The stylists here take great pride in their craft and really listen to what you want. Both Maki and Sho are great. Be sure to take advantage of their first-timer discount if you're a new client! read more

I've been going to Yumiko for 3-4 years now. She is amazing! I've gone to her for cuts and ombré, and my hair color turns out incredibly every time. I trust her opinion and she does a fantastic job every time!! read more

I've been coming to Yumiko for a few years now specifically for bang trims. It's so hard for me to find a good stylist who can make my bangs perfect each time. She's really good at what she does. Yumiko is also very sweet and down to earth! I highly recommend her :) read more

I've been looking for a new place to get my thick, unruly, long hair styled and cut forever. I've tried everywhere from trendy expensive places, to blow outs at Dry Bar, and Dominican Salons uptown with no luck. I found Salon Wave through researching online reviews and I'm absolutely elated after my initial visit. I scheduled an appointment with Shino hesitantly, wary of the outcomes, since most places either can't tackle blowing out my long hair or worse, leave it fluffy instead of sleek. But I am elated with the results. I was promptly seen, no waiting, and after a really nice shampoo, which included a relaxing hot towel press, she blew out my hair (in under an hour) exactly how I wanted it. This place is a hidden gem. Pro-tip: schedule your visit during off hours for a relaxing beauty break. read more

Highly recommend - I've been going for years. Clean, sleek and well maintained salon. Great service, everyone is very reliable and competent. Haruka in particular is amazing! He gives the longest most satisfying washes before cuts and is so sweet. read more

I've been salon hopping for a few years and just decided to give this salon a try because it's right behind my office. I went to Yumiko and she does an awesome job. And apparently word is traveling because it's been getting harder to book appointments with her because she's getting so popular! They do amazing scalp massages and place a hot towel underneath your neck during the shampoo. HEAVENLY! One of my favorite parts of coming here. read more

I went here for cut and color and booked my appointment with Shino. She pateintly heard all about what i expected out of my haircut and color. I wanted layers with bang and color not too drastic, just two shades lighter.. She did a good job in haircut and i like my cut (I have had bad luck so far for haircut in NYC) Color turned out pretty good as well. Regarding the price I had checked the salon website for cut and single process color and it was what i had in mind but when i went ahead to pay my single process was charged for 185$ whereas i read it would be 75$ so i was expecting a bill of around 150$ but it turned out be 240$ (excluding tip) with the 10% discount of the new customer I was stupid not to ask why was i charged 185$ for color and just paid it, i guess i was too overwhelmed with the new look. Having said this i really like cut and color both but i definitely was not prepared to pay that amount., next time i will check with the salon beforehand read more

9/10 Service was great. From what everyone has been saying, seems like you can't go wrong with any of the hair stylists. I had Mayumi and she listened to everything that I was expecting. I showed her a picture and it came out exactly like I wanted. I am used to going to a barber for my haircuts, and although Wave is much more expensive, it was worth it due to the exceptional service and overall experience. They wash your hair before and after the haircut and also give you a short head massage. The wash after the haircut was very nice because I usually go home to wash my hair right away to get rid of all the extra hair and do not want it getting over all my clothes. After my haircut today, I was able to continue on with my errands. Highly recommend this salon and Mayumi! read more

Shino-san was awesome! I looked totally different after she blow dry my hair. Her technique and skills are amazing.. I can't wait to go back. read more

I've toured countless salons around midtown for a men haircut in the $40s/$50s . Wave 55 is my best option so far. Staff is friendly and competent. You get a nice scalp massage with your shampoo and an after-cut hair wash before the final dryer. Salon is clean and ambiance relaxing. I gave it 4 stars because I want a longer scalp massage. read more

I love my haircut. Tomomi listened to my request and improved my style 100%. I have very fine hair so less is more yet she managed to make my hair have volume in ways I've never been able to achieve. The salon is very relaxing and clean. 5 stars isn't enough. read more

I live in Boston but would travel all the way to NYC to see Shino at Wave 55. With a few dozens of Japanese hair salons in NYC to choose from the Chopsticks magazine, it was hard to make a decision on which salon to go to and even more difficult to pick a stylist. I laid my eyes on Wave 55 1.5 yrs ago and tried Shino based on the yelp reviews. Since my first try, I knew I was in good hands and this is going to be a "long term relationship". Shino is very experienced in what she is doing and has very sharp eyes and she can communicate very well in English, and gives me great advice and explains me every procedure and maintenance. She's the only one stylist I have tried in my life where my hair still looks great waking up the next day and the day after -- the shape stays! I have natural middle parting hair, I don't know how she does it but she can manage to give me a haircut with a side parting that would last! Plus she is very careful and delicate when she washes your hair, unlike some people who pulls your hair. Must try a hair treatment with Shino, she will give you a great head massage! Mom comes to US once a year for visit and getting a haircut from Shino is a MUST HAVE in her agenda now! Cannot go wrong with quality service! She is very popular so make an appointment. read more

I have been going to salon wave for about a year stemming from a friend's recommendation. I have been happy every time. I lost my hair a few years ago so haircuts are a bit anxiety provoking. Shino has fantastic technique and does exactly what I ask every time. The prices are fantastic for manhattan. I look forward to going and getting my free scalp massage every time. read more

I had refused - for years - to get a $65 haircut. I always thought it was overpriced and unnecessary, no matter if I live in NYC. However, my boyfriend and I found Wave 55, and he gave it a try. He got lucky to be assigned Shino as his hairstylist, and he was so happy with her precision, skills, and service. He became a regular client, even living in an opposite side of the city. So, after getting an awful haircut at one of those chains for $20, I decided it was worth trying Shino's skilled hands and scissors... at least once. Well... I LOVE IT! Best haircut I have ever gotten, the service is outstanding, she listens to what you want and the texture she gave to my hair with the way she styled it, it's amazing. Oh, and the head/neck massage you get are absolutely an incredible extra to your haircut... So, needless to say... Wave 55 is my place to go now. The price you pay for a haircut at Wave 55, is absolutely worth it! And every single staff is so nice, smiley and friendly. I love this place! Good job guys! read more

I've been to Salon Wave several times and always leave satisfied. I usually end up paying about $80 total for a haircut, including tip and tax which may seem like a lot to some people, but for a Japanese place I think it's decently priced. I haven't tried any of their other services, but if you're looking for a solid hair salon to get regular haircuts, Salon Wave is a solid choice. The staff is always so welcoming and friendly. I don't mind using different stylists since I kind of prefer getting different takes on hairstyles, but Toshi is a stylist who stands out in my memory. He was super friendly and made me feel right at home. I also really like that they don't try to upsell or push products on you. read more

Very clean, friendly, professional. Had my hair trimmed after ignoring it 4 months after perming my hair. Pleased with results. Only issue is water given in glass vs bottle. Great products used and wonderful hi towel at neck during hair washing. read more

Let me just start by saying I don't get my hair cut as often as I should because I do not trust hairdressers. Based on my experience, you tell them one thing and they take the liberty of overriding your request and giving you a cut that they think would be better than what you want. I went to Wave 55 last week after reading reviews on Yelp. I booked an appointment with Shino as some of the other reviewers mentioned she listened and delivered the results they were looking for. I typically wear my hair long, usually to the middle of my back. Recently, my hair was down to my waist and since I needed a cut and my hair was so long I decided to take off enough so that I could donate it to Pantene Beautiful Lengths for cancer patients. I was very nervous since my hair would be at my shoulders after I cut the required length to donate. When I arrived at the salon it was very clean. My appointment was at noon and each chair in the salon was occupied which I took as a positive sign. Soon after I checked in Shino came over and brought me to her chair. I explained to her that I wanted to donate and she knew exactly what I meant. She is from orginally from Japan and has an accent but communication was not an issue. I showed her some pictures of styles I was thinking of and she told me that even if she cut my hair exactly like some of the photos it would not look the same on me because my hair texture is different. That being said, she got the idea of the look I was hoping for and got right down to business. She was very patient and understanding. In the end, I couldn't be happier with my cut. She gave me a style that was basically the same as the pictures I had brought in. For some reason, I trusted Shino and could tell she knew what she was doing. I have gotten so many compliments on my hair since. Despite the drastic change, I love it and Shino is definitely my new go-to stylist! read more

