Hazuki Hair Salon — Attraction in New York

Went in to get my thick and messy hair layered and trimmed back into a nice shape. Honestly speaking, I found my experience rather disappointing. I did go in with some high expectations from reading the reviews, and the memories of my A++ stylist back in Japan though, so maybe I’m just being judgmental. I made an appointment with a senior stylist.

What I liked: Decreased the volume of my hair, as I had asked. He spent a lot of time carefully doing this (I have a lot of hair), so that was nice. There’s a really cute dog in the shop. Great atmosphere, everyone was friendly and smiling. They were accommodating about giving me a day-of appointment, and also when I asked for a last-minute time change (I was running late).

What I took the stars off for: Didn’t do any of the other usual trim/haircut stuff, i.e. going through the sections and making adjustments to make sure that the shape is still neat and left/right lengths aren’t mismatched. I did tell him in the beginning that I was trying to grow my hair, so maybe that’s why? But I did also tell him that some sections may be off since I had trimmed my hair myself some months before and it had grown a lot, please make it better etc. Whatever the reason, my hair remains the same messy look it was when I walked in. I guess I’ll be trimming it myself again. Trimmed my fringes (I did ask for this) without examining them beforehand to get a sense of what the idea was, and without even moving the rest of my hair away to see where things started/ended. Against my better judgment, I trusted him to do it well anyway. He shortened a big chunk on just one side that...actually should’ve stayed longer, and I think he realized it too, because he ended up not doing the same for the other side until I asked him to please just even it out. The thickness from left to right became obviously uneven, and he was going to leave it that way if I hadn’t asked him to feather out the thicker side to balance it. I now have the exact fringes I’ve been actively avoiding for the past year. Spent a lot of time trying to blow dry waves (that I didn’t ask for, that he did not ask if I wanted) into the lower sections of my naturally (stubbornly) straight hair? I figured I can get behind trying a fresh look if he could do it I guess, but then came all the hair styling cream I also didn’t ask for, applied rather unevenly between the left and right side. He did confirm once before that I don’t usually put product into my hair, so...it would’ve been nice if he had said something/asked first. Wasn’t attentive about actually getting the roots of my hair dry. I had to ask two separate times just to get the whole rest of my head dry (and guide him because he would inadvertently go back to aiming the dryer at the ends again). The temperature outside was about 25℉ (so less than 0℃) at best, so walking out (or letting someone walk out) with a damp head wouldn’t have been a great move.

So all-in-all, a very average salon experience. I had really wanted to like this place, but I guess my search for a go-to place continues. This was just my...

When I went to Hazuki Hair, I had never dyed my hair before. My hair is long, black, and thick, and I normally don’t even use heat to style or dry. I had no idea what kind of process it would be to treat virgin hair like mine, and I’m really glad that I’d requested Keiji as my colorist. Keiji consulted with me right after I made my appointment, and after asking me about my current hair and what colors I wanted, talked me through why taking my hair to pastel pink immediately probably wouldn’t be the best place to start. When I arrived at the salon, he also took the time to understand what kind of color I was looking for, down to the nuances of warm/cool, how to get the kind of tones I was really looking for, etc., and then chatted with me about how he planned to achieve that. I’d specifically asked for an appointment with Keiji after seeing some of his work on instagram, and it was obvious he really knew his craft. The entire process took close to four and a half hours, and in the end I was blown away by the results. I really wanted hair that still looked healthy and multidimensional, and Keiji fully delivered. He also talked me through product recommendations and color upkeep, and overall made what was a very long process as comfortable and educational as possible. I’ll definitely go back to Hazuki Hair and Keiji to maintain my color, and I’d highly recommend checking them out if you were like me and are nervous about making Big Changes...

I have been a loyal patron of Hazuki Hair since the spring of 2014, which will mark the following three months--the first three months that will execute the negotiable dawn of the new decade (2020)--as the culmination of my 6th year with the salon. When I first went in 2014 it was because I was in constant flux from one hairdresser to the next and when one friend, an eccentric if i may add, suggested that i should go to his salon Hazuki Hair I was initially skeptical. However, his hair always looked phenomenal and gave him a rich confidence that imbued him with a magnetism in social situations. Thus, I went to Hazuki not knowing what to expect. I met Ayaka and we discussed not just what I wanted in the haircut but also what my concerns were and some issues I have with my hair and scalp maintenance in general. As she cut my hair she gave me tips and offered her advice on products to check out. Once she was done I was very happy with the result, but what was even better was that no one from my social life could even tell I got a haircut. That is how flawless her work is. She cut a significant portion and volume of hair off my head and yet no one could tell I looked all that different, just more comfortable if anything. I have refused to go to another hair dresser since and when Ayaka and the lower east side salon moved to Brooklyn I didn't care one bit, it is always worth the trip. This is the...