Brenda and Tracy are wonderful! I've been to both and they always give a great consistent cut. They're inviting personalities makes me feel comfortable and relaxed. I'm so glad I found them again. :) I can't wait for my next haircut. The salon is beautifully decorated. Very modern and upbeat. :) read more

i love the shampoo that they use here. It tickles my scalp and ends up making me feel like a new person. Sandra works magic. I told her that all I really wanted was to get rid of my split ends. I wanted healthy hair darnit! So after the rubdown with the shampoo, she takes me to her chair to cut, blow dry, and style my hair. She made it look so easy. I end up with bangs.. totally different look that what I'm used to looking at every morning, but I like it. Sandra also added volume to my hair as she was styling it.. so she made me look diva at the end of the session. What I really like about iSalon is their gossip talk among the stylists. From some ex-boyfriend, to the kids, to the wonderful uses of vaseline. No joke. Vaseline... Anyway, 20% off if you're a first-timer... they keep it clean there with someone always following to brush up the hair or wipe down the sinks. Thanks Sandra! See you again in 3 months with my damaged hair! read more

I have three visits to this salon, each time my appointments were with Desi. After 15 years with my last stylist I was hesitant to try somebody new because I have very difficult hair: dry, coarse, sorta frizzy and lots of it. Also, I have avoided Asian-run salons because, the few times I have gone to them, they seem confounded by my hair. Not so at iSalon! Desi made my hair sleek, shiny and nicely corrected my bad at-home dye job. The staff are friendly and professional and the place is spotless. All for a price that is nearly 1/2 of what I paid at my San Francisco stylist! I am very pleased with Desi's work and will continue to praise this salon. read more

Sidelle cut and highlighted my hair. I have never be more happy and satisfied with a cut and color in my life. She knew exactly what I wanted and really cared to give me the exact look I had in mind. My color looks so natural and I cannot wait to show my new do off! I would recommend Sidelle to anyone! read more

I like this place, very clean, very modern, and everyone has pretty hair there. Brenda is extremely friendly and she listens to all your advice on how to fix your hair. I will definitely come here again. Highly recommended! read more

Serendipity brought me here! Actually, waiting for new tires to be installed at Big O is the real reason but I digress. Had time to burn so figured: why not get a haircut! Luck be a lady indeed! The sign out front said: Walk Ins Welcomed so (bad grammar aside) in I walked! Met by Kathy who was professional plus dare I say---easy on the eyes! Great haircut plus after-wards, I still had time before picking up my car so she says: can I get you a beer or glass of wine? Get a haircut, get a buzz too! *kidding* Great vibes, cool people plus top-shelf cut. I was impressed. read more

I moved to the Bay area almost 2 years ago and have been in search of someone to cut my hair since then. Before moving here, I had a standing appointment every two weeks with the same person for almost 15 years. Since moving here I found one stylist that I liked, but she only took cash - which was both inconvenient and annoying. I had one salon that I found in San Jose at Santana Row (W) that was good - but was far from where I lived and hard to get a regular schedule with (especially after the person I liked was let go). And finally I found a place in San Jose that was convenient, but the stylist was seriously creepy and really didn't know how to cut hair all that well. THANK GOD I found Nicole today. She listened, she made me feel comfortable, she was confident and friendly, and she did an amazing job. I think my search is over! Not only that, but 1) they take credit cards (which is a definite plus because I rarely carry cash) and 2) they carry the product that I use (Bumble and Bumble). One stop shop! read more

So after several weeks, I am re-reviewing this salon. The color has tamed way down and looks so much closer to what I was requesting. The cut is still too short, but it is growing out very well. Overall, it may not have been what I had wanted at first, but now that my hair has had time to simmer down, it is looking better and better. I definitely would like to give this place another shot :) Customer Service still gets 5 stars. read more

Had color correction and balayage done with Vanessa. Professional, talented, very knowledgable! Happy with her work and looking forward to my next session. Awesome service and staff as well. read more

