have fine hair and she knew how to cut layers and she also knew my last cut was horrid and the previous stylist had thinned out my hair instead of creating more volume. I didn't get my hair washed so she just sprayed my hair with water. I had asked her to cut side bangs for me and I really shouldn't have doubted her but at the time it still looked long. After going home and blow drying my hair, I realize I should have left it the length she initial cut. Oh well, lesson learned. Make your appointments in advance! Some days she get so busy she can't accept any walk ins. read more

I recently went back to China, and I couldn't get an appointment with Iky before I left. I thought no biggies, I'd just do what I usually do every time I visited China: get a haircut there! Have been getting my hair cut at Iky's for the past year, I have certainly raised my standard AND the over-priced hair dresser that I went to in China was just BAD, I ended up looking like big mushroom head, no layers or style. I hated my haircut so much that I called Iky from China to ask for her rescue. As expected, I was wait-listed because Iky has been so busy. As soon as I came back to the States, I called Iky again, and I was still on the wait list :/... Thank goodness Iky called me and told me to come in to fix my hair :). Because my hair was already short, Iky had to cut a bit more, I cringed at first, but I knew I was in good hands. What a difference Iky made!! From hating my hair to loving my new short hairdo! I love Iky, she's truly the best and the most professional hairdresser out there!!! Bottom line: Once you start going to Iky's, you won't go else where. I learned it the hard way! read more

Don't you hate asian places where they thin your hair using those thinning scissors and snip your hair crazily? or even use a razor to trim the back of your a-line? I do! But not this place. I've only been there once so far, but i already know iky has a lot of experience. I had her do an a-line cut for me and she only had to use a regular pair of scissors to cut my hair. My hair is very thick, so she knew had to thin it in a way that is not messy. The price is very reasonable too! $18 without shampoo! read more

haha..i am the third to use Maggie 's comment: "The search is over!" In my case,i am not usually to get my haircut in salon.Cauz i like to tie up my hair all the time..whatever my hair style looks like,it doesn't matter! But,some fds told me there's a new salon is groovy and inexpensive.I had been longhair for 10 years.I dun know how come i had that motivation to cut them off ...maybe i trust iky when u saw those fantastic reviews in yelp finally?I love my haircut so so so much ... =) THX Iky read more

The search is over, I found my new hairstylist! Iky was friendly and professional. She really knows her stuff (duh, she's been cutting hair for 26 years!). She knew exactly what I wanted and what my hair needed. She gives great advice too! Her prices are very reasonable. Location is good with plenty of street parking. I highly recommend Iky! Cheers! read more

I second Maggie U's review: The search is over! I figured Iky's to be busy based on Yelp reviews, and she was. However, to me that's a good sign. Clients called and regulars attempted to be squeezed in as walk-ins, but Iky's full attention was devoted to me and what I wanted. I requested cut & color, but Iky recommended cut only. I was initially disappointed because I really wanted a new color, but Iky was absolutely dead-on right! Her goal was for me to appreciate the cut for a few days - to try it out - and if I still wanted a color then to come back. Sure, she could've colored my hair and charged me more for the appointment, but she didn't. I came out with not only a FABULOUS contemporary look, but she saved me money because the hair cut works so well with my existing highlights. I don't believe she accepts credit cards (in fact, I was a few minutes late to my appointment as I had to drive down Taraval looking for a bank), but she only charged me $28. My husband loves my look, my teen daughter said I look great, and I can't wait for my friends & co-workers to see me tomorrow. (Heck. I'm tempted to post a pic on FB, but I don't want to be deemed as overtly conceited. LOL) I LOVE IKY. My search is over, too!!! read more

I was lucky that Iky had an opening the day I called. Iky knows what she is doing and cut my hair the way I wanted !! (which is great because so many times I went into a hair salon and came out regretting the experience). Iky is very knowledgeable when it comes to hair and convinced me to start blow drying my hair and get trims a little bit more frequent than before (I use to get a haircut like every 4-5 months average without a trim in between). I am so glad I found her and she is a lot closer to my home than other salons I went to before. Thumbs up ! read more

5 star?? I'm really giving some place 5 stars?? Yup...the reason...I like a good cut but I hate shelling an enormous amount of money. At Iky's you get a great cut and it's for those that have to stretch the not so mighty dollar as far as it can go just to survive. Iky's technique is to avoid the electronic shears as much as possible. She only uses it on my hair for the edges. The rest is done solely by scissor in hand. So a cut for me in any other place that takes 15 minutes, Iky will spend at least 30 mins but it's sooooo worth the butt in chair time. Parking is not as easy as drive up and roll into a space but it's also not drive around the block for an hour either. So those of you looking for a great place for a cut and and a conversation...check out Iky's. read more

Fairly impressive for an Asian salon given the thought put into interior decoration and Iky actually talks with her clients. HKB appreciated the assessment for what kind of style is appropriate for his body type and the use of scissors to cut his hair. Clippers suck! Anyway, my preference is to take him to the J salon because they have more style even though it costs a few times more than this place. read more

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SHE IS AMAZING. Price is extremely reasonable and she is exteremly honest. If it's not going to look good she will tell you upfront. I trusted her completely. The ONLY downside is that her appointments are booked solid a month in advance (at least for the times I wanted). I went end of July and she was telling me all of her Saturdays in August were already booked. I secretly hope nobody finds her so that I can always get an appointment. read more

I got my hair cut from iky maybe 2 weeks ago, and I've been debating whether or not I love it. I like it, but I don't love it. I do appreciate that she doesn't overbook her schedule, and reserves a full hour for each appointment. So, call early! I went in a with a picture of what I wanted, and she nods understanding. She starts snipping away and continually explains what she's doing, which was comforting. But, at the same time, who am I to really know what's the best hairstyle for my face? I went in that day wanting a hairdresser that follows the base guideline of what I want, but can do some innovative layering judging on my hair texture and face shape. I'm not sure she was able to do that. The haircut was good, simple, but not wow. If i'm looking for a trim or a simple cut, Iky is the way to go! $18 not including tip. But, if I want something dramatically different new just to spice things up, I'll probably go somewhere else. read more

She was very informative about every step she was taking in trimming my hair. I found out that my hair was so thin because every time I asked for "layers" at my previous stylist, she was actually just thinning my hair. After Iky gave me layers my hair looked fuller. When it's time for my major hair cut, I definitely trust her to give me a style that I will be happy with. read more

Iky is a Gem, and knows how to cut Asian hair. There are so many times I get a haircut that looks great when I walk out of the salon, but a week later, it grows out terribly messy. She understands the texture and fiber f our Asian hair, and cuts so it will grow in with the appropriate laters and style. BUT make sure to make your appt weeks, and even months in advance, as she is SO POPULAR for all of us that are needing her skills! read more

This place is getting really expensive for a straight cut no shampoo and blow dry, $41 is pricey for a small Chinese one person salon. Especially when there are a lot of other salons that are half the price. I really don't know how much better she is from the rest. Having to book 2 months in advance and super expensive you better be really good. My problem is she raises her price way too often. Each time she increases its $5. I can't afford it anymore. read more

I drive all the way from SJ every month to get my haircut from Iky. This is my 3rd time getting my haircut from her and I am completely pleased. I have tried places in Milpita and Cupertino, but no one knows asian hair like Iky. Beware, she is busy! For my first appointment...it took me 2 months to get! Was kind of discouraged but I am glad I waited =] I hope she moves to SJ read more

This is probably the best place to get a haircut. It offers a super-friendly environment and Iky ACTUALLY listens to what you want. Btw, she explains everything that she does so that nothing can go wrong. Much better than any of the Irving/Chinatown salons. Go see Iky now! read more

I give Iky Hair Design two thumbs up. I have been researching for a salon in the outer sunset area for over a week and have read several reviews but Iky caught my eye. I wanted to redo my perm since what I had gotten was just a soft wave and it was a poorly done job especially for the bucks I paid. I wanted something with a little more pizazz and body so I had called Iky over Thanksgiving and she was able to see me the next day but I had to think about it. I've been with my original hairdresser for quite some time and I've never been to a salon in the sunset area before. So it was more of a risk I had to take not knowing whether I will get the result I want in the end. Until 2 days ago, I gave in and I booked an appointment with her for today and I am ecstatic.. This morning when I walked into Iky's Salon, it was warm and so inviting. Small hole in a wall kind of salon. Easy access to parking. I did tell her exactly what I wanted and she showed me a picture as an example and I left the rest up to her. She's wonderful. Very precise and took the time. I got the spiral curl look and I have long hair so her honest opinion and suggestions mattered to me. It was exactly what I wanted and I can't tell you how happy I am. Not just her care and experience but the attention she gives to her clients is beyond excellency. With the positive outcome and big smile on my face, I booked ahead for my next appointment for a trim and I also booked an appointment for my kids. Change is good... I am so glad I made the phone call. It is extremely hard to find a salon that will give you a lasting impression. read more

She doesn't care much for new customers. She canceled my appointment on two occasions claiming that she injured her fingers. However, I saw her cutting a customer's hair the next day while I was taking the Muni home. I'd much rather be told directly that my business is not wanted/needed than to be lied to. read more

She is awesome. I am the pickiest person with getting my hair or eyebrows done. She does whatever you tell her. Not more , not less. She even gives you better suggestions. It took me a long time to find her, but unfortunately i moved to DC. I will definitely recommend her and will come back to her if i get back to SF. Just one thing, try to make an appointment at least three weeks to one month before. Her schedule is packed all the time. read more

Did I bike to Iky? Yes. Was I gross and sweaty? Yes. Was I still sweating from my bike ride when she started cutting my hair? Yes. Did Iky mind at all? Nope. I made an appointment the day before, and told her I just wanted a trim - that's exactly what I got (do you know how difficult it is to get a genuine, honest trim?!). Like I said, she didn't even mind that I was gross and sweating through and through. She went straight to work and let me know what she was doing every step of the way. Iky is super helpful, offering advice and tips while she cuts. She's a natural conversationalist, so you won't have to worry about awkward downtime. I was in and out with exactly what I wanted (clean-up trim, layers) in roughly 30 minutes. The best part? My cut was $15. (A wash, dry, and cut is $25.) read more

At IKY's hair salon, you will get a wonderful cut for a very affordable price. I live all the way out in Hunter's Point, but I am willing, ABSOLUTELY willing, to sit my ass on a bus for an hour just to come to this place. For all you people who like to style short hair, then you would understand that the subtle differences in how to cut it makes a HUGE difference. I mean, there is a very fine line between ugly and perfect when it comes to styling short hair. And at IKY's I get it cut perfect each time. I always can get an appointment with 2 days of making a call. The haircut is less than $20, but I always tip generously. And at this place, I have no worries about experimenting with new styles because the stylist knows what looks work with your face and what doesn't and she can customize so that the style fits you. I wish yelp would let me give bonus stars because this place is so awesome. read more

Iky knows what type of haircut I want and does a good job. She's nice too. I would go back for all my haircuts;)

It's rare these days to find someone who's mastered their craft and takes so much pride in their work. Iky is truly a gem. She is meticulous with her shears and really knows the art of cutting. About the wait... I made my July weekday appointment back in May. This was my first time and I was wondering if I was crazy to (1) wait that long for a cut and (2) take a day off work just for a cut. I'm very pleased to say that both choices were valid and worth it! Luckily I was trying to grow out my hair anyways so I didn't mind the two month wait. About the cut... It seems about every 10 years I change my hair style. Teenage years I looked like every other FOB Young & Dangerous wannabe gansta with the middle parted semi long hair. Then in my 20's I had the super short top with faded sides. I'm in my 30's now and I was looking for a change once again. I grew out my hair and had a side part that was naturally aligned with my hair growth. I was looking for a stylist that could "transform" my mop into something noteworthy. Iky explained to me that the style fits and that the way it's cut and shaped is the most important aspect. She uses shears primarily and will only use electric clippers if you're asking for a zero fade. She cuts with a purpose. Every snip is intended and every brushstroke is deliberate. So be patient because one session may take up to 30 minutes. About the service... Typically I don't expect or even care to talk to my stylist much during a session. (1) fear of eating my own hair or (2) distracting the person cutting. Maybe I'm just used to the typical Irving/Noriega hack and whack salons and their 10 minute in-n-out method of haircutting. Iky is quite the contrary. She makes you feel very at ease and there's no rush to get you out of that chair. It helps that she's pretty much by appointment only and so there's hardly ever a walk-in waiting in the background. If you do like to chit-chat, then there should be a range of topics that are appropriate... like a first meeting, you don't dive right into politics, religion and familial relationships. Iky kept it purely professional, which is why I know she's so passionate about cutting. Our conversation was mutually ___ (discrete, managed, volleyed, amicable etc). The whole experience was very enjoyable! Price: $18 cut only + tips (at your discretion) Advice: Most people line up one or two appointments out after each visit. read more

I wish i can give this place a review about a haircut, but seems like "no appointment, no haircut". If you have a shop for that, save the rent and work from home. read more

She keeps raising the charge. $31 for haircut without washing hair. And I did not see much difference from other hair stylist. And u need to wait for 2 month appointment. Come on! By the way, she only charges a guy $18 for haircut. Unfair. read more

I have been coming here for more 7 years. Iky provides such great services and she treat me super friendly and professional! I love this place! I will not go to other places unless I move to other state! read more

Great experience... Nice place, great cut. Iky knows what she's doing. She provides recommendations and suggestions. Great personality. .. It was my first time and I'll come back. Thanks read more

So I called IKY last week wondering whether they had an appointment that day. As everything was booked I asked when the next available time is and the woman on the other end said it was Wednesday. So I booked a 3PM Wednesday appointment and since no date was specified I figured it was the Wednesday following my phone call which was 4 days from then. I come in 10 minutes early today (Wednesday) and it turns out that low and behold my appointment was made for November 9th! Now, this wasn't specified to me on the phone and I had anticipated getting a haircut today for the last four days. If this doesn't scream "BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE!", I don't know what does. I'll be going to a salon that will actually CUT my hair on the day that they scheduled me for instead of sending me home with a lame apology. read more

Love the bob that she gave me which works great for my wavy hair!!! Plus she really spends time to understand your hair, features, and personality and explain why she's cutting it a certain way. She also gives you choices and explains how each choice may look. Finally found someone I could rely on for a fantastic look! read more