Great salon! I loved Shiso. She did an excellent job cutting my hair and gave me everything I asked for and more. The price was also excellent for NYC. I only paid $70. Also the shampoo involved a terrific scalp massage. read more

Salon is nothing fancy, but the service is great. Shino did a great job clipping my hair and really spent some time massaging my scalp. Strongly recommend a cut here. read more

I had a scalp cleaning and a hair treatment today at Salon Wave. It was my second time visiting this place. I really enjoyed the service, and my hair looks great and very healthy. The first I went to this salon was in late September and had a hair cut. I enjoyed the quality of the service as well and recommended this place to many of my friends. Mayumi is my stylist. She's helpful and very professional. Thank you! read more

Great haircut by Sayuri for a reasonable price! She gave me the most soothing scalp massage, and gave me a haircut that was better than I had expected. Definitely recommend. read more

People are very nice and customer service is good, but they don't know what they're doing... had my hair curled there twice (by two different stylists), and both times the curls fell out very quickly. I ended up with a complete mess in less than an hour! (Not an exaggeration.) The second time, I had my hair fixed at another salon a couple hours later, and the stylist there was quite shocked at how bad my hair looked. read more

Such great service here. Mayumi is a total expert and always delivers. Love how clean and calm they keep the space - I always look forward to my appointments here after a busy day at work. read more

My first haircut with Shino was fantastic so my expectations for the second visit was very high. This time I was going for haircut, color and highlights. Second haircut was fine but from the beginning I had concerns with the color. First off the base color was extremley dark and I mentioned that immediately. I said that I never have had dark hair like this. I was told that the highlights would lighten everything up. After the highlights it was still very dark. I was told she would add more highlights to lighten it up but she ended up doing the entire head again with highlights and after awhile combed the bleach through my hair. So what I ended up with was bleach blond hair with no highlights. Shino saw that I was very upset and just charged me for the haircut. The problem now is that I am stuck with this because I cannot go back to have it done again. Just how much processing can my hair take. I guess all of this would be OK if I wanted bleach blond hair without highlights. read more

My mom and I were visiting NYC and decided to get our haircut on short notice. Thankfully, the ladies at Salon Wave were able to squeeze us in. I can't remember our stylists' names, but they did a great job. We enjoyed their attention to detail. I was very particular about my haircut, which my stylist listened and understood. My mother wanted to know what style would suit her face shape and hair type, which the stylist had great ideas and advice. We both walked out very happy and with great hair styles. Thank you so much! read more

I was quite upset with my experience at Salon Wave. The lady who cut my hair was nice but did not listen to what I wanted. I asked for a TRIM and MAYBE a couple layers. I instead got 4-5 inches off my hair and an extreme angle of face-framing layers that I did not ask for. I've been trying to grow out my hair for 7 years. I left the salon visibly upset by my experience. I will need to buy a lot of extensions to make up for this read more

I went for the first time last night and I must say I had a wonderful experience. I was a little nervous, because I hate trying new salons and have been to a few in the last few years trying to find a great one. My stylist, Maki, was very friendly and took great care of me. I got a haircut and highlight. She listened to what I wanted and added a few tweeks to make it even better. I appreciated her input, she was honest, courteous, and straightforward with me. I have already recommended this salon to my friends who work in the area. Also because it was my first time there she gave me 10% off. I will definitely be going back read more

