I've been seeing the owner, Michael Grieco, for 10+ years and couldn't be happier with my hair! Every time I go I'm greeted with a smile and a coffee from Patti a the front desk. I love getting my scalp massages at the sink when my hair is getting washed. It took me years to find the perfect stylist in Boston, but after after finding Persona Salon I can say my hair is in the BEST and most qualified hands possible. Patti and Michael are the best and I couldn't recommend Persona more! read more

I've been using Matthew at Persona for many years. Everyone working at Persona is so welcoming. From Patty that books my appointments and all the other employees that shampoo my hair you really feel welcomed! That is not always the case when getting your haircut on Newbury Street! As far as Matthew goes, I work in the service industry and I am asked all the time"who does your hair". The products he uses don't dry out my hair, just the opposite. My hair is always healthy looking! Matt is the best! read more

I'm new to town and finding a new hair dresser is always hard! I found what I thought was a good stylist at Persona and have now been twice. The first time was a trim and root touch up and I left feeling pretty good. The second was a cut (5inches) and root touch up. This cost me over $200, no blow dry or style due to COVID and she styled it using product and crunching it up. It looked cute, little did I know it was covering up one of the worst hair cuts I've ever gotten. A few days later I washed my hair for the first time and used a blow dryer and straightener. It looks like a used kitchen shears to cut my hair myself, pictures below. That's not the worst part of this review, the worst part is that I've been trying to reach the salon for almost a week and I'm getting ignored. Is this customer service post COVID? Charge more money to make up for being shut down, do a poor job and then ignore the customer? I'm embarrassed that this is my hair, thank god we are basically stuck in our homes. I would think twice about coming to the salon maybe there are some good stylist there and maybe mine deserves a second chance but when no one is going to respond it doesn't make for a good customer experience read more

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I've been going to persona for 28 years. James Trocano has been my stylist for the past 11. He's an artist (painter and sculptor) and it reflects in his ability to create great haircuts. Highly recommend. Love everyone that works there. Great client service and owners. read more

Until I moved to NYC this spring, Michael at Persona had been cutting my hair since around the end of 1999, or early 2000. He has also done a fabulous job - never tried to inflict his own creative vision on me, just made gentle suggestions about what might look better, and never pushed until I was ready to try those suggestions - which always looked great. I even let him color my hair for a few years (I went silver in my late 20's) and it always looked very natural and subtle. LOVED it, just wasn't crazy about the upkeep, so went back to my natural shade. I didn't have my hair cut by him for about a year in 2003, because my hair fell out from chemo treatments, and took awhile to get long enough to warrant a cut. When it did come back it was thinner than it had been, and I opted to keep it very short. Michael was a wizard at cutting it so that it was very neat and chic and really camoflauged the thinness. I really, REALLY, miss having my hair done by him. He's a gem. My new person in NYC is very sweet, but inclined to cut my hair the way she thinks it should be, even though I try to steer her gently toward doing it the way that works. It makes me miss Michael and Persona even more. Also, the atomosphere: the shampoo folks are gentle, and very friendly. Patti, at the front desk is just fantastic and friendly and so helpful. Nothing here in NYC has yet measured up, but I'm still trying.,.. read more

Great experience at Persona Salon with Rebecca K, I needed to fix my balayage and she got exactly what I wanted for a natural look. Great cut too and overall comfortable experience. read more

Decided to take a chance at Persona after reading some reviews and needing a place to cut my monstrous hair after months of neglect and unevenness! The location is right in the sunny side of Newbury, right by work, so I was able to walk right on over during my lunch break to get a wash, hair cut and blow dry (took about 1.5 hours for the whole thing.) Ashley was my guide in this journey and my goodness was she flawless! Such a beautiful personality, so warm and inviting and really talented in her craft. She listened to my concerns and suggestions and helped me work through a lot of problem areas with my hair. The results were so unbelievable, it's like my hair had life again! I love it. I look forward to coming back and having her continue to wow me with her amazing eye for detail and attentiveness. The overall vibe of the salon is welcoming, hip and really exciting. Definitely worth going in to just chat with the lovely ladies and lords here. read more

I've been going to Persona Salon since Persona opened--about 40 years ago. And the service and styling is just as great as it was since it opened. I highly recommend it. Aimee, Newton read more

I want to start off by saying the salon is all about the client's money. Secondly, when it comes to covid restrictions, they didn't take it seriously and put clients health in danger. If you are looking to explore your knowledge as a beginner hair stylist, I would recommend to go to somewhere else that will put your interests as one of their priorities. I hope my advice gives you clarity about your future choices, You are welcome. read more

