I want to start by highlighting that he does good work. Despite reading some negative reviews, I decided to go ahead and try his services. My first consultation a year ago was very informative and positive--there were no issues at all. Around 10 months later, after a haircut while traveling in Asia in between, I contacted him again to book another appointment. He told me he was moving salons, and unfortunately, his next availability didn't work with my upcoming trip, so I had to go elsewhere. I made it clear that I valued his work and wanted to return as a client.
Fast forward, I went to him a second time a year later. He asked me to come earlier, which was no problem. But initially, when I came in, he was speaking monotone, pretty fast-paced. Had me sit down in the chair, tossing my hair forward and back aggressively, asking what I wanted. He pointed out that I went to someone else multiple times. When he was washing my hair, it felt pretty aggressive, even cutting my hair and brushing it. There was a point where he was trimming my hair when wet, and his hand would graze over my nipple, which might have been unintentional; I wasn't sure if it was an accident. I understand I have a lot of hair, but he would be sighing throughout the session. He would also be opening and closing drawers in a rough manner. At one point, he grabbed one of the hair product bottles and threw it back onto the counter. He pointed out how I hadn't gone to him at least twice, and I went elsewhere to "someone else". I tried explaining the situation, but he kept reiterating that if I liked his work to "stick with him".
About halfway in, I just asked him if everything was okay because he kept sighing and putting his phone down and checking his phone again in between managing my hair. He told me how he had moved me earlier and "assumed my hair wouldn't take this long". Now his next appointment came early, and my hair was going to take longer. He commented on other clients, and when a client was outside, he said, "Oh shit, did she hear that?". He also commented on how many round brushes are in my hair, saying, "That's $800 in your head," and how he needs to buy more.
At one point, I realized I felt genuinely scared and uncomfortable. I was alone in the salon room with him for at least the first half, and his energy felt tense and unpredictable. He did ask if I was okay, which I appreciated, but at that moment, I didn't feel safe speaking up because I didn't know how he might react, and I tried to remain calm. His demeanor only started to soften after I asked if he was okay.
Overall, my main concern is that his demeanor and comments made me feel uncomfortable. This made me reluctant to speak up, as I worried about the outcome of my haircut or how he would respond. I believe clients deserve a welcoming environment, and sighing or tossing items is not appropriate. Additionally, he spoke negatively about other clients to me. I'm concerned he may also speak poorly of me as he has with others, and I don't think that's fair or professional. I'm not sure why some people have great experiences and others do not, based on the reviews. Maybe it was stress, but I still felt pretty uncomfortable from the experience. I'm sharing this so others are aware -- the work may be good, but the attitude and energy made it an experience I wouldn't want to repeat. read more