Touru Hair Studio — Attraction in Brookline

A rave review for Touru!

Because I was needing a new hair stylist and have recently been on a learning curve whereby I’ve grown to appreciate the artistry and precision strived for throughout Japanese culture, I thought perhaps I should seek a Japanese stylist. Why not?

Apprehensive at first because of location (basement in the back of another salon), something new, online appointments (no receptionist answering a phone), and because I look a bit different from the average clientele, my doubts QUICKLY dissipated after my first cut! Touru understood me and my vibe, and he gave me a cut that fits me perfectly.

A true artist with vision!

I received positive comments almost daily about how perfect the new cut was on me, and that he got my personality perfectly in the cut. I have also been told never to change stylists.

When I first met Touru, I told him a little bit about myself, showed pictures of the “vibe” I was “sort of” going for and gave him free reign to do what he does as an artist. I told him I did not want to stifle his creativity. I wanted to see what he would do without parameters, and I was nervous! I was really nervous. And I’m delighted because he nailed it perfectly. On my second visit I told him I was with him for life!

Then I needed highlights. I put it off for a while because, again, I was apprehensive. I grew up as a dirty blonde and his clients (that I have seen anyway) do not look like me. Could he get the color right? Some say blonde is difficult and that you must go to “blonde specialist” or someone with a great deal of experience with blondes otherwise you will look ridiculous. I wasn’t sure that was Touru. How many blondes are in his tapestry? Could he highlight me correctly? I nervously made an appointment after procrastinating for too long, dreading it all the while. When the foil was removed, I was startled, and thought I had made a huge mistake. And then he wanted to put “pink” on it after the highlights. “Oh my. Pink?” I said to myself, “OMG, what did I do?”. Thinking it could not be any worse, that it will grow out in a few months because my hair is so short, I went with it and accepted my fate. SHAME ON ME FOR THESE THOUGHTS!

After the wash and dry I couldn’t believe how FANTASTIC the color looked! I was ELATED and DELIGHTED and I still am! It’s perfect on me and I’ve received comments about how nice it looks from friends who are truthful. As with my experience with the cut, I realized at that moment he is a master of highlights and color too!

Touru is an artist.

I then wondered how I could have been so apprehensive about the highlights, or why I doubted him on the “pink” that he really, really wanted to apply, that I couldn’t say no to him on (can’t stifle the creativity, although I’ve never “colored” my hair, only highlights), all the while knowing what a master he was at the cut. I will never doubt Touru again. I now have blind faith.

And he cares, too. I didn’t have the option for a “cut” in the highlight appointment, but he didn’t allow me to leave without fixing my bangs, and neatening me up a bit. Tremendous!

I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE A MILLION DOLLARS when I leave. I’ve had three visits so far, and I always feel so good about my hair and my look while walking out of that establishment. I even got a nice comment from someone in the upstairs shop as I walked through it and out. I feel like they all turn to look at me as I leave, like a movie star walking the red carpet. And I felt great every time. Even now, weeks after the cut and the color, I look in the mirror and I still think how great my hair looks and it makes me feel good about me, and about my look. I'm still getting compliments, too.

Thank you Touru for your artistry and vision! I am truly grateful!

Pictures are from three...

So I went here because it seemed like the best place in Boston to get a perm that had great reviews and was also not an insane price for the perm. I’m very very disappointed with my perm. It has already fallen out despite the fact that it has been exactly one week. I have followed all the aftercare instructions. I have all the products that I was recommended to get. I didn’t wash my hair for 48 hours afterwards and I even went to a different hairstylist to help cut and shape my hair because I got a bowl cut here and it just looked so bad and it was so frizzy afterwards and even that hairstylist said I have no idea what kind of perm they did. It looks like it’s a type of curly wavy perm And it has already fallen out of most of my hair. I only washed it one time and it hadalready mostly fallen out. I’ve consulted with other hairstylist and they say that it’s not my hair that’s the problem. I have very normal texture hair. It’s something about how they permed it and everything. That all to say I am incredibly upset that I spent $350 on a very expensive hair treatment that I was hoping would last me for at least three months and is now lasted me barely one week. I don’t know if it’s because he was doing multiple perms at the same time and servicing multiple clients. I don’t know how much clearer I could’ve been with the type of perm that I wanted. I wanted a spiral perm and I even showed a few reference pictures and in the end my cut and curls looked nothing like the pictures that I showed. I had really high hopes, but I’m just incredibly disappointed that I spent so much money on something that hasn’t...

Touru is simply the best.

As an Asian man who has been disappointed by so many barbers and hairstylists, I am so relieved to say that my search is finally over!

As someone who was used to getting their haircut by “fancy” overpriced barbers, taking a chance on Touru is the best decision I’ve made for my hair.

I was rocking a shaved head all summer and had been growing it out during the fall. It was a total mess and I didn’t really have a direction I wanted to take it in. (See video)

Before my appointment I took pic from Pinterest and brought it in. Touru took a quick look at the photo and the rest was history.

Something I appreciated about Touru compared to a barber shop was his gentleness. Not only in their touch on my head, but also the gentleness when using clippers. My usual experience with barbers is rough and aggressive like I just got my hair cut by a lawn mower.

After the cut, he washed my hair and to my surprise continued to cut a bit more post wash, which I very much appreciated!

After the cut, I could tell Touru was super invested on how I liked the cut and asked me earnestly several times as I was preparing to leave. This made me feel like I was more than just another customer of the day and Touru wanted me to love the service they were providing.

Price for the men’s cut was $50 pre tip, more than worth the...