I created a Yelp account just to write a review about how terrible this salon is! I walked in with curly bright red hair wanting to get to a neutral light brown. I told the stylist that I wanted the red completely gone. He started by adding brown hair dye, not telling me what it was. When I asked if it was the solution to strip my red color, he said that he didn't need to strip my color and it would turn out just how I wanted it. I ended up with dark red hair. Um...what? I could have added brown hair dye at home, but I went to a salon to get the color stripped and replaced with a neutral light brown. When I told the stylist that it wasn't the color I wanted, he just argued with me saying that I was wrong and that it was brown. He blamed the lighting and told me that I can't have brown without a little bit of red. But my hair didn't have a little bit of red, it was dark cherry red. After the color argument, he immediately started straightening it without asking (I usually keep my hair naturally curly) and didn't use any kind of product or heat protectant. He didn't even blow dry it completely, I left with frizzy hair with about a third of it still wet. The whole time I could tell that he had no idea what he was doing. I should have walked out the second that I noticed. I'm livid that I spent $100 to get something done that I could have done better (and with less damage to my hair) at home. Side note: when I arrived, they asked if I wanted something to drink. I asked for coffee, and never got it. Don't go to this place, seriously. read more

Shana is a total life / hair saver and I would have to say I am shocked at how quickly and beautifully she color corrected my hair. I am definitely now her devoted customer! This story starts several months ago when I had brown hair and thought I wanted to follow trend and have some pretty pink and purple layered into my hair. I have naturally curly hair that started to go gray in my 20's so needless to say I warned the first hair stylist I started with that I preferred my hair to be cut a certain way, that I wanted my color to sit well with my curls, and that he was not working with totally natural hair color. 5 HOURS later this guy left me with black roots, a stripe of orange around the crown of my head, and pink ends. I was beyond distressed...I wanted something out of the box but I couldn't go like this to work or even in public. Knowing I needed a color correction I started some very desperate research. I found some beautiful color corrections Shana had done and called that salon....they informed me she no longer worked there but they had someone else just as skilled who could see me that day...and in desperation I went (huge mistake). I left that salon with black / brown hair and dark purple ends. The strange thing is the color (which I knew would wash out quickly but not THIS quickly) came out all over everything. It dyed my bathtub, my hands, and wet or dry it was everywhere! I knew this couldn't be right but I was at a point where I was actually just ready to chop off all my hair or dye it all mud brown. After only a couple weeks after this color correction my hair was a hot mess and totally washed out. So I finally tracked down Shana at Persona Salon and went into my appointment with washed out brown roots and lumpy purple ends. My expectations were not very high for a fix...heck I wouldn't have been surprised if she told me to cut it all off. Instead Shana (who is beyond wonderful) checked out my hair and very reasonably talked me through expectations, options, and that this might take few visits. She walked me though color samples and we looked at photos together. She asked me about my ideal and discussed where we might end up. That first day I was at the salon for well over four hours and she managed to remove all the color, it was an instant transformation for me and to my surprise I had the option of trying out being a blonde since so much of my hair was already bleached. This was exciting for me because all along I had wanted a change and to try something new...just something new that also looked nice. By the second visit the results where beyond amazing! I had hair that looked pretty and sophisticated straight or curly, my grays blended in rather beautifully, and thanks to how she layered in the color it actually grew out pretty well so my color has lasted longer (last photo is well over 6 weeks out). Thank you so much Shana! Words are not enough to express how talented and amazing you are! Update: 7 weeks later another spectacular hair color and cut! read more

Persona Salon - Thanks Shana! I could not be happier with this color and cut. - Hair Salons Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Shana at Persona did not cut my hair, she sculpted the curls. I was nervous going in (as my long-time wonderful guy had moved) but Shana not only did a great job, she's lovely to spend time with. She noticed that my hair has a million different textures and curl types, heard my goal, and worked v. hard to meet that goal--and she did. Whew! Thanks, Persona. read more