Okay, so I needed a new hair dresser FOUR WEEKS BEFORE MY WEDDING! Yes, you read right...a new hairdresser for HIGHLIGHTS 4 weeks before my wedding. Scary! I've had a few bad highlight jobs. I decided to come to Yelp to find my new salon. And I am SO glad I did. I saw Sandra and could not be happier. She was awesome. I was super nervous being a month before my big day and getting blonde highlights to boot. She came through in a major way and all the stylists in there look like they've got mad skills! Hurry up and get over there before they aren't taking new clients. I am finally in good hands. YAY! Note: good location, clean, hip and they are all super friendly! AND they do not overlap clients. You get their full attention. I hope they keep it that way. I heart iSalon! read more

I needed to find a salon that was convenient, reasonably priced, professional, and most importantly, a place that had SKILLZ. And thanks to Yelp, I found it! Kathy did a great job. She listened and put her own spin on what I wanted. She took her time with the 'do, and it paid off. As I walked to my car and saw my reflection in the store windows, I couldn't help but say out loud "Damn. My hair looks GOOOOOOD..." As long as they keep it up, I'll keep coming back. 'Nuf said. read more

I thought about going blonde for almost a year. I hesitated because I didn't know of a quality salon or stylist that was affordable. I have found the perfect stylist (Josie) who keeps my hair healthy and perfectly blonde without breaking the bank! She gives a great haircut with a perfect coloring that looks natural and doesn't dry my hair out. I love this place! You are in good hands at iSalon! read more

We recommend Vanessa. She achieved the hairstyle we wanted. We'll be coming back for sure. Great value and service. They have cold water,snack and candies as a bonus. Two thumbs up. read more

I just got a cut and highlights done by Nicole! It was the best experience! Nicole was nice, courteous, and most of all she knows what she is doing. Extremely satisfied. No pressure! Thanks Nicole!!!! read more

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Everyone in iSalon as very friendly and know what they are doing. And yes you get to play with an iPad. They also offered me tea :-). I also want to mention that my eyelashes came out sooo perfect and lasted about one month. Also, all the ladies always look super cute too. read more

Love this salon! Arielle is the best! The hair color is perfect and killer coffee. The music is just right too! I will be back read more

iSalon - Free cool shopping bags too - Hair Salons Near Me - Alameda, California

I am loyal to Brenda, but since she has been booked up and I have a tendency to do everything last minuete, I've had to bite my lip and try other stylists at the Salon. I've tried 4 our of the 5 stylist and i have no complaints thus far...haha One thing I got from this place that I don't get at other places is to talk to the hairstylist about my hair textures and my needs and wants for my hair.I have long "Victoria's Secret" hair (as hair people on set- in my modeling work) call my hair! HaHa!I can't do anything to drastic to my hair because of what my work requires, but I do like subtle chic changes. I changed my hair color a number of times here and i have never ever been made to look at one of those stupid swatch books. they listened to what I wanted, made some suggestions and then made me look 100x better than I looked when I came into the salon. Take advantage of their REWARD POINTS, BEER, WINE, INTERNET with laptop if you dont' have one! read more

Many thanks to Nicole for my haircut!!!! I got stuck in traffic on my way over to the salon. When I called to let them know, the lady that answered the phone was very nice about the fact that I was going to be late. When I arrived I was offered a drink and told Nicole would be with me soon. When she came out she made me feel very comfortable. She listened to everything I said I wanted as well as gave me her input. We ended up agreeing on a cut that would look good on me. The shampoo and scalp massage was awesome and so was the conversation. Felt like I was VIP status when Jordan came over to help blow dry my hair! I left loving my new look and feeling like it was worth every dollar and have gotten numerous compliments on it already :) read more

5 stars for Diane who does absolutely beautiful work. Diane takes her time and really listens to what I want. Beautiful color, highlights and cut. A very talented artist! I'll be back in a few months! read more

This review is long overdo! I've been going to Vanessa for a year now and I'll never go anywhere else. My hair is super finicky when getting highlights- it shows flaws very easily when color isn't perfectly applied. After my consultation this time last year, she flawlessly gave me an ombre that matched the photo I showed her identically. I've had so many awful hair experiences that I knew immediately at that point she was going to be my person as long as I live in the Bay Area. I recently moved into the city and drove over to Alameda to visit her for a balyage highlight treatment to my hair. She did an amazing job at an affordable price. I'd trust this salon for the most complicated of styles and color treatments! It's fairly priced and everyone is kind and professional. read more

