Fay did a beautiful job with my hair. I'm excited to finally find someone in Santa Barbara who understands how to cut my hair! read more

This place is so good for people who need like an alternative hair salon come here. I just got the best emo scene hair and it's really good they will use a razor blade and some scissors and trust me. It's really good and the vibe here is so great. I love how nice my the stylist who did my hair was so great100/100 read more

All the great reviews led me here when I finally mustered up the courage to get a new do. I came in with a full head of thick long hair and left with shaved sides and a short cut. I absolutely love it! Andrea did a fantastic job listening to my description of the look I had in mind and the images that I liked. The pre-cut consultation made me feel extremely comfortable and confident that I would get what I was looking for. We cut 2 pony tails worth to donate to Locks of Love. Then we walked through all of the stages of the hair cut (shaving, trimming, layering, etc.) together and she was flexible with my changing ideas. Everyone in the shop was excited for me and it felt like a very happy place to work. They were able to fit me and my fiancé in same day (one after the other) when I called in the morning. The shop is very comfortable whether you're in the chair or waiting. They offer drinks to both parties and have magazines and great music as well. The only knock here is the pricing. My cut was $90 and my fiancés which was a slight change in style was $50. Pretty pricey for a males haircut if you ask me. But overall, they did a great job and we were happy to pay the price for this one time change. She also offered to come in free of charge anytime in the week following the cut to make changes if I wanted. read more

Underground Hair Artists - New cut who dis - Skin Care Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

If you go I highly suggest asking for Chelsea!!! She's super talented & has a great, friendly personality too. Be specific with what you want with your hair, & use reference photos. What I appreciate about her is she keeps it real about what she can & can't do with my hair. (Don't go in there with box dyed hair expecting miracles!) She also is great at preserving the overall health of my hair, as u can see I still have my curls lol. 5 stars from me!!!! read more

See all

Arleth is my champion! After having a pretty bad haircut elsewhere she was able to completely fix it! She was so fun to talk to, extremely professional, and fantastically talented! She listened to exactly what I wanted and even after I asked her to make a few more changes she happily did so to make sure I was nothing but happy and satisfied with my cut. I recommend her to all! The salon is also very fun and has a great feel to it. I love the decor and the feeling of being a rock star as you leave! read more

Sima is amazing! She listens to your needs and she takes her time and she's super sweet and friendly. Totally trust her with my haircut so happy I found her. read more

Ask a lot of questions, and be picky about your stylist. There is very uneven expertise for different types of hair. I saw one stylist and got a good cut, then she recommended that I try a hair treatment she told me that anyone in the salon could do since she was so busy. I took her advice and saw the other stylist on my next visit for that service and a cut. Maybe that first stylist didn't expect me to get a cut as well, because I don't think the second stylist knows anything about curly hair, I haven't felt this bad about a haircut in years. read more

I had a Brazillian Blowout with the sweetest girl ( Arleth ) !! I love my hair and she took her time with me and we laughed and talked except when she was blow drying my hair i think i fell asleep because it was so relaxing!!! I will be back to see Arleth once i need a Brazillian Blowout again read more

Nice Salon with talented stylists. This one has good parking and is easy to access. I would highly recommend Arleth.

Have been coming her off and in for 15 Yrs! I consider UNDERGROUND the place to go when older women want to get more hip! All of their experienced hair style artists are excellent and I love the hip vibe and also the fun gifts available for sale when you are waiting up front! New location is so easy to park and close to everything! Fay is my go to source for hair ideas and there's nothing she's not seen. Try them out! You'll have fun. read more

Absolutely obsessed with my hair cut and color from Sima!! I usually never do this but I just called in blindly and asked for someone that specializes in blondes. I usually do tons of research. Sima gave me exactly what I was looking for color and cut which is soooo rare. AND cared for my hair health, I don't think I've ever walked out of a studio blonde, with silky, soft moisturized hair until this time! Im so lucky she's new to the studio and not totally booked yet so I got in right away. I know it's been hard to get into appointments ever since Covid restrictions have lifted! Go see her! You won't be disappointed. read more

Underground Hair Artists - Before :( - Skin Care Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

Just be aware that when you go to the salon, the status might be good if they have any issue with you they will ban you and then you will never be able to go there again. The stylist will call you maybe a day before or very last minute to let you know And the front desk will not inform you of this when you book your appointment so please be wary of booking with this salon. The status may be great, but they are very, very difficult and not worth your time so I would highly think twice. read more