I have been coming to Persona since I moved to Boston almost 5 years ago. I'm a natural brunette but after accidentally dying my whole head blonde in high school it kind of stuck. So when I moved I was nervous I wouldn't find a great hair dresser. Boy was I wrong. My realtor happened to have similar hair color to me so she recommended Michael. I liked him so much I convinced my husband to go to him as well. They're both italian so it was an immediate attraction (haha). Anyway Michael is able to create the white blondness that I have been looking for all my blonde life. I get so many compliments from other high end salons out of town where I would get blow outs done saying how clean my highlights are. Also talk about professional, I have never had to wait a long amount of time after arriving. I'm immediately taken to Michaels chair and while he is doing my hair he never has 3 other clients going at the same time like a lot of other salons I've visited in the past have. He never seems rushed and always makes me feel like I'm his only client. He may do a mens cut while my color is processing but while I'm sitting at the pretty color bar reading on my ipad I don't even notice. The salon is beautiful inside! Recently updated it's chic and modern. Perfect for a salon! Patty the receptionist is the friendliest person ever and even offered to go out and at time to my meter when I was getting close to the 2 hr mark. At first when my realtor told me that Michael has done celebrities hair I expected to be paying a pretty penny but figured I needed to try him out. I was pleasantly surprised when he charged the same amount as my hair stylist in Pa who did about 1/3 of the foils that Michael uses and had about 5 other clients at the same time so I'd be there for over 3 hrs. Definitely high class and very professional and I hope to be going to him for a long time! read more

This review is for Melissa as a thanks for keeping me a beautiful platinum blonde all year. Last summer I moved to Boston, prior to that I had been doing a single process color/bleach to achieve that color and my hair was starting to get very dry and frizzy. I hoped to maintain the color here, but was concerned about the risk of trying someone new and causing further damage to my hair. Melissa was the answer. She kept my hair looking shiny, beautiful, and healthy which is a difficult task when you are bleaching it every 4-5 weeks. Not only is she great with cuts and color, she is generally a very pleasant person and wonderful to chat with. I am leaving town next week and will really miss my "hair therapy" appointments with Melissa. They were certainly a highlight of my year here. The salon itself is very nice, on the second floor with awesome skylights. Good music selection with a calm, relaxing environment. I would definitely recommend this place if you are looking for a salon on Newbury with reasonable prices. read more

Shana was a dream! My hair was a boring, limp mess from a combination of postpartum hair loss and general neglect. I took a chance on this salon during a trip to Boston for a conference and it was exactly what I needed. Shana was very studious in her approach to the cut and finished it expertly! She seemed to intuitively understand the look I was going for, which was sort of: sweet, but punk. Apart from the cut, Shana also seems like a beautiful human being, which surely counts for something. Also helpful to know is that my hair is very fine and does not have much body usually. I am also fairly terrible at styling it myself, but this cut is easy to make look good at home. read more

Persona Salon - Hair Salons Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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So, I've written before about my love for Highlights, my hair salon for the last few years. Alas, they are no longer in existence and my stylist, Marta, moved back home. So, I followed my new stylist, Adil, to Persona salon and have seen him for several haircuts. His haircuts are brilliant- I never have any idea what I want and he is fantastic at creating something new and flattering each time. The review is more for Adil's haircuts than any other part of the experience. I never feel seen in the salon and am often asked to put my own coat away and get my own robe. For $60, I would expect more, but in the end, it's the haircuts that matter to me. read more

Once upon a time I knew a stylist at highlights. Suddenly (and I mean without warning to anyone) Highlights "merged" with Persona. The space was attractive, the staff was "professional" (distant, perhaps?), and the price was not bad. Sadly, my stylist was suddenly released after only a short time leaving him without a chair, and me without a stylist . .and I do NOT see just anyone. I understand that firings happens for a variety of reasons, but when one "just isn't fitting in", say something, give them a heads up so their client list isn't stuck without a stylist. Seriously, it's not that hard to take the best interests of your clients into account. Three stars for the space, quickly accommodating another salon, and the cut I got while I was there. However, I won't be back. read more

Incredible salon. Always keeps up with the latest trends. Friendliest of staff ready to answer any questions you may have. Customer always comes first. My haircuts and color draw many compliments. It is great having people you can count on to keep me looking my best. read more

I've been a client of Persona for over over 10 years and while I don't normally write reviews, I feel that I need to address a review below that claims Persona is not following COVID protocol. I saw this post last week and waited to respond until I had my appointment yesterday and could include the attached picture. I am an ER RN and have been working on the front line throughout this pandemic and can tell you, first hand, how devastating COVID can been and how important COVID protocols are. That said, Persona is one of the only places I feel safe going to! They have gone above and beyond the standard cleaning and safety protocols to ensure the safety of their clients and staff. They have an air filtration system running at all times, they have put dividers between stations (see attached), and they are constantly cleaning! I can only imagine that the earlier post was referring to a different business, because cleanliness is certainly not an issue at Persona, it is a priority of their daily operation. read more