I have been coming to ¡Salon for 7yrs. The owner, Brenda & Staff are wonderful!!! They all work good together!!! The Salon does great color!!! I see Josie & I am always happy with my cut & color!!! I have never had a problem, nor have I had to wait past my appt start time. Thank You Brenda, Josie, & All!!! Angela read more

If you're looking for a great mani and pedi, iSalon is the place to come. Jenny is exceptional clean when it comes to nails. She definitely takes her time and her tools are always clean. She has a great selection of colors. You won't be disappointed with her job. read more

iSalon - Hair Salons Near Me - Alameda, California

Being new to the area, I was very hesistant on where to get my hair cut. I looked at other reviews for iSalon and I couldn't agree more. I made an appointment online and met with Brenda. I had to wait alittle bit for my appointment but the wait was worth it! I have super long straight hair and Brenda knew exactly what to do for me! I was worried about how much to cut off and in order to be precise, she got out a tape measure so we knew how much was going to be cut off! She made sure I loved my hair and recut my layers when I decided I wanted more taken off. She styled it and I absolutely love my hair! I needed my eyebrows waxed and Brenda was perfect! She shaped them perfectly and I literally love my eyebrows and I never thought I would say that! The price was not bad at all especially with the 20% off. The decor is beautiful and the staff is so friendly and nice! I would definitely recommend coming here for any of your salon needs! I'm sure the other stylists are great but Brenda was amazing and I would definitely recommend asking for her! read more

I have been going to iSalon along with my daughter and husband for a few years - we love Desi! I was sad to hear that she was no longer available but wish her all the best with her new family. With Desi gone, we are now having our hair done by Brenda and she is fantastic as well. We all love iSalon, the whole vibe is friendly, everything is clean and the stylists are awesome. We all have different hair textures and she has managed to give us all cuts that are just right - exactly as we request and what looks best. We love you iSalon! read more

I got inspired overnight to cut my hair into a short little edgy bob. I looked on YELP to find a place that would be reputable so I could try someone new. This place had great reviews and I saw they took online appts!! Sweet. So I went online and found that Nicole had a 10am appt for the next morning. Seriously LOVED not having to wait weeks for my hair appt. When I am inspired...I want it done!! Nicole was on time and waiting for me when I arrived. She gave me a fantastic head rub with my shampoo and was very calm and took her time to make sure that I liked what she was doing and that I was comfortable. Then we moved on to the chair. She looked at my pics that I brought and went to work. Our conversation was lovely and not forced at all. Within the hour I had the CUTEST edgy bob just as I was hoping for. The salon is fun, hip, and clean. GREAT prices too!! I will be back...next time for turquoise and pink highlights with Nicole :) read more

This is my good to hair salon. I love Ashley and how she makes me feel at ease. I usually dye my hair different types of colors and Ashley does a good job capturing the color I want. I went to a hair salon that damaged my hair and she helped me fixed it. She lets me know how long the hair process will take and lets me know if she can capture the color that I want. Thanks isalon! read more

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Like this place. Like how modern the communication is.... texting , requests for pics on what u want or think you'd like for hair. Good on direction, all are friendly. I work with Josie and I think she rocks. She's pretty booked as most of the stylists are... They aren't a stuffy upscale salon but they seem to know hair and are stylish,knowledgeable and down to earth- read more

My first time here. Set up an appt online super easy. Jenny came out and led me to the back. The front is a hair salon. They offer coffee, tea or water. Very nice. Jenny is super friendly and had me laughing. Her work is on point, I got a gel mani and reg pedicure. She also does waxing and I got my underarm area waxed for the first time. I will definitely return to see Jenny. read more

