To the Maxx

Ask for Nancy for all your nails and waxing needs. I make a pit stop here whenever I’m in Santa Monica. She does a great job and she’s really sweet.
Reasonable pricing. Parking in the back of the store or 2 hour ($ 2) metered parking.

Honestly… I should put 1 star because of how unhappy I am with my cut. I’m only giving 2 stars because she was really nice. This review is solely on the hair cut… I am fully aware my hair was extremely damaged from a previous highlighting but, I went in clearly asking for a «trim». Jane cut off much more of my hair than I felt comfortable with. It was very evident that I was screaming on the inside but telling me «this length is best for your face shape and body type» is not the way to calm someone down! I literally got in my car and cried… I would have chosen unhealthy long layers to extremely short (mullet) layers any day of the week. I will now have to spend hundred to get extensions until I feel comfortable with my natural length again. I am just so, so upset.

I have been going to Jane to have my hair done for several years, after trying a number of other salons around the westside. I think she is the best deal in L.A. as far as hairstylists are concerned — great balance of quality work and reasonable prices. I have wavy medium to long hair, usually get partial highlights and a trim, and I’m out in under 2 hours (if I decline a blow-​dry). One time when she was ill, I had to make an emergency appointment somewhere else — and went to Umberto in BH. I paid probably twice as much for a job that was done about half as well. Many of my friends are also Jane loyalists — I suppose once you find someone good, you tend to stick with them!

My hair was never exactly curly. Thick, and lots of it. Bushy, frizzy, pouffy in an unattractive Country Western way. Big hair. Hard to control. Looked good either super short or long enough that the weight could hold it down.
Margaret is a very good hairstylist who specializes in cuts, color, texturizing, relaxing and straightening. She first tried Keratin, which did calm it down by 60−70% with zero damage. But it was still pretty pouffy and bushy. Less frizzy, but still some frizz.
Paul Brown Hawaii straightening products really worked great on my hair in the 90s, but were difficult to find. Margaret helped me track down, select and use their RelaXX straightener. Now I am so grateful for a head of straight, shiny, manageable hair. I’d say it is 10% drier, but responds well to conditioner, serum, balm or plain old canola oil.
Its not the Japanese system or the Brazilian blow-​out. The Paul Brown way is far less damaging and less expensive, and Margaret does a great job with it. She is also very good company, funny and aware.