Bao Hair Salon — Local services in New York

Updated 3/13 The owner Ronnie made it super difficult for me to use my complimentary hair color which was given to me in return for a botched up job. Out of the 6 times I suggested, none were apparently available. This place is a scam, stay away from it!

Updated 10/3

This is an update to my original review, I changed the rating from 1 to 3 star. This is because the owner - Ronnie fixed my hair. Although due to two haircuts in one week, in spite of my hair being barely cut the second time around, it's still shorter than I originally wanted, but the haircut is good. I appreciate Ronnie's sincerity and wanting to make up for the error. She has also offered a free future color and haircut to make up for the inconvenience.

......................................... This is the first time that I am questioning the legitimacy of the reviews. I am new to the neighborhood, was looking for a place to get color and haircut for my birthday. All other salons were booked in advance, so I decided to take a chance with Bao and what a mistake it was! The color was specifically to cover my grays, which I had communicated several times.

My stylist was a middle aged woman who did not speak English at all and the owner had to translate everything I was saying to her. This didn't bother me and I decided to take a chance. The color was nice, but when I went back home and checked my hair, there were a bunch of grays right there in the front, which I couldn't spot in the salon light. After spending two hours, I had to pluck out the grays before my bday party.

But the worst of all is my haircut, I got charged $90 for it. All I wanted was a trim and I am so glad that I asked for nothing more. While she was cutting, I realized that this seemed so old fashioned, she was fumbling and was so haphazard. She didn't even check my hair from different angles to make sure the length was even. With the blow dry and the two minutes I got to check my hair at distance, I didn't notice a thing. Went home and there are literally little pieces of hair that are longer than the other. The whole length of my hair is uneven!! Is this called a hair stylist? I would not pay $20 for this haircut. I could have done a better job cutting my hair at home.

Called up the salon and the owner said she will fix this. I am so scared of even stepping into this place. But I have spent so much money here that I need to get it fixed. Will update/add to my review...

There are not enough words to express how great Bao is! It only took one appointment (and a barrage of compliments) to know this would be my salon moving forward. I have a single process color every 4 weeks, so trusting the stylist and enjoying the whole experience of the salon is very important to me. Kelly is fantastic , and I trust her completely with my cut and color. Ronnie is also an absolute pleasure, and keeps the salon running smoothly and efficiently. To be honest, the shampoo at Bao is often the most relaxing part of my month.

It is beyond obvious their team loves what they do and values their customers! They're kind, sincere and enjoyable to be around. At this point, I have been a loyal customer for over three years, and after seeing my consistently great cuts/color, some of my closest friends and even a few neighbors are Bao loyalists as well. They share the same sentiments about the staff and have also received consistently great cuts.

The beginning of the pandemic was tough, but I've been going back regularly since they were allowed to reopen in Phase 2. I had no doubt in my mind that they would be taking all the proper COVID precautions, and they've 100% delivered on that expectation. The salon could not be cleaner, the team is super cautious, and they make every customer feel relaxed enough to enjoy...

I was very overdue for a haircut, and the weight of my hair had been getting unbearable. I made an appointment, but due to a time zone mixup on my calendar I accidentally missed it. Bao Salon was very kind and understanding, and allowed me to reschedule for the next day.

When I showed up to the salon, they only allowed 2 customers at a time. I think there were 2 employees working, maybe 3? All of them were wearing face masks.

Keep in mind that if you don't want them to use heat, or if you want them to use heat protectant, you need to tell them proactively. This is because they are considerate of their clients' needs and potential sensitivities to products so they prefer clients to initiate those requests. They did a good job on my hair, but I think I should have been clearer that I don't use heat on my hair at all and wear it naturally wavy/curly and didn't want to lose any volume (that's on me for not telling them). The stylist was friendly and we had a nice chat during my cut. It felt so nice to connect with another person again after quarantine. I'm quite happy with how the cut turned out!

I'm glad to have supported a local business during...