Low quality work in a ratty little shop. I have no idea how this "salon" could have such a high rating on Yelp except they pay Yelp for sponsorship (which probably means my negative review will be weeded out....) I found this place on Yelp searching for a good, last minute place in Alameda to get my hair done for my wedding. The owner quoted me $80 for wedding day styling in the salon, which was supposed to include a prior consultation. The first scheduled consult was for 15 mins. When they suggested I would need an hour instead I asked if I would be paying for it, the front desk guy said no. After getting just about the worst styling of my life, Brenda the owner then insisted on charging me $40. She then also increased her quote to $100 for the wedding, saying her "usual" price is $200. --right-- The girl who did my hair tried hard but was clearly lacking in very basic skills (I won't name her since she was very nice and tried hard). So I left the shop with crazy bag lady hair, $40 short and still no stylist for the "big day." Three pieces of advice to the owner: spend less time wandering around the shop preening yourself, more time training your staff, and be honest with your customers. read more

I booked Tracey. She spent more time looking in the mirror AT HERSELF and fixing her outfit and hair than looking at my hair while cutting it. So it wasn't to my surprise that I walked out with a mediocre "so/so" haircut and pretty ugly-colored highlights. While I was in there, the other hairdressers (Brenda and Desi I think?) offered tea, magazines, etc. Me? Nada. ? I had to ask the woman sweeping hair off the floor for it. The salon itself looks cool and maybe it's just because the hairdresser I got wasn't as good as the other ones. 2 stars b/c of the 20% discount and online booking. read more

Whelp I feel like they didn't even care to take or keep my business. I never actually got my hair done here but with my experience before hand i wouldn't return. back story, i watch a girl on youtube named cora-and she recently had her hair done at the salon and i LOVED how it turned out i was excited to find out she had it done at a local salon and i was dying to check the place out because my hair was-and still is- in some TLC. She mentioned she had it done by someone named jesse. So i hopped on the phone to make and appointment, i was excited to check the place out Soooo. I called in to make an appointment, told the girl my hair was a hot mess and i Specifically asked for Jesse. The girl that booked the appointment was nice and helpful she explained i should come in for a consultation so i could sit down with her and and discuss what i want, my options and the price. Ok sounds good for me. We made an appointment for the next day. I hung up the phone excited!! Wha whooo WELL...on to the next day, the day of the appointment. I just so happened to he running a bit late that day i called 5 minutes before my appointment to let them know i was running a few minutes behind but i would be there asap. The girl on the phone said ohh no worries her client actually came in late and she was running behind, she was going to call me but, well, didn't. Hummmm. Ok well i show up exactly 5 minutes after my appointment. And the girl up front tells me that she is still working on the hair cut and she will be done shortly. Ok no biggie i was running a few minutes late myself so i cant be too mad. (Mind you I've never seen jesse before so i have no idea what she looks like, there are 3 or 4 women in the salon doing hair at the time so i figure she must be one of them) I sit there for 10 minutes then the girl upfront comes to me and says ohhh yea jesse had to go home early because of an emergency, i was going to call you but.....here we go with that i was GOING to call you again.....i asked why someone didn't call me and she said she wasn't sure if i wanted jesse specifically or if someone else is ok. So now I'm irritated. So 5 minutes later another lady approaches me and tells me the something ohh I'm sorry jesse had to leave for an emergency you can either RESCHEDULE or i can give you a quick consultation- mind you its 20 minutes AFTER my scheduled appointment and i drove 20 minutes to get there- well I'm here i might as well get the consultation. We had a quick 5 minute convo, she took some pictures and said jesse would call me the next day..... No one ever calls. So lets get this straight i am in no way upset about her having to leave early for an emergency, hey stuff happens and i hope everything and everyone is ok. Im upset with how it was handled. A simple phone call could have saved me a 20 minute drive, wasted time, and the run around when i got there. So disappointed.... Im giving them 2 stars because the initial phone call to make the appointment was good and when i got to the salon i was warmly greeted and offered a beverage while i waited. read more

