Balance the Salon

I can’t say enough wonderful things about Balance the Salon and especially my stylist, Woody! I’ve been dying my hair for many years and just recently moved to the Baltimore area. I decided to try out Balance since they use Aveda hair color products. Woody and I discussed playing with some new colors in my hair, and I put my complete faith in him that it would turn out great. And it did! Risa (another stylist) referred to the final coloring as «Rising Pheonix», and I definitely felt so great with my new color and a touch-​up hair cut. Woody is my new best friend, and I would highly recommend him for anyone who wants some coloring done.
The salon itself was very clean, relaxing, and overall a very pleasant experience.
Of note, the salon cannot accept tips on credit cards, so come prepared with a check or cash to tip out your stylist!

Dreadful haircoloring in a lovely setting by nice hairdressers. Had my first color there by senior stylist who was very attentive and kind Matt but highlights were too brassy set too low on scalp. Came in for root touch up and the other senior stylist turned my roots jet black slathering on the dye and to fix the error made tons more brassy highlights. Two toner treatments did nothing — left with halloween hair jet black and cooper — shocking for a professional salon. owner looked over at me pityingly– after 4 hours of redo attempts. Didn’t care that my hair was getting seriously dried out by this fixing.

I have been going to Balance for a couple of years now and would highly recommend it. Entertaining and quirky staff. Ken does my hair and he has never steered me wrong. The facility is nice in a fun urban minimalist style and the staff has always been very friendly and helpful. I also feel that you get good value for the price.

Balance the Salon is the best hair salon I have ever been to. I love this place so much that when I moved from Baltimore to DC, I worked out my schedule so that I come up for a day just to have my hair done. The staff at Balance is wonderful, extremely welcoming, and professional. Ken has been a joy to work with because he really takes the time to personalize my haircut. I first came in out of necessity to fix a bad haircut, and Ken worked wonders! He gave me the perfect cut and color. Ever since then, I’ve been a happy and loyal customer for 3 years. Whenever I want a change, Ken sits with me to go over what I have, what I want to change, and when I’m on the fence about anything, he has a way of knowing just what I will love. I have never been disappointed with my hair when I leave. My fiancé came in to have his hair drastically cut, but he spoke with his stylist, who actually cut his hair one length at a time (from a 4, to 3, to 2, and finally to 1). It was a big change for him, but instead of just hacking his hair off, the stylist let him feel comfortable with the change and was 100% open to working with him, even if he had changed his mind.
ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL PLACE!!!

A really nice place, but I’ve had a hard time getting the stylist on board with what I want (which is nothing radical, and a cut I’ve had before) and often left disappointed. Their hours unfortunately don’t really work well with my work hours, either.

Woody is a genius with color and has deftly handled cutting and coloring my incredibly thick hair for years. The salon is well appointed, modern but not pretentious and the parking and access is really easy. Also had my entire wedding party at Balance and they handled all 8 of us easily and made the experience really fun! I recommend Balance to all my friends — even my «barber shop loving» husband now swears by them!

After moving to Baltimore I tried various different salons trying to find a place I could trust with my hair. I had some so-​so experiences, and one nightmare experience — and then I finally found Ken at Balance. He takes such pride in his work and took my ideas and used his skills to make it work with my hair. I was also in LOVE with the way my hair smelled after every hair cut. Now that I’m leaving Baltimore this is on my list of places I’ll miss and would highly recommend to anyone needing a reasonably priced, delicious smelling, beautiful ‘do!

I won’t mention the specific stylist’s name but this was the worst cut I’ve ever received. I have extremely thick wavy hair and she did a blunt straight cut. I also had one piece in the back that was longer and had to get my coworker to cut it off because my hair was so uneven! I also had highlights done and while the end result looked good (much better than the cut) I was there for about 3 hours as she had to fix it and put toner in, having me panicked the entire time. I will not return.

I’m a long time customer; I’ve been hiking to balance for several years now. Ken does a great job. I have very straight hair, and he cuts in in a way that it has movement and body, which I’ve never had! Plus my cuts last a long time. Highly recommend Ken and balance!

I went here for the first time this week and loved it! Woody cut my hair and he was awesome — listened to everything I said and gave me the best cut I’ve had in a while. They also have great products. So glad I’ve found my new go to hair salon.

I learned of balance three years ago when they began coming to Loyola’s Relay For Life event to do the hair donations for free– and also offering free touch-​ups to the students who donate. How cool is it of them to come out at 1 AM to cut off ponytails free of charge? I love that they support the cause so I decided to support them!
I’ve never been really picky about my hair or who cuts it but I’ve been to Balance at least three times for my haircuts and I’ve never had a complaint!
They’re always very friendly and welcoming, even on the phone when I call to make the appointment (which I definitely recommend, they get pretty booked).
They always listen carefully to what I want done and nail it perfectly! The last two times, Ken has cut my hair. He’s a great stylist and fun to chat with while he works. I really like that he keeps checking throughout the whole process that I’m liking what’s happening– no nasty surprises at the end!
Even if it is a little pricey for my college student budget, it’s well worth it. Their location is convenient for me, they get me in and out quickly and always with a great haircut!

