The Carsten Institute (also called the Aveda Institute) is a school for folks who are training to work in salons. All the students who work in the school's salon have had at least 6 months of training, and are closely supervised by an instructor at several points during your appointment. I have had my hair cut here for the past year, and I have always been very pleased with the results. The only draw back is that it takes a bit longer because they are so scrupulous about inspecting everything, and if you find a stylist that you really like, they always graduate and move on. The price for a haircut is about $12, but I always save the coupons I get in the mail, so it comes to about $10. Another added bonus: it's a great place to watch people! Most of the stylists are young, and like to experiment on their own hair, so you find some very interesting and cutting edge styles.
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