Yikes, not sure where to begin. I'll start with what went wrong, then what I liked. I used to go here, but I see all new staff and maybe it's under new management, which is (unfortunately) a big change from before. At the end of my haircut last month, when the stylist removed my purse f/ the cabinet she took it out open and upside down, causing a nail polish to fall and shatter (was heading to pedicure after getting hair done). Now, mistakes happen, so I wasn't upset, BUT I was appalled at their lack of professionalism. My bare legs were absolutely covered in pink nail polish, as was my shoe & wallet, and they seemed more concerned about getting it off the tile floor and nothing else. I asked for something to wipe off the polish f/ my legs and wasn't given anything for a while, until the polish had entirely dried and was impossible to remove via wiping (meanwhile they were wiping the floor). I decided to pay and leave instead of making a fuss, since I also had a headache- but to my surprise there was no discount, nothing, the stylist just said "oh, sorry". So yes, like I said, mistakes happen, but when you cover a client in nail polish- you try to make sure they have the means to get it off. Then two days later, I had a separate appt to get my hair colored. I showed up aaaaand, the woman who made my appointment over the phone never put it in the system. So I blocked off 3hrs (as told by receptionist) on my one day off, only to be told to wait to see if they could find someone to come in. Luckily they did, but that turned out to be not so lucky. The appt took well over four hours, and he highlighted my hair even though I specifically asked for a balayage ombre- for it not to just look like plain highlights- and for it not to go too high bc I had natural hair growing out and didn't want it to look two toned. But he went too high, so I had super blond pieces that faded into a darker reddish-blonde. He offered for me to come back later that day or days later to put a toner in (entirely unclear if this would cost as an add'l treatment) to maybe even it out, but after that many hours in a chair- and not to mention a busy life- I opted not to. Also he refused to use a 40vol developer, but I clearly said there was previous color on the bottom pieces and didn't think a 30 over 40 would lift enough (I used to work in the hair industry). But no, he did his thing- which didn't work, and then he said "oh I just knew that would happen" (with the two toned pieces). Uh, if you knew, why did you do it?! So almost five hours and $180+ later, I left. Joseph, I believe his name was. So the cut the first appointment was pretty good, and unfortunately I forget the woman's name- but the lack of professionalism and accountability at this establishment is quite unfortunate. I will not be returning. read more

I was looking for a change of hairstyle so I yelped and found this gem hidden in the plaza right across the 29th ave alameda bridge. I've had long straight BLACK hair that was down to my waist. My hairstylist was this really nice and beautiful girl name Jessie. She was very attentive and most importantly realistic about the result I wanted in terms of my hair color because I was going from black to blonde highlights. Omg, she did a fabulous job! My gave me a base color that made my blonde highlights just pop! All in all, she I love Jessie's work on my hair and has gotten so many compliments! So today, 3 weeks later I decided to chop my hair shorter because I just don't have the time to curl my hair since it was layered. I came in and met another sweet hairstylist name Lynn. I showed her a picture of what I wanted and walked out extremely satisfied!! When I was ready to pay, Brenda had walked up and said that I didn't have to pay since I was there not too long ago. How sweet of her! Not that I'm walking out with a haircut that I love and don't need to pay, the least thing I can do is still tip them. All the ladies here are very kind, stylish, talented and beautiful!! I strongly recommend this place! Oh, did I mention the girl behind the desk is such a sweetheart too?! read more

Tried it after yelping for hair places in my new area. Cut was decent, but I feel they tried to add unnecessary extra's to make the experience worth the salon price, i.e. flat-ironing my naturally super straight hair...wtf? and adding tons of goopy product for no reason. Don't think it was worth the money. read more

Um... I am just sad now. I really needed a haircut and I wanted a change. I had been to iSalon before and Desi had done a pretty good job, so I thought I would try another stylist there because Desi apparently doesn't work there anymore. For the record, I love the online booking. And they are super friendly and super nice. More about that later. But really, my haircut is just... awful. 1. The young woman who cut my hair didn't tell me her name. No idea what it was. She was so soft spoken, I couldn't hear much of the very few things she did say. She was VERY nice, but the conversation was painful. 2. I told her I wanted lots of layers, lots of texture and maybe to go pretty short. I got... long bangs and a trim. The rest of my hair looks... exactly the same as it did when I went in, minus the split ends. It's so depressing. She kept asking me if it was what I wanted, and I kept saying I would like more layers and to go shorter, and she just... cut tiny pieces off the bangs. She definitely went out of her way to tell me that if I didn't like it, I could always call her, but I just can't bring myself to do that because I kept telling her what I wanted and she kept ignoring me. I don't have time to go back and get my hair cut again, even if they aren't charging, and I am so sad because I am stuck with this freaking mop that I was so excited to get rid of. read more

