Junko Hair Studio — Attraction in Atlanta

I had an appointment scheduled with Ms. Kai for a Japanese hair straightening treatment. While making the appointment online, I chose the option of "relaxer" since there was no option to select Japanese hair treatment" but put it in the notes that I wanted to get a Japanese hair straightening treatment done and also followed up by leaving a voicemail message to confirm this. I received a call back from the salon and they changed the appointment time to 3:45 PM from the initial 2:00 PM and was asked to talk to Ms. Kai who was going to be my stylist. She asked me if I have ever done Japanese hair straightening before, and I told her that I had this treatment done a year ago in December. During that time, she mentioned that since the last treatment was a year ago the whole treatment should be done for the full amount of $515 (and that is what she charges all her clients who had their last treatment done over 6 months ago). And she asked if I had any other chemical treatments or hair dye done (I said I do use box hair dye - semi permanent) and the last time it was done was two months ago. And I was informed that I would need to pay a deposit since it is a chemical treatment. But on the phone, I did hear the representative asking Ms. Kai if that is OK since I would be paying the deposit and she doesn't want an issue where I show up and Ms. Kai is not able to do the treatment due to the hair dye. The representative was told by Ms. Kai that that is OK and that shouldn't be a problem.

Once I got there, Ms. Kai greeted me and asked me all the questions (for about 20+ minutes) and she gave me the apron to wear and was about to start when she told me that the treatment would only be done for new hair growth and not the old one. When she said that I asked if it would look the same all throughout since I didn't want the ends to be a little curly and the top to be perfectly straight. And I asked her how she would decipher where the new growth would end to apply the hair treatment and she informed me that she deals with hair all day and she knows exactly where that line would be. After that, I did ask her; since it is only gonna be applied to new hair growth and not the entire hair, would she be charging only for the touchup and not for the entire hair. She told me that it is going to be for the whole hair and when I showed her the pricing that was listed on the website (which clearly states the touchup needs to be done within a year, not 6 months), she asked for a moment and went to talk to the front desk (I'm assuming). When she came back, she told me she is unable to continue with the treatment because "she is uncomfortable since we have so many issues". I informed her I have no issues and I asked her what her issues were and she did not tell me any issues except she is uncomfortable and cannot continue.

I still do not understand what the whole issue was, but from my understanding, the issue was that she wanted to charge me for the whole treatment while only doing the touchup and when I showed her the pricing on the website, she suddenly stated that she is uncomfortable.

Also, I chose this establishment based on the 4.8 rating, but when taking a closer look on their website - all the reviews are from 4/15/2022 - 7/10/2022 posted almost every single day with 4 and 5 stars only; but with no option to post a review yourself....

I’m always so hesitant to get my hair colored since I’ve had a bad experience with a stylist trying to lift my hair, so after doing extensive research I found great reviews for Junko, specifically around coloring Asian hair. Unfortunately, this experience has been one bad thing after another, which is especially sad as I am very low maintenance when it comes to my hair and although my stylists were all very kind, I am still very upset that I paid an exceptional amount of money for results that I am less than even satisfied about ($247 in total). I came in expecting to refresh my fashion color red underdye and get shag-like layers cut in, with curtain bangs and face framing pieces, but instead left with a burnt scalp, broken off hair, uneven color that has faded and looks untoned and grown out, and almost no visible change in the shaping of my layers.

Upon arrival, I was told my appointment was incorrectly booked, leaving my stylist with insufficient time to color and cut. She was very kind and tried to still complete what I was asking in the timeframe available, but I really wish she had been realistic and just told me to come back another day. In an effort to move quickly, she burned my scalp, which felt raw and uncomfortable for the next 2-3 days. This led to uneven lifting of my hair across my head, and then because of hesitance to apply bleach closer to my scalp in other sections, my retouch looks like it was already several weeks grown out.

My stylist then had to go to her next appointment, so I was passed around to 2-3 other stylists or just had to wait in the back by the sinks until someone came to get me. From there, I was set with toner to tone my hair to red. However, this method did not help cover my unevenly lifted hair, and it became even more obvious that I had many different shades of red and orange (when I am looking for a single shade of dark red).

For my cut, my stylist was incredibly friendly and he took his time to be careful. Unfortunately, at this point, I wanted to be anywhere but here after the physical discomfort of my scalp and the hours I had been sitting, so my patience was running out and I wanted to leave politely. I left with a cut I was not happy with, with very few layers and no bangs or face framing pieces, which is exactly what I was hoping to fix when coming in.

Overall, the service of the stylists was very friendly. However, as time passes my hair is showing the signs of a job done poorly and my disappointment keeps growing. My hair has broken off at the nape of my neck, something that has never happened before. My color has faded into patchy blotches, and sections look as though it has been bleached and never toned. I have been told it looks like a bad at-home dye job… And the cut though less important is something that is frustratingly pointless for how much money I paid for...

This morning, I decided that I would treat myself by getting a haircut and blowout. I spent last night researching salons in the area with good reviews (particularly with curly hair), as I have 3B curls. I called Junko to inquire about walk-in appointments and was told that while they do accept walk-ins, appointments are encouraged. The receptionist asked what services I was interested in and I explained that I would like to get a shampoo, cut, and blow dry. She proceeded to ask if I had textured hair, and I explained that I have 3B curls. She THEN asked if I had “Caucasian hair” or “African hair”. I’m not sure what the intent was behind this question, and I explained the texture of my hair and described my curl pattern, however, I explained to the receptionist that I am mixed. She went ahead and scheduled me for a 11:30 AM appointment. I arrived at the hair salon at 11:20 AM and proceeded to the front desk. I told the receptionist that I had an 11:30 AM appointment and noticed her facial expression changed. I waited until Lori was through with her previous client, at which time she proceeded to walk to the reception and whispered something to her with her hand up to her mouth. Lori then walked away and the receptionist then motioned for me to come to the desk, at which time she explained that Lori would not be able to do my hair as she does not have experience with African hair (this is untrue, if you look at other reviews you will find a woman with long thick curly hair which was cut by Lori), which is why she questioned if I have African hair. (Again, what is African hair exactly???) Also, keep in mind that there was another woman who’s hair was curlier than mine, being serviced. The receptionist explained that they would have someone available to cut my hair in 30 minutes if I was able to wait, I agreed. I then received a call 2 minutes before that 30 minute time frame stating that the stylist was running late and would be another 30 minutes. Though I was extremely frustrated, I agreed to wait (can you tell I was REALLY looking forward to this haircut?). I called a few minutes after this 30 minute time frame and was again told that the stylist was still running late. At this point, I could no longer wait and decided to leave. I really do not feel this was a texture issue, as I read PLENTY of reviews, even about Lori, from other clients who stated that the stylists at Junko worked wonders on their curls - not to mention the woman with tighter curls who was being serviced while I was at the salon. I am extremely disappointed and...