Rod Sickler Salon & Spa — Local services in Champaign

I’ve been contemplating writing this review for a little over a month now. I’ve finally come to the decision to write this because I believe others should be aware. This review is from my personal experience here, not meant to be reflected upon the entire establishment as I’m sure there are friendly and talented people who work here. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting many of them.

I came here due to a different salon that I normally go to making my hair darker than I wished it to be. I’ve been to Rod’s before for waxes for years but never for hair. I chose to give it a try, however, and I regret that. Upon arriving, I was seen by someone to wash out the toner (which apparently was an ashy tone, even though I asked for golden/sun-kissed look) that was applied to my hair from the previous salon. Then I was to come back to get the Malibu crystal gel treatment. This treatment basically neutralized my hair color into one tone. This process was done by a different stylist on a different day. During my hair being curled afterwards, I was having my hair assessed by Jessica for hair color correction. Even though my natural color was basically gone at this point due to the crystal gel treatment. I showed her photos and explained I wanted warm, golden blond. I told her everything that had been done to it prior and she suggested a level 6 at my root. Mind you, I know my own hair well enough to know I am between a natural level 7 and 8. So I told her immediately that was too dark. She claimed that in her “professional opinion” we should do a 6, melt into a 7, then a 9 at the ends. Which I thought would look too much like a balayage/ombré look, and that’s not what I was going for. She said she could foil it with more bleach but it would take about 6 hours of time which I didn’t have time for due to work the day of my appointment with her, and the cost she charged per hour. So I opted out of that, deciding to trust in her opinion.

The next day “under different lighting” she agreed a 6 was too dark and switched the plan up. She had a girl help her with my hair of whom she had to teach and correct the way she was free hand painting my hair multiple times. This girl also took 10 minutes just to detangle one clump of hair after the wash. It was a painstakingly slow process and the time was ticking. Jessica charged $145 per hour after all… After that whole process was done, I pointed out to Jessica the brassy/auburn tones my hair was showing when the light hit it. My money piece was way too chunky and stark against the too dark color she put at my roots. It looked better in the sense that it was less streaky but it wasn’t quite what I had asked for. I was getting my hair done for my birthday trip so it was important to me that I was looking my best. She took a wipe to the auburn spots visible in my money piece which didn’t help. She then told me it would wash out and to give it time to lighten up. Although skeptical, I decided to take that advice and gave it a day or two. I washed it, and still wasn’t happy with it.

So I called the salon and politely asked Jessica if there was anything we could do to bring down that tone. Perhaps a wash or a re-tone. Anything that might make it more golden. I didn’t accuse her of doing a bad job, I didn’t yell at her. And her response was completely unprofessional. She gaslit me, saying I could have said something to her the day she did it (which I did), she told me she did me a favor by taking me in and that the real person who should apologize is the first stylist. She said “I went against my professional opinion and put a 7 at your roots when we should have done a 6” (even though she ended up agreeing herself to go with 7) and said I could try to get it fixed by someone else if I wanted by she doubted it would get done right. The tone of voice she used with me was attacking, scrutinizing, and demeaning. She made me cry on the phone.

I got it fixed 2 days later by a wonderful stylist in Chicago. First try lol

Pics: what I asked for, what I got, vid is after...

Overpriced and coloring had to be fixed with multiple appointments. Kate was my stylist and she was very sweet, but I was very disappointed that she couldn't balayage my hair correctly. It came out very streaky and chunky, instead of feathered and blended. I assumed that a level 4 professional would be able to do this, but it had to be corrected multiple times to something that I didn't initially ask for. I ended up dying my whole head to cover up the mistakes.

I have naturally black hair but I've seen many dark-haired with ash blonde balayage. My hair is already balayaged but my roots were very overgrown. The first appointment she colored my hair and gave me a trim. The bleaching job was subpar and I was also charged for a full haircut at $53... She trimmed by bangs and my ends, which took less than 5 mins. I could have easily trimmed my hair myself. I asked to return for a correction and came back that night. She darkened my roots to blend it more. It looked better but still not what I wanted. The salon was closing so I decided to just sleep on it. I came in the next day to fix it again.

I told her to just dye the entire head because there was no way my roots were going to come out blended from this point. I ended up becoming a complete blonde... Although I do like the coloring, I am not happy because my roots are going to grow back black. The whole point of the balayage is so when my hair grows, it looks natural. I was charged $25 for the mini lift which is totally understandable, but then the receptionist charged me an additional $10 for a friggin blow dry... Like what. I have never been to a salon where they charge you to blow dry your hair and I wasn't charged this fee the other day. I checked their pricing online for this "special" treatment and of course it isn't listed on their menu. I feel as though she just charged me because I finished way later than their closing time. If I knew I was going to be charged for dry hair I would have just left after the rinse and shampoo.

TLDR; I spent a grand total of 11 hours and $230 within 3 appointments for a color style that I didn't ask for. I feel bad because Kate was very sweet, but I am disappointed that this advanced salon couldn't execute the balayage technique. I am even more pissed off about these hidden fees. If you plan on getting a balayage or any other unique effect, save your time and money for a salon with stylists that are certified Wella master colorist experts. You will end up paying the...

I have been to Rod Sickler Salon twice and the first time I went, I was very pleased with my experience and how my hair turned out as I am naturally brunette transitioning to blonde. My stylist was Madison Sowers and the first time I went she had done a wonderful job of lightening my hair without any noticeable damage. Three months later, I scheduled another appointment to have my roots touched up as they had grown out. I tried to allow as much space in between each appointment to minimize the amount of damage on my hair. After my second appointment, I went home to be very disappointed as my mom had taken pictures of the back of my head where my roots/outgrowth was still very brown. I sent the pictures to Madison and she never responded until I followed up about my message several day later when she then said that I could come back in and she would look at it. When I came into the salon, she never apologized and made me feel as if I was a burden. She said to me that because my hair had grown out so much that she didn’t have time to do it all during my appointment which I completely understand and would have been fine with had she communicated that to me instead of charging me the full price knowing that she didn’t do my whole head. I am a college student and honestly felt very taken advantage of. After I left that time, my hair was extremely damaged and breaking off in random places all over my head. That was on June 23rd and since then I have done all that I know to do between oil, hair masks, and not washing it to try to restore the damage that was done but I still have not been able to do anything with my hair but wear it up in a bun because of the amount of damage that was done to it that day. I called to express my complaints and was never offered a refund, only to come in for a third time for someone else to look at it and to do a conditioning treatment. I should not have to go back somewhere three times to have healthy hair that I am happy with when paying the amount that I paid. I debated between just letting it go and leaving this review, but still months later this just doesn’t sit right with me and I don’t want anyone else to go through what I did. Very disappointing. Attached are the photos my mom took after my appointment that I sent to Madison of how my hair was...