According to Yelp, 3 stars = "A-OK!" and 2 stars is "Meh. I've experienced better." This is definitely a "Meh. I've experienced better." experience. Thehaircut I got was good. Not great. My main complaints are with the customer service side of things. iSalon has a website where you can schedule appointments online, and you can select up to 3 services in your appointment. I made a same-day appointment and got a prompt confirmation via email for a 45 minute session to include two services: haircut/shampoo + beard trim. I assume that with such an efficient scheduling mechanism, where they take my email & phone number and schedule me with a specific stylist, that they would call if there was a serious delay in the appointment. I arrived 5 minutes early and was told she'd be done in 5-10 minutes. 35 minutes later I was finally in the chair. Running 30 minutes late on a 45-minute appointment (that was booked less than 2 hours ahead of time) is a 66% error in timing on their part. NOT GOOD. What's the point of taking my phone # if you're not going to call me even 15 minutes before I show up to let me know you're running late? What good is the web-scheduling system and quick confirmation if that same efficiency and quick response isn't carried through beyond the appointment scheduling process? The stylist completed my haircut, but never started the beard trim. What's the point of selecting servcies in the web-scheduling menu if those are not relayed to the stylist? If I have to mention it to her, that means it wasn't communicated from my web-based appointment... so what's the point of the web system? read more

They were very friendly, and Jessi did a great job on my cut! Love it!

I went in a while back in March 2014 for a cut and color. I asked for ombré and keep in mind I had virgin hair never been colored. I think the lady hat did my hair my Lynn. She said my hair was too dark to to ombré, okay never heard that before so I asked for a full color just to make my hair blonde. She said that can't be done either I had to do it over time but she can give me streaks. Okay find lets do streaks. After 4 hours, my hair looked like salt and pepper. It had hella white streaks. Okay you can't make my hair blonde because it's too dark but you can turn it white. I also got a haircut which I loved she did a good job there I give her that. So 4 hours and 300 dollars later I am left with salt and pepper hair. I leave very disappointed, but heck no I'm not leaving my hair that way so I call back and inform them I'm not happy and she told me to come back on and she will fix it. The only thing she did was tone the white back to black. So on all I paid 300 a haircut cause my hair was the same exact color before she did anything, maybe a little browner. Very horrible experience, NEVER AGAIN. read more

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I was impressed with the easy online appointment booking, but it didn't end there. I was happily greeted with a beverage and smiling faces. I set my first appointment with Linda and will do so next time I get my hair cut. I've always been a ponytail long hair type of girl and asked Linda to style me something easy, beautiful and would add volume. She gave me some amazing layers and taught me how to style it. She was super sweet and answered all my questions, no matter how remedial they were. She even wrote me up some notes and pointers for when I'm all on my own for styling. Thanks for the amazing cut. read more

I must be spoiled from going to the salons in SF for many years. The cut I got from here is a $40 haircut. I had higher expectations. Here's what I experienced. The salon is nice, clean modern, online booking is a plus. However my stylist was delayed and I had to wait 15 minutes before she started cutting (that left 30 min for the cut). While I waited she came over to the waiting area and in a hurried manner said "trim right?, I'll have someone wash you while I finish up with someone else". So, I was whisked off and she didn't really look at my hair or asked what I wanted. I'm used to sitting in front of the mirror at talking with the stylist about options, what I want, point out what I like and don't like and visualizing what to expect. So, with wet hair I tried to explain what I was looking for and I must not have done a good job 'cause the parts that I liked got cut away. Maybe it's partly my fault for not explaining what I wanted before the wash. I'm also used to the one hour precision cutting done at the more expensive SF salons, where they section off many parts, here it was maybe three parts and the cutting was very choppy and quick. I think because she was late, she hurried my cut ad it looks like a hurried cut. Thought i could save money but I got what I paid for. It's not bad, it's just ok and I have had better. Oh well, hair always grows back, I'll just have to wait another few months before I get another cut. If I ever go back to iSalon it'll be for bang trims only. read more