Persona Salon - Hair Salons Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

So, I amend my former review. I will put away my claws, admit that I'm a control freak about my hair, and say very nicely that when I called Persona back, they were wonderful about fixing my hair. My stylist even went out to find me the red that I was hoping for, covered my blond streak problem, and glossed my hair over to help the color stay put. I really hope this sticks a little better this time around, but I would not at all say it was from a poor service from the salon this time. Even after a brutal day at finals, this trip didn't stress me out this time. I am a happy little punk chick, with big hair that rocks. Thanks Persona. :) Again, let me remind you folks to bring cash for tips. read more

Just got my haircut by Ashley S. and loved the result. She did a great job listening to what I wanted and gave her honest opinion when I felt hesitant about going shorter with my bangs and hair length. I would definitely come back again! read more

Scott Owens at Persona is AMAZING with color. My friend referred me to him when I moved to Boston, and I've followed him from Highlights to Persona. He does my blond highlights, and it looks incredibly natural and beautiful every time. Not only that, but he's also a wonderful person who will take his time to talk to you and give you a great head massage. I now live in Miami, but I wait until my trips to Boston to get my highlights done. I really couldn't praise or recommend Scott any more highly- he's simply amazing at what he does. read more

Having recently moved to Boston, I've had to start over with finding great people for all the things we girls need. A friend from work recommended Michael for hair and highlights, and as she has great hair and great taste, I set up an appointment for a haircut to start. Everything about the appointment was easy breezy - they fit me in within a week or so, were on time when I showed up (and everyone was super nice), and Michael actually managed to give my limp blond locks some shape and depth. I booked a highlights appointment immediately. A couple of weeks later, I came back for highlights - which Michael managed to match PERFECTLY to those I'd had done previously from my stylist in SF. Everything was blended in just right. Plus - I was in and out in under two hours, with a nice gloss to lock everything in. Amazing. As others have noted, this salon has a great warmth about it, despite being on Newbury. They do a fantastic job. I'm already booking my next appointment with Michael. read more

I've never gotten my hair cut at Persona, but I do go there to get my eyebrows done (by Rachel), and for $24, you will come out with beautifully crafted, subtle, and good looking brows. I highly recommend it. read more

Hands down, the best cut/color/style and customer service goes to Adil Azmani. I have been his client for a couple of years now, and he never disappoints. Great conversation, fantastic results. Always makes me feel like a queen. My hair has never looked or felt better! No matter what I want done to my hair, he gives me exactly what I want, if not better. Also important--I feel completely comfortable with him. He better stick around, because I'm very picky, and I've never met anyone who could meet my standards. He does, every time. I could go on and on, but the proof is in the pudding. Go see for yourself, seriously. read more

I suck at getting my hair cut. I have really short hair and usually after one or two times going to a pro, spending some dough and coming out with a craptastic hair cut I go back to my tried and true clippers and own interpretation of haircutting. Although not great...it's free. That being said, a friend brought me to Persona to James and I am on haircut #2, and have been super psyched each time. The first time he was able to take my self cut "style" and whip it into shape...this 2nd time, he has ruled the hair school and my friends and coworkers keep commenting on my cute new haircut. I feel great...my hair looks great and James is now the man. I am steering clear of the clippers and am now having the love for the pro approach. Go here. read more

Scott Owens is amazing. When I came to Boston I was lucky enough to meet him at another salon on Newbury St. No appointment, just strolled in, and it was my lucky day. He make my hair blonde and I loved it. Later he moved to Highlights and I followed him there. Now Scott is at Persona on Newbury St. I'm a brunette now, and loving all the compliments, read more

Scott is amazing! Best blonde highlights in Boston. Love Persona Salon- everyone is so nice. Consistently excellent service.