Go see Shino! She takes her time when cutting hair, working with it wet, and then cutting again when it's dry to make sure it lies beautifully. She worked magic on my thick, coarse hair. She even managed to give me lovely bangs despite my hairs unruly texture. read more

Five stars all the way.... It was good efficient and the hairdresser knows what he is doing. I trust him totally. That is a bit unusual. But he did color, cut and perm in 4 hours!!!!!! I will definitely go back. I set up the appointment today and got one. They make it so easy for you. I love it. Pls try it. They are nice and efficient. They did a great job. read more

I've been going to wave 55 for 7 years and Maki is my stylist. I always get color cut highlights. AMAZING !! NEVER had a disappointing cut or color. I always get huge compliments on my color(even strangers on the bus!!) and cut. You have to try the hair treatment ! Relaxing, and your hair feels like silk afterwards and its very affordable,like everything else in the salon. My former salons are Butterfly, Fredrick Feikki,Bumble& Bumble, Mark Garrison and I can honestly say I have never had color or cut close to what Maki does at a fraction of the price. Thank you Maki!! read more

I lived in Japan for a few years and was thrilled to have discovered a Japanese salon in NYC that's this affordable and offers QUALITY service. In NYC you never know if you're gonna be screwed no matter how nice and big the salon is. I have had my share of misfortunes. Fortunately, quality is something you'll always receive in this salon. Japanese hair dressers rock and you'll be glad you tried them. I tried a couple girls, and last 2 times Toshi. They are all highly skilled. read more

Got great hair cut here, no waiting, good price.

I really liked my hair cut except for the color, i would have wanted it a bit darker, she made it t brighte ..maybe ill gives them a second chance once im in the area. not anytime soonn read more

I should have noticed the warning signs when I saw a girl walk out of the salon practically crying... Everyone was friendly- and I thought we were on the same page, but no. I take my eyes off the hair designer for 5 minutes and she goes completely rogue and cuts off twice the amount I wanted and left me with this weird, angled, bang-thing. UGH. Never going back. read more

This review is for the digital perm I got a week ago. I figure I'd wait and see whether the curls last before I jump at posting a review. Now a week and 2 washes later, I can be assured that this perm is not going to turn limp on me! I had gotten a digital perm before at a salon in Chinatown. I went to my hairdresser of over 10 years but with all Chinatown places, if you want a process done, it's mainly the assistants/trainees that do all the work and not the actual hairdresser. He/she just does the cutting. There are so many people touching your hair that in the end, you end up tipping up to 3 people! So anyway, the perm I had gotten 6 months ago made the ends of my hair brittle and I lost the curls after 1 wash. The look was more beachy waves and not the soft fuller curls of a digital perm. Giving credit to my hairdresser, he did give me a fabulous cut at the time so the hair overall looked good and I accepted the results. Fast forward 6 months, I was in dire need of a trim and I wanted to redo my perm. I saw pictures of my friend's hair and she recommended Wave 55. She told me to ask for Shino. The price is a bit steep than what I am used to but I bit the bullet. When I got to my appointment, I had such a different experience compared to the Chinatown salons! Shino and all the hairdressers there take only 1 client at a time and they do everything from beginning to end - from washing your hair to putting the finishing touches before you walk out the door! I definitely felt very taken care of. Shino evaluated my hair and told me that she would trim my hair to add some layers to work better with the curls. She also asked me the type of look I wanted since there are very loose curls or tighter curls as options. I showed her pictures of the hair I wanted and she suggested going with the tighter curls since that will give me more styling options - curlier if let dry naturally or looser when blown out with the twirling technique. The entire process took 3.5 hours which wasn't so bad. Shino knew exactly what she was doing and was meticulous. She showed me how to twirl my hair when drying to achieve the looser curls (which the Chinatown place didn't do) and I went home excited with my new 'do! Plus, no pushing products on me! What a relief! I was a bit disappointed with the haircut though because my hair is usually flat on top and I had mentioned to her to add more layers on top for volume but she didn't add as many layers as I'd like. Guess it's my fault for not saying something but I was too excited about the perm at the time. I think I will go back to my usual hairdresser for cuts and keep this place as my digital perm go-to. Tip: Bring food/snacks/drinks/phone charger with you if you are getting the digital perm! read more