Had my first haircut in Months due to Covid. Made an appointment with Carrie. I showed up and the salon was spotless. Social distancing was in place and they even had masks if you needed one. I wore a mask the whole time as did my stylist. Was no big deal. Carrie did an amazing job and was very happy. I will be back. Thank you. read more

Andrea did an amazing job on my hair! She is an excellent stylist and listener. If you have textured or curly hair I couldn't recommend her more.:) read more

Sima at underground salon is the absolute best! I wanted to lighten my hair a bit and sima understood exactly what I wanted. She takes her time, which I love, to ensure the color and cut are perfect. She's is super personable and you can tell how passionate she is about what she does. I don't know a lot about hair, so I love that she is willing to take the time to talk through things with me before just jumping into it. I'd highly recommend her for all your hair needs! read more

I unfortunately lost a great friend and barber, Carmen Tasca recently and have been looking around for someone who could again cut my hair and get it under control. I scheduled Carry at underground stylist.and told her what I wanted. She carefully listened and gave me a killer hair cut that was exactly what I was looking for. She is a remarkable artist. Jack Armstrong read more

Came here to get my hair done for burning man in some colorful braids. The first time I brought my own extensions which were not long enough, but we tried anyways and they didn't stick. Luckily Lorena was kind enough to redo them and even supplied the correct extensions that would last and did them the day I was leaving. Don't judge too much on the image because this was after a couple of days, but they lasted great and my hair was saved from being in braids. read more

Underground Hair Artists - braids after a couple of days of wear and tear, held up pretty well considering the conditions! - Skin Care Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Had a wonderful experience with Andrea. She checked in with me about details while doing the cut and was overall excellent at helping me communicate what I wanted. I wet my hair down last night and awoke to a perfect wash and go pixie cut. So cute and easy. Thank you! read more

I would just like to say the customer service here is very unprofessional. As in my last update, I had an AWFUL experience & was not at all satisfied with the results. (read below for the details) Long story short, this salon has the worst customer service ever. Because of my review, I was contacted by the owner Faye, who contacted me VIA YELP (a couple months AFTER my visit at the salon) saying she spoke with Tyler (who was my hairstylist) & they would be happy to refund the $205.00. Note: I didn't read this message until a couple weeks ago recently, so all this time the message had been sitting in my inbox for 8 MONTHS! (I also was not regularly checking Yelp on the computer, I mainly use Yelp on the iPhone. During that time, I was not EVER contacted saying I would get my money back!). Unbelievable. Today I spoke with Tyler on the phone & he claims the check has been sitting in the salon for a couple months "they were holding it" - & the whole time the check was there they made NO effort to tell me about it!!! Lack of communication. Because I don't rely on Yelp to communicate solely, I was surprised Faye didn't go out of her way to contact me via cell phone - funny, they have my number on file, they are quick to remind you about your upcoming appointment, but they could care less when refunding you your money. In the end, I am out $205 (which is the most I've EVER paid to get my hair done). My advice, I will NEVER ever come here again. My whole experience (excluding the customer service part was the worst. I'm sorry to be writing such a bad review - I was expecting top quality results, and I got exactly the opposite. read more

Thank you, Underground Hair Artists! Shay is amazing! After being turned away for a hair cut by Riverblue Salon Spa because I have African American hair (you can see my review of that business for the deets), I called Underground Hair Artists to see if they were able to cut African American hair. They kindly obliged and recommended a couple of their stylists. I was scheduled an appointment for the next day with Shay. Fast forward to my appointment the next day...Shay was on time and started me right away as scheduled. I love the vibe and atmosphere of the salon; artistic, colorful and clean. The receptionist offered me a complimentary beverage and was very hospitable. Shay was a five star professional, asked me about the cut I was looking for, explained what he was going to do and went to work right away. He did an excellent job on my cut. I love it! Sans 6 inches and it flows so nicely. I love the layers in the back. I would highly recommend Shay to anyone. He is meticulous in his craft and really aims to please. I am so happy to have found someone local who I can all my stylist! The only recommendation that I would make for the salon is to schedule a larger time slot for stylists who are working with African American hair as it can take a little bit longer to work with than straighter hair textures. Scheduling someone too soon after a curly/coarse/kinky texture is not fair to the stylist (who is fined if they go over the allotted time by the salon) and the customer (who either has to wait for the stylist to finish with their other appointments to get their hair finished, or leave the salon "undone." ) Other than that, A+++ for Underground & Shay! read more

See all

Love the shag cut Chelsea did! Salon was very clean and welcoming, and I even was able to get into my appointment a little early. I highly recommend coming here if you are looking to get a unique haircut or color. I've gotten so many compliments on my hair, and will be back again! read more

