Back Bay Hair Designs

I have never left a Unilocal review before, and I am not the type to.
Growing up with a Cosmetology teacher for a mother instills a sense of obsessiveness about your hair.
I have only gotten my hair colored by anyone other than my mom twice, and the first time was not ideal but okay at a more upscale salon on newbury. However, I came here feeling quite distraught about my roots and hair quality and I was delighted to have Jacqui work on my hair.
Aside from being a sweetheart, she knew what to do and knew what I wanted and worked with me to pick out the best option. One of my friends said «that’s your color, don’t do anything else again» upon seeing the results and my hair looks healthier, shinier, and even fuller.
I felt at home in the salon, and while it isn’t as chic as the other pricy salons on Newbury, it doesn’t matter — what matters is the stylists knowledge and skill.
Jacqui even could tell that I had gotten a keratin treatment done — OVER A YEAR AGO — but was still able to pick up on it. She also was very kind and gentle to my very, very fine hair that breaks easily.
I am so happy with the results :)

Came in here a couple weeks ago for a simple trim and left really unhappy with the result! The stylist didn’t seem to notice that I had layers in my hair so just started cutting everything to one length. I finally realized what she was doing and asked her to trim all of the layers, individually — she seemed surprised and confused. Needless to say the rest of my time in that chair was really stressful and uncomfortable. She did a great blowdry but I’m really unhappy with the shape she’s given me. I feel like she wasn’t very well-​trained in cuts, definitely won’t be returning!

I had a couple swank events on my dance card and wanted to look especially fabulous, so I did my Unilocal homework (it’s surprisingly hard to find a Back Bay salon that’s open on Sundays) and booked an appointment with Liz for a blowdry session.
I came in just as they were opening for the day, so I was the only one in the place for a while. First impression? The space/​décor is not much to look at. But Liz was attentive, cheerful and chatty, and I relaxed pretty quickly — I’d rather have a «regulars swing by» kind of experience than feel like I need to be on my best behavior in a fancy spa setting, anyway.
I didn’t have a firm idea of what I wanted in terms of style, so I let Liz take the reins — we ultimately decided on a half-​updo so the gentle curls she set in my hair would stay in place until the afternoon.
I love that she asked me what I thought of what she was doing every step of the way; I really got the impression she wanted me to be happy with the final result. And I was! $ 32 and I floated away like a princess; I wish I had an excuse to come back every weekend.

I love Back Bay Hair Designs! My roommate recommended Nicole to me when I moved to Boston about 9 months ago and she has never given me a bad haircut! She is great about giving me advice as to what I should do with my hair, which is great for me because I am indecisive about most things. Every tip and suggestion she’s given me has turned out great! All of the stylists are super sweet and accommodating, and the haircuts are very reasonably priced, especially for Newbury! I’ll definitely keep coming to Nicole as long as I live in the city and would recommend her to anyone looking for an nice, incredibly put together hair cut!

Walked in here after walking down Newbury St. looking for a «cheap» blowout. Back Bay was hands down the best deal — $ 40 blowout plus 15% off for first-​timers. At $ 34, this was almost as cheap as my $ 28 NYC blowout spot. That spot also had a slightly dilapidated look, but my Japanese stylist rocked my hair every time I had an event for 2+ years… so I don’t judge by appearance alone. But I digress.
Angela, who is new to the salon, took me in to wash my hair. I told her that I wanted a simple blowout with lots of volume. I knew I wasn’t paying a lot for her time, and I didn’t want to introduce something crazy into the picture that ended up looking… well, too salon-​y. 35 minutes later, we’re talking about wedding planning while she has pinned every part of my hair unto perfection. She gave me volume, she gave me the sexiest gentle wave — not salon-​y at all, and without any direction from me. First thing boyfriend says when he walks in the door — «wow. you look so pretty.» thank you, Angela!
She’s new to Back Bay and is looking for customers, so if you say that I (Nita) referred you, you’ll get 20% off your next service (full disclosure, so do I — but i am planning to go back regardless of discount). Enjoy!

Guys Don’t Do It! After over a year of growing out my hair, getting it trimmed once a month to keep it healthy, I had what I wanted. But, unfortunately I get bored quickly and decided I wanted to shorten it up and do something fun. After showing Christine (?) a photo of what I was thinking I restated that I didn’t want it to look like I just got my hair cut and that I wanted to keep about half the length I had. With every snip she commented on me cringing but it was too late. When I thought she’d cut too short and told her she «evened it out» a little more and by the time I was done I would’ve been better off going to the barber for $ 15 instead of $ 45! I was so embarrassed when I saw my wife’s reaction and all she could say was «Oh, I miss your hair already…»

Finding Jacqui at Back Bay Hair was serendipitous. I have been going to Back Bay Hair since 1999 when I moved to Boston. The salon itself is unpretentious and has a comfortable feel to it. Jacqui has cut my hair for every important event in my life and I always look forward to seeing her again. A few years ago, I moved to metrowest Boston and it’s not easy to get back. In that time, I’ve been to other hair stylists, but no one has ever come close to her cuts. She’s the best.

Cheap vinyl floors and old equipment give this place kind of a dingy feel, not up to the standards their prices suggest. My hair cut was of the barbershop variety. I wish the stylist worked with me a little more to determine what I really wanted.

This is amazing for the price. I just went and had Elizabeth who was nice, fast, and SO GOOD! All for $ 38 b/​c I am a first timer. Crazy cheap for Back bay and one of the best cuts I have ever had. I have long curly hair and she straightened it — looks amazing. Their products smell delicious too. Only downside is ambiance you def don’t feel like you’re on Newbury but worth the savings!

I love getting my hair cut so I go at least every three months. I went here because I was sick of spending 80 $ every few months when I really just like the feeling of people playing with my hair.
I requested Sarah who was really awesome. My hair is pin straight so its very obvious when something is cut unevenly. She did a great job! I usually go to Salon 350 or Salon Red and I have to say that Sarah did a much better job of doing exactly what I wanted AND for half the price.
The only reason why I give Back Bay Hair Designs 4 stars instead of 5 was because she kept trying to get me to try a relaxed perm when I really didn’t want to. Also its a little dingy looking but totally worth it.

I came to Back Bay hair design after a while a way from the Newbury Street because of the price. I used to go to Richard when he was at Avanti, and when I stopped every hair cut I got was pathetic in comparison.
Richard is an extremely talented hair dresser. His cuts are easy to recreate even after you’ve left, which is a problem I have with most places. I find myself wanting to go back with in a month just to sit in his chair again, but it’s not necessary because they grow out so beautifully. You could get your hair cut once a year with him and have a classy look that is flattering no matter what.
When I went back to him at his new location I loved it. It was much less pretentious that Avanti was, but I still felt like I was getting treated well — which is important when you are spending so much money.
He also colored my hair, which really needed it. I had a botch job that I did myself and I left with a warm professional color that is still strong over a month later even though it was red, which tends to fade fast.
Go here. Richard is worth every penny — so much so that I can’t knock of stars for the price because it’s that good.

An overall underwhelming experience, although I will preface my review by saying I walked in a little timid about getting a haircut and color.
I have been loooong overdue for a cut. I had been growing out my hair and bangs for a wedding, and now it was time for something with a little more oomph. I told Sarah to chop off 3 – 4 inches, even out my growing bangs, and throw in some soft layers without making it too choppy (I like to braid my hair on occasion and didn’t want too many ends poking out of the braid). I also wanted to dye my faded brown hair into a rich chocolate brown with a hint of red that you could see when in the sun. Sarah was kind enough to hold a very thorough consultation prior to doing anything and elaborated on the ‘science’ of hair, which I found intriguing, but a tad overdone. And so the cutting/​dyeing begins…
The color: very lackluster… my hair looks pretty much like it’s initial brown, just evened out, and the red is barely visible.
The cut: She chopped off the perfect amount, but when I asked why there were barely any layers, she said that they were there, just very subtle. I’ve given them a week to grow in and I barely see them. But the worst was that she chopped my bangs that I have been painstakingly growing out for almost a year! They finally got long enough to tuck behind my ears and I simply wanted her to blend them into the rest of my hair, rather than looking like I was trying to grow bangs out. Her first try was unsuccessful (one side longer than the other), so I asked her to try again. Big mistake. Rather than razoring them or angling them, as many hairstylists have done before, she used this «chopping» method with scissors so that they looked more like an inverted staircase, rather than a smooth angled cut around my face. And then, she proceeded to cut Towards my face to — I presume — give it some texture. They just got shorter… and shorter… and shorter…
I left fuming and decided to blend and properly angle my bangs when I got home. The left side is fixed, but so much of the right was chopped off that I will just have to wait for it to grow out before I can try to blend it in. It will probably take me 4 months to get them back to the length they were at prior to going into the salon.
I had hoped for a great experience, especially with all the wonderful reviews, but overall, I was severely underwhelmed and disappointed.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I take a great deal of pride in my hair. However, as a recent college grad/​young professional, I don’t have a ton of cash to throw around. On occasion, I’ll splurge on a hair cut from a really swanky salon, assuming that the cash will be worth it. It rarely is. I walk in, and immediately feel like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman when she tries to go shopping on Rodeo Drive the first time. The sales people will invariably look at me in my jeans and flip flops and treat me with disdain until I am out of the chair, walking out with a haircut that can only be described as mediocre (since you’re paying for the name, not the talent).
This is NOT Back Bay Hair Designs. It isn’t flashy, they don’t offer you Perrier, but you will get fantastic service and a phenomenal hair cut for a perfectly reasonable amount of money. I called today for an appointment, and was told they could take me at 1:00 this afternoon. Fabulous! I walk in, am immediately greeted by staff, offered a magazine while I wait, and within a few minutes Liz began to go to work. I keep my hair long, and frequently have a problem with figuring out how to make it fun without chopping it off. Literally, the past ten times I’ve had my hair cut, I will ask the stylist for suggestions, or to help me figure out what to do with it. They all throw in some bad angles, a few layers, and call it good. They also always cut off more than I asked. Not Liz. She asked me a lot of questions to really understand what I wanted, explained what she was doing as she went along, and seemed to really be dedicated to making sure that I got exactly what I wanted. She even resisted the all-​too-​typical urge that hair stylists have to douse my hair with conditioner, even though I tell them that my hair can’t take it.
This haircut really is the best I’ve had in years. Better than ones I’ve gotten at swanky salons in Europe, even. The salon isn’t flashy, maybe even a little run-​down, but that means you’re paying for what they do to your hair, and not for new chairs and mirrors every 6 months. It’s a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere that doesn’t make you feel as if you need to be wearing Dolce to get your hair done. I’d recommend this place to anyone!

Back Bay Hair Designs is a small, hidden little gem and I FOUND IT! I moved to Mass. from Minnesota exactly one year ago, and it has been over a year since I have had my hair cut. I was in desperate need of some help and I stumbled upon this place.
I quickly whipped out my cell phone as I was walking down Newbury street, browsing the stores as a birthday treat to myself, and I «Yelp’d» Back Back Hair Designs and Immediately saw how many ratings it had and it’s overall average. Then I noticed the first few words of the latest post «Everyone seems to be smitten with Sarah.»
I walked in to inquire about pricing, etc. and almost walked out since I’m afraid of having my hair cut (it’s reallllly long!) and when the gal at the counter wrote her name on a card for future reference, I saw «Sarah» written on there and knew, it was time for that hair cut!
Alas, my hair feels so silky and even better, it smells great! ha! Most times I ask for a trim the stylist takes too much off (hence my fear of getting it trimmed), but not Sarah. I told her my fear and she worked with it. Knew what she was talking about and executed it wonderfully.
I left with happy, healthy hair that smelled like bubble gum flavored lip gloss, yum yum!
5 STARS

Betty Ford Center for over-​processed hair
The first step is admitting you have a problem. Over partial highlights this holiday season, my regular stylist at another highly rated Boston salon shared with me he really values my loyalty. I dug deeper to find out that most of his clients went elsewhere after 3 or 4 visits. Here I was 8 visits in. The plot thickens… or thins, depending on how you cut it…
At this point, I had gone so far as to have a blood workup for thyroid problems because my thick awesome glossy hair of yesteryear was frizzed something awful and falling out in chunks. I figured it couldn’t be my stylist because the initial cuts had come out so awesome. Sadly, I learned from chatting with a girl friend that his approach of retreating the entire strand every visit rather than just the regrowth was über damaging. Hmm…
So here I am on a lazy Sunday afternoon, looking for a salon that takes walk ins. Mission near impossible… until I found BBHD and Marcus. During the week, Marcus trains as a nurse so it’s unsurprising he has such a great chair-​side manner Sat and Sun. He’s your typical gay straight-​shooter who will tell you when something looks bad, but in a tactful, non-​disparaging of your previous decisions way. Even though I had just met him, I was comfortable letting him cut off the last scraggly inch and a half of hair I’d been clinging to in the name of length. He explained his approach and how it met my objectives before picking up the scissors delivered exactly what he promised (vertical rather than horizontal layers for fullness) which dramatically improved The Situation.
The cut is aging well on its own, but he also gives great advice to the unsophisticated on maintenance. Sure, any stylist/women’s magazine can tell you to blow dry your hair upside down for more volume. Marcus can show even the clumsiest chick (yours truly) how to look professionally blown out with minimal product, brushing and a only brief interaction with a gym locker room hand dryer.
Definitely check him out. With all the pricing promos, this is one of the more affordable salons in the area.

It seems everyone on here is smitten with Sara! And I’m no different.
I actually came here for the first time years ago when I spent a summer down the street and needed to get my bangs trimmed. Overall I had a pleasant experience, but I usually get my hair cut when I’m home for the holidays with the same lady who has done my hair since I was a kid, so I never felt the need to return.
But I have a huge event coming up this weekend for work, and Saturday morning I awoke to the realization that my bangs were overgrown, my ends were completely split and that seemingly out of nowhere three, yes three! gray hairs had sprouted right at the front of my hairline. Always one for the dramatics, I remembered my experience years ago at Back Bay Hair Designs, and how it had surprisingly been rather kind on my wallet, at least compared to the damage most Boston hair salons wanted to do. So I got out of bed and headed to Newbury Street without an appointment.
Even though it was a Saturday afternoon and pretty busy, Sara was able to take me within fifteen minutes. I am very particular about my hair, hence the not changing hairstylists for the past eighteen years, but I barely had to say a word to Sara and she new exactly what to do. In the end my grays were gone, my bangs trimmed, and I had some pretty new highlights that were still discreet and natural looking. I really couldn’t have been happier.
I even ran into Sara later that day on the T, so friendly! Really, I couldn’t recommend this place more. The best part is I paid half of what I was quoted for at every other Newbury Street salon. Score!

I get my hair cut by Sara at Back Bay Hair Designs — she’s absolutely phenomenal. She listens to what you want & also gives you advice so get the type of hair cut & movement that you want. She also does an amazing job highlighting my hair.
I have followed her from 3 salons & now come back to Boston from NYC to have her cut my hair — she’s that fantastic.
It’s pretty easy to get a last minute appointment here & you’ll definitely want to come back. Their prices are insanely reasonable too — it only costs me about $ 150 for full foil, cut, blow dry, style etc… that would cost close to $ 200 at another place in Boston… they always have deals going on too, which makes getting your cut even more affordable.

I’ve come here a few times to get my hair cut and colored, and while I’m not really loyal to hairstylists about getting my hair cut, I’ll definitely keep coming here for the coloring with Liz — she does a great job, and is really consistent with getting the shade that I want.
The only reason I’d give this place 3 stars instead of 4 is that it’s a little bit pricey given the size and atmosphere — it feels a little cramped, has the sort of generic barber shop look, but has salon prices (a trim for long hair = $ 40, if memory serves). Granted, I’m really happy with the results so I keep coming back, but there’s a little cognitive dissonance whenever I get the bill.

I desperately need a haircut and walked into Back Bay Hair Designs and Sarah was able to take me right away. Keep in mind, this is 6:45 on Wednesday night and they close at 7!
I dont style my hair; I need a low maintanence cut and she was able to make it look natural, healthy and easy to maintain. Sarah was super down to earth, styled my hair with a blow dryer that looked like she had put a flat iron to it. I never felt rushed out of the chair.
My problem with a lot of hair salons is that I don’t need a dramatic hair cut, just a trim on the ends and they end up charging $ 65 – 75 dollars and that doesn’t include tip! This place is really affordable AND the cut is great!
I am totally going back here for my next cut. This salon is on Newbury so they have talented stylists w/​o the pretenious, snobby attitude.

I had wanted to get a haircut for weeks, but couldn’t seem to find the time to go. Finally, I decided that I couldn’t wait any longer and after doing some reading Unilocal,I scheduled a haircut with Marcus for the next day.
I usually wear my hair long, but wanted something different. Marcus took off a few inches, taking the time to explain what he was doing and gave me a great cut that hits just above my collar bone. I love it!