KaYea Hair & Make-Up

I’ve been to this place to get haircuts for about a year now and have been receiving consistent quality haircuts as oppose to other places I have been in SF. The price is a bit on the expensive side but it’s well worth the cost since I’ve always been satisfied with my cut after getting back home from my appointments. As others have said, Lee goes into details when he does his thing and makes sure it’s good until the end. Most salons I’ve been to just doesn’t have that kind attention or care.

Since I came here in SF, I am always looking for Korean hair salon to cut my hair. Thus, I went to couple of places in San Jose but, I don’t like there.
This is the place where I want to go. I have been here about 2 years now that I am always satisfying what Mr. Lee did. He has super nice, enthusiastic skill to cut my hair. I heard about the price that someone said it is kind of expensive, but I do not agree with it. Because his skill is great.

Lee is great at what he does and pays very close attention to every detail. I was very pleased with the end results and I will definitely be back.

$ 60 for a cut
Mr. Lee is very nice. Every appt is booked on the 1 hour women and ½ hour for men

Just came back from my second appointment with Mr. Lee, this time I got a cut and color from him. I told him I wanted a cut with a V ending and layers, which is exactly what I got as you can see from the second picture. Then I showed him a picture of the color hair I wanted with a balayage/​ombré without my roots being touched to brown to a pinkish/​purple color. Booked my appointment and he replied back in less than 24 hours. He closes his shop at 7pm and my appointment was at 6pm. We finished at 10pm, HE STAYED 3 HOURS PAST HIS CLOSING TIME TO ATTEND TO MY HAIR! Best service ever! We colored it with one coat but the color wasn’t very visible so he wanted to darken the color so it would stick longer. After the color was finished, he cut my hair again for the finishing touches and added a complementary curl. 4 hours of hair coloring and cutting for $ 260 combined, TOTALLY WORTH IT! I asked other salons for the same color and they were going to charge me ~$ 500 just for the hair dying (WTF?!). He never rushed me out despite it being new years eve, and is really easy to talk to. Thank you Mr. Lee for a job well done and being so attentive to my hair! I LOVE IT! SARANGHEYO!

I got my hair cut from Mr. Lee today. I always kept long hair but wanted to change my hair style short cut. I read good reviews of Mr. Lee and decided to give it a try. Because it was appointment based Lee spent whole hour only on my hair. He is very professional and gave lots of care into my hair. I love the result how it turned out.

I first came to Mr. Lee after a year of getting cheap Chinese haircuts and being totally dissatisfied with my look weeks after getting my hair cut. Not only was my hair cut weirdly, but even the quality of my hair was a complete disaster. I had been swimming anywhere from 2−4x a weeks and chlorine and hair just do not work well together.
I told him about my hair problems and that I wanted something to fit my face and really make me look amazing. He suggested going short and after having anywhere from shoulder length to longer hair for the past 10 years, I was hesitant, but decided let’s do this and crossed my fingers, worried that it would just turn out terrible.
Thank goodness, I came to Mr. Lee. He literally did a Princess Diaries transformation and turned my mess into this cute sassy short-​haired look. I also loved how he did not try to push products on me and told me to get a good quality conditioner.
Overall, the best part about Mr. Lee is his professionalism and how much care and detail he puts into your hair as he cuts it. There have been occasions when I have been late to appointments, sometimes over 20 minutes late and Mr. Lee was so professional and accommodating throughout the entire process. In terms of the care hat he puts into your hair, before Mr. Lee, I have never had someone examine my hair and each cut with so much detail. He literally examines every single strand of hair and makes sure that everything looks perfect.
The worst thing about Mr. Lee is that he’s not in New York! Even though I moved to New York, I still get my hair cut by Mr. Lee every time I’m in SF.
Lastly, make sure to book your appointment ahead of time. HIs appointments fill up fast like you need to call at least a week, if not two in advance!

I read all people’s reviews before I went. I think all the reviews are very much to the point and relevant. I gave it a try. It turns out I LOVE my hair again. Thank you Lee for making my hair alive again because he knows how to CUT your hair and makes the best of your hair. Trust him and trust yourself you can be that pretty. One small hints: make your reservation 3 weeks in advance.

LOVED my experience here — just got married and wanted to chop off most of my hair so that it would feel healthy again. Didn’t really know what I wanted besides short and not wanting to look too young and he took care of the rest. I love that he cuts your hair dry so you can really tell where the length is going to hit. Then he washes/​shampoos you and styles from there. I was in and out in a little over an hour. Just make sure you have CASH because he doesnt take card!

Yesterday my boyfriend and I decided to check out new place for our haircut so we made appointment with Mr. Lee in advance.
Mr. Lee is an awesome person he treated his customers well! I came for a haircut and re-​dyed my hair. No one have done my hair so perfect before! Mr. Lee is the first person that made me satisfied after get my hair done^^ my boyfriend also love his haircut. Every done very neatly and professional. TOTALLY RECOMMEND this place if you want to get your hair done well :)

Found this place through Unilocal and decided to give it a try. Best decision ever.
I showed Mr. Lee a picture of the hair color I wanted and he was able to match it perfectly! He explained everything he was gonna do to my hair and was really friendly. He makes you feel comfortable and is great at keeping up a conversation.
You have to call to set up an appointment since he’s the only one in the salon but I was totally okay with that because he really put in effort with my hair. Definitely coming back~

Just like my fellow Unilocalers said, mr. Lee is simply the best, and let me tell you why!
My appointment was at 11am this morning and actually arrived and found parking at 10:20, was going to sit in car ’til 11, but I was thinking it couldn’t hurt to ask if I can go in early right, worst comes to worst, I’ll just sit in car. So I called, and mr. Lee was so nice about it and said yes! To be honest, I didn’t know what style or a cut I wanted, haha I said new style, but I wanna keep my length, lol I know, how does that even make any sense, so I just ok ok! New style, just past shoulders, please! I trusted mr. Lee! And I was not disappointed! Unlike most hair stylists, mr. Lee did not pressure me to buying any products towards the end, he even told me some tips on how to wash/​style my hair!
Mr. Lee is super nice and really friendly, kept conversations going, he even told me some great spots to go for Korean good eats! :) super humble guy and knows what he’s doing! Oh by the way, the salon is really modern, and the décor inside is on point! *two thumbs up*
I believe I have found my new hair stylist, would definitely be coming back!

That awkward moment when you realize that you’ve been styling your hair wrong for the past ten years … When I first came here, Lee produced a brilliant hair cut that was quite different than what I’d been used to doing. I’ve gotten compliments from co-​workers, friends, family, and first dates at a significantly higher rate than before (and I mean significantly).
Pros: Lee knows how to style Asian hair! He’s also easy to talk to so you’re not awkwardly staring into the mirror for an hour …
Cons: Lee’s quite popular and it’s been progressively harder to book an appointment over the course of a year. If you have a busy schedule you may need to plan some of your free time around getting your hair cut. Also, if you style your hair yourself, you might notice that Lee is way better at styling your hair than you are — so your hair looks amazing for a day and just great for the rest of the month. Fortunately, he will coach you up so just practice!
Verdict: The hype is real! Five tubes of triamcinolone for an all around solid hair styling experience.

I have been living in the neighborhood for over 10 years and have tried lots of hair stylists all over the city. None compare to Mr Lee. I just left his salon an hour ago and although he already has a perfect 5 star rating (for good reason), I felt compelled to immediately write this well deserved review!
I went in last week and showed him a photo of what I wanted and he cut it perfectly. A week later, I decided to go lots shorter and called to ask if he could cut off a bit more. I was able to get an appointment within a couple of days and even though I just asked him to shorten the length, he took just as much care as he did when he first cut it. When I tried to tip him for the second cut, he wouldn’t take it.
He listens closely and doesn’t push you into anything you don’t need or want – A true professional and perfectionist. He makes you feel welcome and comfortable from the moment you step into his cozy yet stylish salon. His price point is also very reasonable and a great value for what he delivers. And as an added bonus, he is very personable and pleasant with a casual, yet sophisticated air about him. Delightful!
I am happy to have found you, Mr Lee and I won’t ever get my hair cut/​styled anywhere else. Thank you for moving to my neighborhood! :)

I found Mr. Lee on Unilocal and didn’t know if anyone could be that good, but decided to try him out. He is as good as everyone says! He is a pro.
I had brought in a picture of how I wanted my hair to look. He quickly glanced at it and said Oh okay… then went on making conversation and joking around.
I thought, «It didn’t really seem like he looked at the picture…» And then he cut my hair exactly perfect — it came out just how I wanted! Is that Pro, or what?
He didn’t even need a brush to blow-​style my hair. He has a technique that he does with his hands to curl the ends inward. Following this, he used a curling iron to enhance.
I had long hair for a long time and thought I would miss it the next day. This usually happens to me when I cut a lot off (5 – 6 inches). But since he did such a good job with the cut, it even looked good when I washed and styled it myself the next day. I didn’t miss my long hair at all!
By the way, he is very funny and I was seriously belly-​laughing at his stories.
Highly recommend.

Lee is my go to guy, as well as my sister. I’ve been coming to him for the last 8 years and he’s the only one I trust to touch my hair that I make a special trip from North Marin to San Francisco. I’ve followed him from his two previous salons and I’m happy that he has his own space now!
I’ve had plenty of bad experiences with different stylists where they didn’t take into consideration of my face shape or hair condition (one used a chemical so strong strands of my hair broke off at the root — cue crying and two days of self house arrest). I’m sure there are people out there who have been in a similar situation like me.
I’ve never had a haircut, coloring, or treatment I didn’t like at the hands of Lee, his recommendations are spot on — he looks at my thinning hair and even if what I originally wanted to do might make him more money, he puts the health of my hair first. He’s aware of current trends too which is always a plus, and he’ll go out of the way to make sure your hair «shines».

Mr. Lee is great! Having grown up in Korea and Orange County where there is an abundance of Korean hairdressers, it’s been a struggle for me to find a good location in SF for Asian hair that is also reasonably priced. Although KaYea is a bit of a trek in Outer Richmond, it’s well worth it.
Mr. Lee was trained in Korea and knows how to handle Asian hair. I’m very picky about my bangs and he knows just what to do. Plus he only takes one client an hour so you know that he’s putting all his attention on you, a huge bonus. The haircut for my long hair was $ 50, and I plan on going back to him for all my trims!
Overall, I’m very pleased with KaYea and Mr. Lee is as friendly as can be, we always have fun chats and I end up really enjoying the intimate salon experience.

Ka Yea hair salon is amazing! The salon is nicely remodeled, clean, relaxing and quiet atmosphere. The Lee is phenomenon hairstylist!
Mr. Lee spent about an hour and a half cutting my hair, ensuring that every angle of my haircut looks nicely. I have extremely thin hair with bad head shape I knew It is not easy for some hairstylists to cut my hair and I several really bad experiences because of that am really picky about hairstylist.
I really feel great with my new haircut. Lee listened to my opinions and cut my hair only with scissors that give my hair a lot more fuller and thicker looking. I couldn’t be happier because it is not easy to find a hairstylist who really knows what I want.
I will definitely be coming back to Ka Yea Hair. I actually have to go back I can’t find anyone is better. I am really happy that I found hair stylist I really like.

Lee is the best! I have never found a hair stylist/​salon that I love, but when I go to Lee he always makes my hair look gorgeous. My hair is left shiny and he takes the time to curl my hair to give it that nice wavy look full of volume after a cut.
Lee is also fun to talk with. He gave me restaurants tips the first visit and business tips the second visit. Parking is easy. I’ll be back.

I actually got a haircut a few weeks ago, but I haven’t gotten a chance to get on Unilocal and write a good review.
I’ve lived in San Francisco my entire life and I’ve always thought my haircuts were just alright. Nothing too special. I found KaYea through Unilocal and thought I would give it a try. I must say KaYea definitely deserves all the 5 star reviews!
Lee is a very qualified hairdresser and make-​up artist. During my haircut, he told me about his formal education in South Korea, years of apprenticeship, and experience doing make-​up for actors and actresses in the past.
Lee gave me the best haircut experience I’ve had so far.
First off, I was able to get an appointment pretty quickly (within 2 or 3 days). It might be hard to find parking around the area, but I just took public transportation. The interior is decorated very nicely and gives of a very comfortable atmosphere.
As for my haircut, I started out with a wash. Afterwards, he sat me down on the chair and I told him I had a reference picture for my haircut. He knew immediately what I wanted and how to go about it, which was very reassuring. Each appointment for regular haircuts is about an hour long, but it passed really quickly! Lee is super genuine and sweet; I definitely had a great time talking to Lee while he was cutting my hair. He finished the haircut with a second wash, blow dry, small touch-​ups, and a simple styling.
The price was $ 35 for the men’s haircut (not including tip). Overall, it was a wonderful experience, definitely worth it. I plan on going back next time I need a haircut!