I went to Balance on a recommendation after I couldn’t get into my regular salon (which btw is fabulous and is also in Roland Park). The salon itself was nice and clean.
I took the first appointment that fit my schedule and maybe I should have asked more questions about the stylist’s level. I wound up with Bethany and although she was pleasant and seemed competent, she gave me a pretty bad highlight along with the worst cut I may have ever gotten. I got a significant amount of length cut off and although I wanted to wear it wavy and airdried, i thought it was odd that she didn’t dry it and then finish the cut to make sure it was good. My hair looks like a child cut it straight across. There is no shaping and therefor I cannot wear it dried straight without looking like I have a cut from the 90s. The highlight color was fine but it wasn’t close to the roots so it was like I had immediate outgrowth. Needless to say I’ve been trying to get into my regular stylist since this mishap happened 6 weeks ago so she can clean up the mess.
On a positive note, the owner or front desk attendant did call appx a week after my appointment to check in. If only I had answered my phone I might have told them my story. Bottom line — go to the salon, but be careful who you choose as your stylist.

I haven’t had a hair cut that I’ve liked, or even loved, in about 5 years, but Balance able to squeeze me in the day after I decided to get a haircut again.
My stylist Jessica was so sweet and helpful and I absolutely love my hair. She was great with suggesting products and styles and worked wonderfully with my problematic, curly biracial hair. Highly recommend her!
Everyone at the salon was warm and friendly and they use wonderful products. Completely worth it!

I started going here when my stylist, Bethany, came here from NV Salon Collective. Firstly, the salon is immaculate with modern décor and is very aesthetically pleasing. Everyone on the staff here is SO nice. The receptionist is polite and Reesa, the shampoo girl and everything else in between, is a pleasure to talk to. This is such a change from the other salons I’ve been to.
Secondly, Bethany is a color wizard. I have hair that is just horrible at taking color and she makes it happen. She also explains everything you need to know about color and what to expect with the results. My haircuts and color are pretty straight forward, but I would trust her to do pretty much anything. I did cut my hair a little shorter the last time I was there and it came out awesome. She is also very down to earth and intelligent and can talk to you (or not talk to you, if you prefer) about anything and everything. It does seem like all the stylists here are highly competent so you are sure to be happy with the results no matter who you see.

When my hairdresser moved away, I was lost. She was the sort of stylist that I could sit down, and tell her to do whatever she felt like, and I was happy every time. I was in hair-​love. I had a couple decent experiences after she left, but was never thrilled with my hair.
A friend at work recommended that I see Ken at Balance, and hair-​cupid totally struck again. Ken listened to all the details about what I wanted from a hair-​cut, what my lifestyle was, and what kind of time and effort I put into my hair. The result: I love my hair. He used the razor and did some significant texturing and thinning of my hair. He knew exactly what he was doing, and despite my fear that he was cutting too much hair, I was so pleased with the style and have since been pleased with the way my hair has grown since then.
I went back in for a bang-​trim a few weeks ago. He squeezed me in between appointments, but I never felt rushed. He did a great job!
In addition to his skill, I am very pleased with how friendly the front desk staff has been. And, I was delightfully surprised that Matt, the owner, even called to check-​in with me about experience and make sure I was happy with my cut.
I’m going back to see him for a trim in two weeks, and I can’t wait. I have definitely fallen in hair-​love again, and am pleased that my search for a great and trusted stylist is over.

Balance salon has really become my favorite place to get my haircut. I initially went to the salon after my stylist, Ken, moved there. I am impressed by the look of the salon as well as the friendly staff.
As for my hair Ken has always been really great! I have never had so many compliments on my hair. I completely trust him and recommend him to everyone I know. Thanks for making me look good Ken!

This place made my day today. I had my very first appointment there today with Matt, the owner, and it could not have gone better. When I got there: lovely greeting from front desk and on to a hot cup of coffee before my appointment. Matt was amazing from start to finish and really made me feel not only welcome, but cognizant of the fact that he wants me to continue to be his customer. No other salon has ever been this welcoming and nice to me! This is a special place and you will come out looking and feeling your best. Also, they are next to Evergreen café and Miss Shirleys. Make a day of it!

Balance is definitely one of the best salons in the Baltimore area. They use great products, have a great staff and are clean. I have asian hair and its been difficult to find someone who knows how to cut my hair. I go to Ken and he knows what he is doing.
I always feel like he brings my dull hair back to life whenver I need a cut. The staff knows how to treat their customers too. When i was all done and ready to pay, I asked about leaving a tip. There are no signs that say tips must be in cash, nor did they go out of the way to point this out. I think this shows that they are loyal to their customers and they aren’t about nickel and dime-​ing their customers.
Great salon! they are my go– to for sure.

This was my first experience with this salon, because I hadn’t found a place that really suited my needs. Based on the other reviews of this particular place it intrigued me to try it out. I wanted quality work and still not break my wallet doing it. The location is definitely something you might pass by and not notice.
It’s definitely worth checking because from the moment I walked in the door, it was great service. I was greeted by my stylist, Woody, who was very nice. Since I’m half Asian and half Mexican, I have very full, thick hair. It’s not always the easiest to manage, so for Woody to not only to give me a cut to relieve some of the volume, as well as the weight, it was wonderful. I was still able to keep the length I wanted and it looks silky smooth now. I will definitely be going in the next time I need a cut and I would recommend the place as well.

My stylist is Matt, the owner. I’ve been seeing him every 6 weeks for years. I’ve never had a bad experience.
I am half Asian, half Caucasian, so my hair (thick, mostly straight with a little wave) has always been a challenge to hairdressers and barbers alike. During my first appointment with Matt’s stylists, I was able to have a meaningful technical conversation with them about my hair type and what cuts would be good and look good and be easy to maintain. We settled on the «Eaton Flop», which looks great on me, and I’ve been sticking with it ever since.
Great service, great stylists, a clean place.