This review is long overdue, but about 3 weeks ago, I bought a Gilt Coupon for Balayage with Hennessy. I have long, thick black hair and have a hard time finding stylists who can work with it, but I could immediately tell Hennessy knew exactly what she was doing. I'm in love with the color and have had so many people ask where I got my hair done. I can't stop looking at my hair!!! Would definitely recommend this salon to anyone!! read more

Love this salon. I have very curly hair and was dealing with a botched haircut and had spent months feeling like I couldn't wear my hair down. After coming to persona they completely helped me gain my confidence back. My parents had been seeing Michael for years so i knew the salon. I had to move to GA for school but am holding off on a haircut until I can get back to Boston! read more

I love Persona! The staff is not only very talented but warm and friendly. Parking can be an issue but there is a parking garage that is about a five minute walk away if you can not find any street parking. Prices are reasonable for Newbury Street if not better. My only negative review is that they are on the second floor with no elevator and my mother wishes that she could go but no elevator is an issue. read more

I've been looking for a salon that can cut very curly, very thick, hair without turning my curls into a mop! Finally I found it! The hair dresser was AMAZING! His name is Scott and he is definitely one of the best people to cut hair out there. He has been cutting hair for over 30 years, and he is so easy going. Never have I turned in the mirror and seen an entirely different person! The way he shaped my hair to complement my face was spectacular, and the layers turned my fluff in the back into a waterfall of curls cascading down my back! I've never been more satisfied with my hair then after walking out of that salon! Thank you so much Scott! I will definitely be recommending this salon to everyone! read more

Always an amazing experience. If you want to be treated perfectly come here. Go see Neil to help make your hair dreams come true. The salon is always clean and filled with friendly staff. It is an hour escape from reality and you leave feeling renewed and refreshed. read more

This place is awesome. I've been seeing Hennessy for about two years, and she's one of the best colorists I've ever had. I've had some pretty extreme hair color changes, and each time Hennessy has been thoughtful and given me exactly what I wanted. What I also appreciate about Hennessy is that if I have an idea that she thinks won't work (i.e. would look bad on me, would damage my hair), she's very honest about it and instead suggests other alternatives that would look good. She's fantastic, I can't recommend her enough. I haven't had other stylists there, but they always seem very friendly, and Patti the receptionist is lovely. Definitely worth going to! read more

Best hair salon I've ever been in my life. I've been going here for 12 years never leave disappointed Michael has always done my hair he takes a lot of pride and cares every single time he does my hair. Everyone is very friendly and Patty who works the front desk is outstanding. read more

I came to Persona after Hennessy left her old salon, and even after shopping around Hennessy has always given me the best cuts and balayages. I have thin, fine Asian hair which I get nervous having cut in the US (I'm a student who came from Asia) but Hennessy does a fantastic job. She will take the time and effort to make sure you leave the salon happy! And her prices are very reasonable as far as Boston goes. read more

Gayle gives a great haircut and did an excellent job with red color. It's really hard to find someone who can do color for a natural redhead and not make it orange or brassy, and Gayle did a wonderful job, and it was cheaper than other salons in the area. Highly recommended! read more

I refer to my hair as the final exam for beauty school. It is a combination of course/straight and fine/curly and there is a lot of it. Shana is a genius. She has come up with a style that works really well with my hair without needing to dedicate too much time to styling. I would recommend her to anyone who is looking for someone who knows how to work with the hair that you were handed. read more

This place is very mediocre. When paying an outrageous amount for a cut and color I expect the star treatment. I don't want to be waited on hand and foot, but I would like them to spend as much time as is needed on my extremely thick and curly hair. I went in with a request to add some layering and do some light brown highlights. I walked out with my hair too short and my highlight too blonde. I specifically said to the bleach blonde hairstylist who must have been younger than me, NOTHING IN THE BLONDE FAMILY. My hair is medium brown and does not look good with blonde, but she didn't seem to get it. I certainly walked out with the subtlety I had requested, there were about 6 highlights total, all of which were you guessed it BLONDE. I was not satisfied with my visit, thank god it was a gift and I didn't have to pay for the outrageous bill. Hey Persona, Listen to your customers requests! read more

I followed Ashley to this salon, the service here was awesome and the store is super cute. I've never written any reviews but I have to for Ashley. She's extremely skilled with balayage and cut. I have straight Asian hair and was struggling to find someone that can give me the ashy tone color that I wanted. The struggle disappeared when I met Ashley - She's so sweet and set a couple of milestones for us to hit. After 3 sessions with her in the salon, she was able to lift my original hair color to the exact color that I wanted but still maintained the strength of my hair. I was beyond happy with the cut as well. Even after 3 months, my color and cut grew out perfectly and even my co workers in NYC ask me where I got my hair done. I'm so glad that I found a great hair stylist and now I only do my hair when I come home to Boston. She truly does amazing work and you should definitely ask for her when you go in. Also, If you are not already, go visit and follow her Insta: bombshell_balayage and check out some of the amazing work she's done! read more

Persona Salon - Balayage by Ashley - Hair Salons Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts