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.

My review is long over due! A year and a half ago I reached out to Aisha to get my hair braided for…read morea wedding I'd be attending in Cabo. I decided on Senegalese Twist as I thought that style would fit me perfectly. The appointment lasted 7 hours but it honestly felt like I was there for only 3-4 hours as we had great conversation throughout. Aisha works quickly and efficiently. I loved the way my braids came out and I received so many compliments! When the time comes again to get my hair braided Aisha will be my go to! - Coyah

I really wanted to support a local stylist, but unfortunately this experience left me feeling…read morebamboozled and disappointed. I paid $275 (close to $300 after everything) for a very basic braided style no custom design, no added length, no special detailing, and no extras included. While the braids are neat, the style itself does not match the premium price point. This is something that would typically cost significantly less in other areas, and nothing about the experience justified the cost. No wash, no added service, no luxury finish just standard braids at a luxury price. This feels like yet another example of Bay Area hair pricing with no added value, and as a client, that's frustrating. I don't mind paying for quality, but I do expect transparency and pricing that aligns with the service provided. Unfortunately, I wouldn't return or recommend based on value alone.

There are not enough words to explain the value Toni puts into her brand. Her hair studio is not…read morethat average and you can tell when you first pull up to her shop. Once you walk in, you know you're in a salon that is clean, well valued, and have a sense of serenity! The decor is also on point and there has never been a time that I've gone that the shop has been in a disarray. What shop have you ever been to that's always spotless and smell good at all times no matter how busy it is. Toni makes sure she takes pride in her brand and is a perfect example of her work! She is always put together and never makes excuses as to why her hair or appearance is a mess and she is always professional. This is why I was shocked to see the 1 star review that was left! I'm not a hairstylist, but I do have curly hair and know that my curly hair will never be bone straight with a relaxer. A relaxer is made to straighten your hair, but a good stylist is able to keep your hair healthy by keeping the integrity of your texture, especially when you want to add color. That is one thing Toni and I have discussed when she has colored my hair in the past. Her motto is healthy hair first! She is not one of those stylist that will put chemicals in your hair without you understanding what comes with the process. I love how she has taken care of my scalp; which has allowed my hair to grow and it's the healthiest it has ever been. No more shedding! No more flakes! No more dead hair! I have a beautiful full short cut with volume and she's even gotten my thin sides to fill in. I am thankful that Toni always puts her clients first, always reinvesting in her hair studio, takes the time to always educate her clients, and most recently have made major changes to incorporate COVID changes that proves she's not playing any games with our health nor hers!

Toni is amazing. I am so glad i was referred to her. I found my own stylist yeah!!!…read moreLuv the openness of the studio Very clean n so professional Clientele's are very diverse This is studio is my new home Thank you Toni my hair cut was awesome

I work long hours and needed to get my hair done asap. I called Miriam and she made time for me to…read moreget it done and in time for me to get on the plane for my cruise. Such a life saver. Thank you for being so flexible.

I wish I could rate the quality of the work, the vibe, or the service, but I was never served! I…read morebooked a braid takedown appointment and no one showed up for my appointment. I don't know if they need to fix their booking site (also unclear if it's Booksy or Vagaro but I found and booked them through Booksy). I had an appointment scheduled for 10 AM and it's now 10:25 AM and the salon door is still closed. I should've known when I called multiple times and never got a call back, but I know how the aunties can be, so I figured I would just show up to my confirmed appointment time and be fine. Nope, no show to my appointment. Very disappointing.

This is my new Oakland spot!!! I called ahead and made a reservation the same day and Patricia was…read moreable to fit me into her schedule. It was easy to find and there was metered parking right out front (1hr increments). I filled out a short questionnaire which goes to show how she feels about her customers and keeping them for future business. I was led to the back and we discussed what I wanted to do with my hair while she combed thru my hair and got used to my curly texture. Then I leaned back for the wash and voila!! There was a fancy foot rest that was popped up so I didn't have to strain my neck while my hair was being washed. We headed to the front and she did a little blow drying and then worked on my trim. All the while we had great conversation about my career, family, my home and such. My silk press, which is using a flat iron to make the hair smooth and amazing, turned out great. She put product in before and after to help it hold out from the frizz monster. I am very happy with the service and overall satisfaction of getting my hair done at First Impression!

My search is finally over! My hairstylist, who I loved, retired about 3 years ago, and since then…read moreI have been through the ringer trying to find someone who could take care of my hair. I'm a simple woman: wash, blow-dry, and flat iron is all I require. But somehow I kept finding people who either did not use tools properly, did not use quality products, over charged for their service, or were unprofessional. As a result I lost a lot of hair and had to cut it off. Well, after making my first appointment with Pat Davis yesterday, I can exhale. My search is FINALLY over. Let's start with the customer service experience: I was able to book my appointment online. The on-line booking process was simple, fast, and easy to use. I received a text confirmation a day or two before. And, when I showed up, Pat was there! Believe me this is a big deal. I don't know how many times I done had to wait outside of a shop for the stylist to show up! Pat greeted me with a smile, and I could tell by her energy, she's a good person. She was kind, patient, and listened to my concerns about my hair and I knew right away I was in good hands. As she did my hair she shared with me what she was putting in my hair, what it's purpose was, and her assessment of how my hair felt before and after the product. Pat took her time, was gentle, and used great care from start to finish. I don't like a lot of heat on my hair, and she respected that, and used the temperature I was comfortable with. My hair is now looking and smelling and feeling great, and I could not be happier! Thank you Pat, you are a gem! *I should also add that the shop Pat is at now, Weeds, if very conveniently located and there is plenty of street parking as well as a private lot. Another huge plus. I'm booking my next appointment today!

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 went to my first appointment, found out it's in an apartment complex but was given no apt number…read more Called for about 10 min. she never showed, never picked up the phone. Just 100% no show. Still never heard back. I was super excited but I didn't even get the courtesy of a "hey sis...." Text. Was able to reschedule for the next day due to her "personal emergency" only to spend an ungodly amount of money on horrible crochet locs. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO MESS UP CROCHET? I had extra locs I went home with. Yet left with huge gaps?! That's lazy.

Rose is the kindest, most patient hair stylist. I highly recommend her and my huuuuuiiiiirrrrrrr,…read morehasn't been this happy in a while. A solid 10/10

Me and my husband had a wedding to attend and she was able to squeeze both of us in (separate days…read moreof course) and even told me if my style didnt last I could come back and she'd touch it up. The shop is always a breath of fresh air and her hands are extremely blessed! Definitely worth booking

Despite the negative reviews I love hair by tawoda No…read morecomplaints, my twin daughters (6 y/o) go there all the time and I love their work it's clean and neat. Sometimes they do braid too tight but close mouths don't get fed. & she does my fiancé locs does take a while but they always look clean and neat . Would recommend!