Gary Allen Hair & Skin Care

My rating is much lower today than it would have been just a mere two weeks ago. Gary Allen has been a great place for me, a black woman, to get regular haircuts. However, today i was unable to be seen on time for my appointment; because apparently the wannabe hairstylist, Vessa, did not feel ""comfortable"" cutting ""ethnic"" hair. My hair is relaxed, therefore when it comes to cutting it, there is very minimum difference between my hair and I guess its call ""unethnical"" hair. However, she wouldn't even touch my hair. Anyways, I was there waiting until Jessica came to the rescue. She did an excellent job. The front desk was also great in finding someone who felt ""comfortable"" doing my hair, and also giving me credit for having to wait. All in all, my experience today made me realize that Gary Allen actually doesn't put much importance on ethnic hair. Apparently the stylists regularly attend classes to stay in touch with the trends, but I guess styling ethnic hair isn't something they are required to feel ""comfortable"" with. more

I have been going to Jennifer Baker for awhile. I just walked in without an appointment and she was the stylist available. WOW! She always listens to what you want and she always offers salon options but is not pushy about you purchasing goods or extra services from her. She simply lets you know whats available. She will even advise you on what products to buy yourself if you are going to color your own hair. I just love going to her and think she is a wonderful stylist. I would highly recommend her if you are looking for a new stylist and someone who listens to your opinion. more

The salon is Amazing! Since I've been going, I've seen three people. The first was Swanna- I have absolutely no complaints and thought she was very good, but I wasn't sure she was modern enough for when I made a more drastic cut. Very nice personality (might recommend for an older patron). My main stylist is Jennifer. She is a hair artist! She is nothing short of amazing- she does excellent layers and bangs and every hair cut is better than you could've envisioned. Ever! Today I went to get my bangs trimmed (I think all of the stylists do this free) and somehow ended up with Nicki (spelling I'm not sure of) . She made me look like a 10 yr old version of Moe from the Three Stooges. It was awful and I was almost in tears- I don't know anything else about her and everyone has bad days...I'm not going to hold it against her...... But Jennifer fixed it for me :) (Both were free) Despite this bang mishap, I've never heard of anyone who's left with a bad haircut- and I know several people who go here and recommend them to everyone. My teenage sister got a dramatically shorter haircut for the first time in her life a couple weeks ago and saw Rachel (or another name with an R). Shes younger, very fun and my sister Loved her haircut. She had her reserves before she went in but left raving about her cut and everyone thinks her hair looks amazing! As far as price goes, I'd say theyre fairly cheap for the amazing stylists that they have! If you want a $12 haircut, you can go to Hair Cuttery/SuperCuts and come out looking like you got a $10 haircut. If you want to look like a million bucks, go to Gary Allen. Also very good for long hair- if you go to a crappy salon with long hair, they usually charge you extra for ridiculous things, like hair drying- sometimes as much as an extra cut- you dont have to deal with that here. Ive been to other salons in the area (like Dimensions for 1.5 yrs) and none compare, both with quality and price. more

I've been going to Gary Allan for about 6 or 7 years now and have never been let down. My stylist has been Shannon F. the entire time, except for my prom after she cut and colored my hair she turned me over to another stylist, Jenna, who did my updo. I have been amazed with both stylists and their spa is great as well. I've gotten my brows, make-up, nails, and I even had my first brazilian and I was so nervous but the staff there are polite and profesional and put me at ease. Hurt like hell still but I wouldn't go anywhere else. Love you Shannon and see you saturday! Pros: great stylists more

Love this salon ..I have moved around a good deal and that means a lot of hair salons and hair cuts..I have only liked one other salon as much and that was in South Carolina Pros's 1. One of the only Salons where I ALWAYS get what I want or as close as possible to the style I want 2. Staff really listens to what you want and trys to give it to you and will tell you if it just wont work with your hair, skin etc.. and trys to give you an alternative you like just as much if not more 3. Front Desk staff is very professional and friendly 4. Shampoos end with a scalp massage 5. Environment is relaxed and comfortable with a nice up scale feel but not snooty 6. Staff is okay with you switching professional if you vibe better with another hairdresser its okay no evil looks Cons: 1. Not enough magazines in the waiting area seriously that is all I can think of I have paid more for hair cuts and colors that are not half as good as what I get here and seriously thought about this salon all of the time I was away from VAbeach when I was comparing other salons they pretty much fell short I trust this salon enough to recommend it to my mom ( she goes there now and looks GREAT) so they can cut any age group and seem comfortable doing so Ask for Janna she is sweet , a great stylest and amazing with color she took me from some odd red and blond highlights (ugly seriously) which were done ELSE WHERE to a great blond color that I am loving more and more each day I was so excited to come back to this salon Pros: friendly staff, great service, environment is relaxing Cons: more magazines needed in waiting area :-) more

I thought the salon was magnificent. Too bad the female hairdresser I had wasn't. Can't remember her name...may have started with a J? Like I said, the salon was terrific, but if you go, I suggest a stylist other than her. She seemed pretty rude and rushed thru the cut and style. more

Gary's was nice I loved Georgia who did my brow wax, great experience with her, however, I have had my haircut by Janna, and felt like she was rushing me out of the place by the end. Things started off well although I thought she would try to get a better idea of what i wanted. I was expecting for her to cut some more layers into the hair and spend a little more time styling. as soon as it was dry she was like ok look at the back, I should have spoken up so it is partially my fault that i didn't end up with the look I wanted. Although my hair has gotten compliments already and it has been just a few days. I may return but try a different stylist. I think maybe the salon books the appointments a little too close so the stylist are in too big of a hurry. At other salons I felt like when I left I was ready for a night on the town, here I felt that I had to go home and do the finishing touches to the style. Also if you see the prices online for haircut they are not accurate you will need to ask before you book if price is an issue. It said for the top level hairstylist to do a cut, shampoo, and blowdry was 40 dollars but they charge 45 for the haircut and another 10 for the shampoo, so I don't know what that was about. over all it was good but they still have to work some kinkks out. Pros: I get compliments on the services I received Cons: They rush you through don't pamper more

My experience with this salon has been nothing but fabulous every single time! I started going here about 3 years ago when Shannon Paul, my EXCELLENT colorist & sweetst girl ever, moved to this location from a previous salon. Besides having my hair cut & highlighted here, which by the way, my girl is fantastic! I have had other stylists highlight my hair before, but being that I am a pretty dark brunette naturally, no one would get my hair as beautifully super light blonde as I liked, and have it look completely natural and multi-faceted! And most importatnly, I never walk out of the salon feeling like i am super dry and over-processed. SHE ROCKS! In the time I have been coming here I have taken advatage of their other services as well. This salon went above and beyond when I had my wedding parties updo's, the girls were very friendly and were accomodating with all my ideas. I even come in once in a while for an updo ""just because"" for a night out or special occasion. The salon is very clean and extremely comfortable, the staff at the front is also very friendly and always willing to please! Thanks Shannon for my beautiful blonde locks and thanks Gary Allan for a wonderful experience EVERY TIME! Pros: Friendly staff, great service and excellent skill! Cons: Better make your appt. before you leave, they get busy! more

After reading reviews of this salon, I was compelled to write as well to dispel those few bad apple reviews which might spoil the barrel. This salon has been around a very long time, and I have watched it grow since it's inception. Gary and his staff are professionals who really care, provide up to date and professional service and, above all, aim to please. Customer satisfaction is a number one priority in this salon, and every time I am there for whatever reason, the service is always inpeccable, and the staff is courteous, prompt and once again, professional. I feel so happy and good while I'm there, as I am treated like I am really someone special! Being on time and valuing the time of the client is also af utmost importance here, as is cleanliness and courtesy. I would recommend Gary and his staff to anyone, and have done so for years. Besides my regular styliest, Gary, I have used several others in the salon, as Gary actually encourages his clients to use others if he is not available, and there are no hard feelings among the staff here if a client wishes to change for whatever the reason. The front desk staff is also very accommodating and will do as much as they can to make sure a client is satisfied. They will even schedule appointments far in advance, keep a cancellation list to call a client when and if there are no available appointments at the time one calls, and always greet each client as though he/she is the only client. As for the prices, I find that they are inline with most other upscale salons in the area, but with superior professionalism, courtesy and care. Whenever I leave the salon after a cut and style, people stop me on the street and ask who cuts my hair, and I proudly tell them, ""Gary "" of Gary Allen salon. Pros: Extremely professional and clean salon wih client satisfaction a priority; excellent staff more

I've lived in the area for nearly 3 years now and it took me this long to find the best! I had an amazing experience with Christopher. He spent a lot of time with me in the beginning of my appointment going over my ""hairy stories"" from other salons and how we were going to work together to fix my hair. He was a great listener, full of ideas and knows his stuff! The cut and color he did was PERFECT and I couldn't be happier. Gary Allen is definitely pricier than many in the area, but take it from me; you get what you pay for. Pros: Ambience, Service, Staff more

I researched salons to great length due to my unsatisfactory experiences with others in the area. I stumbled upon Gary Allen Salon, and I must say that every aspect of my experience there was superb. My stylist, Lance, did an amazing job, and I highly reccommend his expertise. Yes, it was more costly than a Hair Cuttery ""nightmare"", but you get what you pay for, and its worth every penny. The customer service was great, and I plan on becoming a regular client. If you're looking for exactly what you want make an appointment, and go get it! Pros: Great experience in every aspect of a salon visit Cons: None that I had experienced more

I called and asked for someone who specialized in color, who could be daring and risk taking but would listen to what I said before running wild. He listened ladies and so lovely to watch while he listens...gets right to the point gives you pro's con's and I turned him loose. It was worth every cent paid as this salon is not inexpensive . My husband has not beem so intrested since I had my own styalilst in Flagstaff. Robbie my love you are it fer sure A happy hubby is oh so fun! Pros: Do you have smocks fof thefullest of figures? Cons: It is not cheep, but one pays for what you get and it's worth every cent more

I've been going to Robbie Lloyd at Gary Allen for 5 years and I'm thrilled that I have found a stylist that I want to go to every time I need a hair cut/color. I haven't let anyone else cut my hair in years! I've never been loyal to one stylist before because until Robbie because I hadn't met one that was careful to listen to what i like (and remember it), I never even have to tell him what I want any more - he just knows! Pros: Wheelchair Access, great sylists, great eyebrow waxing Cons: Book early - they're busy more

I have been following the same girl from salon to salon for almost ten years. She has moved to the higher end, Gary Allen Salon now. It is pricey but its located in the very posh Hilltop Section of Virginia Beach so its to be expected. My girl does an excellent job and I am always treated with the upmost respect and kindness. They are professional and always going to hair shows in DC and NYC. Yes you are going to pay to go here but if you get the right person, you get a good style. They have the best customer appreciation party in Novemeber! I have never had a bad experience at this salon! By the way, I see where somebody said old ladies go here, I don't think so! (but they do exist there) but so does the young professional Virginia Beach crowd. Pros: nice products, Professional, Pampering Cons: $$$ but 2 b expected more

I reecently had my hair done at this facility.... I told the stylists exactly what I wanted - but instead I got what HE wanted. I left in tears looking terrible- and when he saw that I was upset he lectured me and told me he knew he wasn't going to be able to do what I had asked. I think the stylists here are cocky- and do not listen to what their clients say. Pros: clean, nice atmosphere Cons: rude stylists, overpriced more

The staff is wonderful, accomodating and skilled. I loved the atmoshpere, it was chic yet comfortable, and not too $$ considering the quality. Pros: skilled stylists, many services availa, personable staff more

THIS SALON THINKS ITS JUST BEVERLY HILLS OVER PRICED, POMPAS STYLIST, ALOT OF OLDER CLIENTS YOU CAN TELL THE SKILLS ARE OUT DATED. more