This review is long overdue. I was lucky enough to call this my neighborhood salon for many years and I still come back after I moved! The quality has always been consistently top notch. I've had my hair cut/colored before by Yumiko and Shino who are both very talented stylists and wonderful people. Yumiko has such a cute/easy going personality and really listens to what you're looking for. She's alot of fun to chat with too. Shino is a senior stylist and will go above and beyond to make sure you're happy with the results. I once came back the next day to have her adjust my highlights and she spent much time perfecting it and then showing me how to style it in the way that I was going for. All the stylists here are amazing so you can't go wrong! Price is very reasonable for NYC and for a Japanese salon. Space is super clean and comfortable. I'm one happy customer. read more

Loved it! I came here a couple of weeks ago and one of my coworkers already went to get her hair done. Another coworker will be going this week. Now let me tell you...I'm from Washington Heights and I grew up going to Dominican Salons. I always loved how quick they blow dried my hair and it always had some bounce because of the rollers. However, I was so tired of them chopping off my hair every time I asked for a trim. I've been trying really hard to grow out my hair so I decided to try a new hair salon that is close to my job. I picked the perfect one. (Thank you Yelp!) I have to say I was a little nervous. Luckily, I got there a little early and I was able to watch my stylist in action. I got Saki. She is very stylish and really nice. First, she took me to her chair and asked me what I wanted. How wonderful! I explained to her that I have been trying to grow out my hair and cut some of the dead ends. She agreed to only cut a little bit but add some volume by adding a shorter layer. Then, she walked me over to get my hair washed and made sure I was comfortable. She gave me the best hair massage. Wow! Once she cut and blow dried my hair I felt fabulous. I have really never had my hair styled that way. I loved it. I paid $64 with the 10% new client discount and without tip. I was glad to leave a good tip. She deserved it. Wish I could go see her every week. This is definitely my new hair salon. read more

Let me start off by saying I was a client at an upper West Side Salon that I was going to for a hot minute and that I REALLY liked. My colorist was wonderful but the salon was becoming too expensive for me since my job cut my salary. So I looked on Yelp again and found Shino at Wave 55. I'm so happy I did because she took the time to consult with me regarding my cut and color on two separate occasions. I brought in pictures (which I always do) to give the stylist an idea of what I wanted and she was ON POINT. She gave me this gorgeous chestnut color with golden undertones and a slight ombre effect. As for the cut..beautiful layers which has given my fine hair life again. What I REALLY love about this salon is not only does your stylist cut and color your hair but she/he, from what i observed-washes, deliciously massages your head during the washing and blow dries your hair. So you are basically giving one person a tip, not three different people which can add up. The fee altogether was reasonable for NYC and IMHO..worth it. See Shino and you will walk away one happy girl or guy. She made my night. I will definitely be going back read more

I am a chronic over-researcher. I spend hours searching for salons, restaurants, what have you for the perfect place at the perfect price. I was skeptical reading all the raves for such an affordable spot so close to my apartment, but damn, my hair looks amazing. No more yelp-ing for me! This is the one! read more

Haraka, cut my hair and did an awful job. I asked him to do a couple of things to my hair to make it look better Not Worse. Absolutely no thought to his cut, only cuts for his satisfaction. Ot the customers. I thought i would give him another chance and when i spoke with him about my first cut he got very angry and defensive and grabbed the bs k of my hair and pulled it back violently. He is the worse stylist and terrible at customer service. Stay far away. read more