Arleth gave me a dry haircut, which I had asked for, and she was AWESOME. She is so pleasant to be around and an absolute professional. I had been in the market for a hairstylist that I can continually go back to and finally, I have found someone I'm excited to return to! Also, the salon is super cool and a nice place to be. I'll be seeing her again soon! read more

I had my hair done by Chelsea (not sure if that's how she spells her name). She was absolutely one of the coolest people I could have lucked into finding. She listened to me and highlighted my hair EXACTLY as I hoped it would come out. I think the mark of a good hairdresser can be if they really listen and understand what you want, and she did a brilliant job! Thanks! I'll be a returning customer for sure! read more

Carrie is the best!!! I got the best hair cut I've ever had from her! The music is good, there's art on the walls and a good vibe. My hair was literally destroyed from using box dyes so she completely transformed it into a dark brown A-line cut. Love, love, love!! read more

Underground Hair Artists - Skin Care Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Right now, I'm trying so hard to stop hyperventilating at the sight of my hair and continue on with this review. let me clear the air first: Ive gotten my hair cut here before. and more than once. and both times, I was happy with the end result. This time was not the same. I had recently gotten my hair cut (chopped it ALL OFF and got an a-line bob) and decided that after two months, it was getting too long and I needed it to get freshly cut. I told all of this to my stylist (who is also supposed to be a team member and I paid extra to ensure that I would be happy with my haircut) and said that I wanted it to be a LITTLE more edgy BUT NOT THAT SHORT. I wasn't that brave and I said all of this. I start getting really nervous because she's cutting a LOT off. when I say a lot, i mean it... I didn't even know that I had that much hair to hack off.... She tells me that she's reshaping my hair which is understandable because I have SUPER thick hair and a lot of it. There are a lot of layers involved. I really liked the front of my haircut, but when I got home and I saw the back, i was STUNNED. Its way too short and I dont' even know what to do. There's no way that I can go any shorter and I look like a male korean pop star. This cut might've been appreciated by someone else, but its definitely not for me. I can see myself liking the cut in a month or two, but its a little bit ridiculous to be paying extra money for a team member who fucked it all up. Fay, i better get some free extensions to cover this shit up. this is a good salon, but go on the website and see whose work you like. After going on the website and seeing her work, I understand why my hair looks the way it does now. read more

I wanted to transition to my natural gray hair. Was nervous about how it would turn out but Fay did an amazing job. My hair looks so natural and you can't see the line between my natural gray and where she colored it. My teen daughter even said how good it looked. Would highly recommend! read more

Confession: I don't wash my hair myself. Well, sometimes I do...and it doesn't look good. You see, I have extensions. But even when I don't, I still can't do my hair. And so it just makes more sense for someone else to do it once or twice a week...especially if I am going to be photographed. Like for a wedding. Even if I'm just a guest. My girlfriend and I decided to call around Santa Barbara Friday afternoon for a Saturday morning appointment...Underground Hair Artists was kind enough to squeeze us in for a blow out and style. We left blown away (pun intended). Not only do I wish I lived in Santa Barbara due to the perfect weather, scenery, and general cuteness of the entire city, but I also want to live here because my hair would look bomb 24/7 because of this place. read more

I will not be back. I don't like the stylists and I don't like the clientele. It's one thing to mention that my hair could not be dyed because of breakage and damage but to keep rehashing the conversation over and over again was not appropriate. The hair salon is a public place, it's important to be mindful by being honest and accommodating in how you communicate with the client. Not a fan. Not Cool. I'll be in L.A. or MKE to have my hair serviced. read more

Va-nes-sa! Va-nes-sa! Va-nes-sa! Today I got a haircut at Underground with Vanessa K and the experience has led me to join Yelp, just so I could share this gem! Decently priced for delicious hair. I live in San Francisco and am just down for the summer in Santa Barbara. After trying 4 salons in San Francisco, I did not find a fit and kind of gave up looking for a stylist. Thus, I walked in today with long, strait and hungry hair that has not seen scissors for (gulp!) 1.5 years. In comes Senior Stylist Vanessa. She Heard what I wanted, asked some Good questions and permission to show me a few tricks. Vanessa set the tone with Goals for our session. During the perfect shampoo and scalp massage (which I am a sucker for), she allowed me time to relax into it. While rinsing, she inquired as to the products I use (Aveda) and gave some helpful feedback about how they were drying my hair. The cut was quick, decisive. My limp hair started to breath on its own after only a few snips. All the while, she was gently educating me on quick, professional styles and how to transition between different looks with a demonstration. She put on some magic thickener and then I got the blow out of my life. Like 'Victoria-Secret-Schwooping-Hair-With-A-Built-In-Fan' blow out. All the while, she was showing brush techniques, informing me about quick alternatives through easy conversation. I walked out with the best cut and most wearable cut of my life and bumped directly into a man walking on the street and the interaction went as follows Me: "Excuse me." Him: "Do you know how gorgeous you are?" Me: "Thank you." (Because it the best hair day of my life!) Him: "No, seriously." So, I walked home instead of biking with my helmet, threw away my BioSilk (as recommended by Vanessa) and wrote to you Yelpers. Go! read more

Grace is the best here! She has been cutting my hair for about 2 years and I love coming here! They know the edgiest and trendiest style and they do such a good job. Plus you feel so relaxed in there, the moment you sit down they offer you drinks, including beer and wine, and you leave here looking sexy! Love it! read more

I've put off getting a hair cut for at least 6 months because I was weary of trying anyone new. I finally decided it was time to take the plunge and searched around here on Yelp only to find this amazing salon. Without a doubt, they deserve their 5 star rating. Everything was completely painless, from the phone call to make the appointment to the time I paid and went on my way. I saw Sarah and told her about my haircut anxiety. She and I went over what I liked and didn't like and she went to work. She's easy to talk to and she did an AMAZING job on my hair. Having waited such a long time between cuts, my hair was a total disaster. I begged her not to cut it all off and she did her best to save what she could. She compromised with me and cut off the split ends and gave me a mask to treat the left over dryer ends. My hair looks and feels amazing without much loss and I honestly couldn't be happier. Sarah at Underground Hair will be the only place I go for a great haircut. And now, thankfully, I won't need to put it off for months anymore. Nothing beats a great looking haircut! read more

I arrived 10 minutes early for my appointment and checked in. The girl at the front desk offered me a glass of wine which buys them an extra star in my book. I was told that my hairstylist (I think her name was Vanessa) would be with me shortly. 25 minuets after my scheduled appointment, I was finally greeted by Vanessa and she was apologetic and cheerful. I don't mind when businesses are running late on appointments, but had I known that it would have been over a half hour between the time I arrived and the time I could have my hair cut, I would have calmly stepped out to go grocery shopping at the supermarket next door. I don't know about you, but my time is extremely valuable to me. Not cool. I blame the receptionist, what a joke!! Such an obvious disregard for customer service. Vanessa did a good job of cutting my hair. I'm not too particular about how my hair looks, however, so this review is more for the customer service aspect of the business. That being said, Vanessa did an excellent job of decrypting the style that I had in mind. I never know what to say when I'm asked what I want out of a hair cut, but she did a great job of asking all the right questions so that I wouldn't walk out of the shop with what I call a 'clone' haircut. Also, they knocked 25% off the price of the haircut for being late. This was unsolicited by me and greatly appreciated. I would probably come back if I lived closer, but I have to say, the search for "the one" continues. read more

I had been dreading getting a haircut in Santa Barbara, but I finally found a place that I love and trust. After leaving the Bay, I was hesitant to find a local place, instead of just trekking up to SF to my fav place. From the moment I arrived, while served a glass of wine (or beer if you like) after a long day of work, this otherwise personal chore of gettin' my hair did became enjoyable. Vanessa was fantastic in finding out what you really want in your haircut. I know guys hair is simple, but she really can play with it to see what you really may like based on YOU. She'll ask you questions about what do you do and like, and give you ideas to work with. It really exemplifies the service that a salon should provide by listening to the customer, and taking time with their work. ALTHOUGH, this care and affection from the stylist will cost you....it definitely isn't that cheap, but for a me who gets infrequent haircuts, it was worth it. AND Vanessa, knew that I'm the kind of guy who doesn't really cut my hair often, so she even advised me on what I could do throughout the growing lengths of hair. Either way I'm glad I found a great place for a hair cut thats stylish and enjoyable. read more

I just went in for a consult, because I haven't cut my hair for 10 months, and it looks like a bad Halloween wig that has been left in the back closet of "World of Magic" and left under some smelly old rags and a semi-damp mop Over the last 10 months my hair has gotten thinner on top, and I wanted to see if any "tricks" could make it look thicker. I had my consult with Grace, because she cut my friend Erica's hair, gave her the classic Louise Brooks/Colleen Moore "flapper" bob, which looks amazing on her. Made the appt. for the consult with Malia, who was very nice, and when I went in Brandy was also very nice, gave me some Green Tea with honey, and even allowed me to share some lore about the musical genesis of her name. There wasn't much Grace could suggest, because Time has worked his harsh magic on my hair and taken away what was once a thick JewFro, but it was a good experience nonetheless, and I still might wind up going there, and accepting the fact that my JewFro days are gone, along with hour-long erections. Grace showed a lot of integrity by the fact that she didn't try to bullshit me by telling me 'oh yeah I can do what you want"; she was honest, which I really appreciate. Most people would say whatever they thought I wanted to hear so they could get my business. As it is, I will probably wind up going to Grace because of her honesty. In a world of wankers, Underground shines as the polar opposite. read more

This was my first time here and I wasn't sure about getting my hair cut. After talking over my idea for a cut the stylist with his flair and experience was able to create a style that fit me perfect. Nice layers, carefree curls and just the right length. Not only was my cut perfect I enjoyed a nice glass of wine while I waited. Thanks Shea you made my day. read more

I went to this salon back in June since it was so well-reviewed on Yelp and was extremely disappointed. Sara cut and colored my hair. For the color I went a darker shade of brown and it turned out fairly well, but it was all over color and I could've got the same from a box. I insisted that it not be ashy but more warm, and it came out a bit ashy. The real problem was the cut. I insisted that I didn't want it straight across in the back and that I wanted something different. I guess that was kind of vague because my hair came out looking boring and STRAIGHT ACROSS in the back. I asked her right then and there to fix it and make it more choppy but it hardly made a difference. Then I noticed that my haircut looked exactly like her haircut! The side bangs but not bangs, the straight back, the one layer. It was so creepy *shudder* thank god it's grown out. I would avoid this place; my roommate also had a haircut here with Daniel and was very unsatisfied with the results. Neither of them know how to listen. I haven't been able to find a good salon in SB and find that the drive to see Jeny at goodhead in LA is well worth it. read more

After making an appointment, having to call to confirm it was still on the books (usually places call you a day in advance to remind you of your appointment, they didn't call) and THEN having them call me 20 minutes before my actual appointment time to cancel I decided this wasn't the place for me. They did offer me a different stylist the next day, or to reschedule mid week with the same stylist, however the gal I talked to really couldn't have cared less about the whole thing. She said a hollow 'sorry' and moved right along, kind of pressuring me to make up my mind. That is just a turn off for me. Everyone is different, and by all appearances the stylists themselves look extremely talented. I just chose not to reschedule for the fact that there didn't seem to be any effort for proper communication. That goes a long way when scissors and hair are involved... read more

The true test of a great haircut is being able to recreate the magic after you've washed and styled your hair with your own products. I got just that when I visited The Underground on Saturday, April 3rd. I walked into the eclectic decorated salon and was greeted immediately by a super cute boy with a smokin' hair cut who offered me a seat and a beverage. A short wait later my stylist Sara G came out. She took me back to her station and got to work right away on a half weave. She worked quickly and passed the time making small talk and listening to the buzzing shop. Lots of laughter not just from Sara G. and I but from the whole staff. It seemed like everyone was happy to be at work. I had a great shampoo, Sara G. made me feel very relaxed as she scrubbed my scalp. Really that's the best part of getting your hair cut isn't it? Sara G. talked with me a bit about what I would like for a cut, but I gave her carte blanche and she went to town, cutting off several inches of my dark locks. At one point the owner came over and showed Sara G a new technique. I love an owner and staff that work together to create some beautiful looking cuts. What I ended up with was a beautiful shoulder length cut with sweeping bangs. The color is so natural looking but very different than my regular hair. I am incredibly happy with the results. So today after I took my shower, I got out my products, flat iron and blow dryer and tried to do what Sara G. did with such ease yesterday and you know what? I was very successful! My hair looks just as good as it did yesterday! Thanks Sara G and everyone at The Underground! I am one very happy girl! read more

I've only been here once but it's not for me. The grueling search of finding "THE ONE" continues. The interior of the place is funky and they offer you an adult beverage, but it has a hipster vibe to it with its young employees walking around with that cooler-than-thou (h)air about them. The girl that cut my hair didn't do a bad job, but her lack of experience was apparent in the results. I have hair that is difficult for the average hairdresser to conquer so I don't hold it against her. I've only had magic happen with 2 other hairdressers in my life. You can't force the magic. read more

This place was amazing! From the aesthetic to the ladies on staff- I loved it all! I was on vacation for my friends destination wedding in Santa Barbara, and I have no clue how to do my hair my friend recommended this place to me and I'm so thankful still that they made room for me. I was washed and styled and outta there so quick! It was great and they got me coffee while it was all happening which is an automatic 5 star from me the music in there is fun to sing along to and everything is super tidy and clean! read more