DV Hair Studio — Local services in New York

Steer clear of this dishonest, unprofessional, and irresponsible business.

Their services and pricing lack transparency. You can’t find a price list in the store or online. I requested a Brazilian blowout for natural straightening with a C-curl at the tips. Sunny, the stylist, said they offer two types: “Brazilian” and “smooth,” priced at $280 and $320. He charged me $320, but it turned out their “Brazilian” wasn’t a real Brazilian blowout—it was just a treatment. My hair wasn’t straight at all after the first wash and remained frizzy.

For coloring, Sunny told me prices ranged from $130 to $180. I have medium-length hair and only needed single-process color, but was still charged $180. Worse, he didn’t adjust for the difference between my roots and ends, so my hair looked uneven. He reapplied color at the roots, but after the second wash, the sides still showed different tones. He blamed it on my damaged hair texture. Back in Taiwan, my long-term stylist found even more uneven patches and confirmed the greenish tint I had explicitly asked to avoid. I told Sunny: no yellow, orange, red, or green—just ash brown. He completely forgot and later claimed I was too picky. If a stylist can’t deliver, they should decline the job. This coloring service—with no glaze or double processing—was nowhere near worth $180.

Sunny also used cold perm solution on my bangs after I warned him it could damage my hair. He ignored me, went ahead, and my bangs were visibly damaged afterward. He admitted it was his fault but refused to take any responsibility.

The owner, David (DV), read my messages with Sunny and reviewed surveillance footage, but refused a refund, calling it a “subjective” issue. He ignored the fact that I was misled about the Brazilian service, received poor coloring and perm results, and was charged $575 in total—with no compensation. They asked me to return for a fix, but given the unprofessional handling and the damage already done, I lost trust completely. Plus, I’m traveling for the summer and couldn’t leave my hair like that for months. My stylist in Taiwan fixed it—now it’s finally straight with a C-curl, just as I originally requested.

DV Hair only takes cash or Zelle. I’m glad I paid via Zelle and kept the transaction record. Since they refused to take responsibility, I’ll be filing a complaint with NYC and NY State consumer protection.

I approached this in good faith, hoping Sunny and David would act professionally and own up to their mistakes. Instead, they insisted the issues were just my opinion and refused accountability. I’m sharing this to warn others: keep your records, and avoid...

BOOKING THE APPOINTMENT: I found DV through Yelp. They had the most impressive portfolio and it was clear they really knew how to color Asian hair. I was able to reach out and book an appointment within a single day through Yelp. David was very responsive. He gave me a reasonable quote through the pictures I showed him for color alone.

THE CONSULTATION: I got there early morning and David and his team were already awaiting my arrival. The salon itself was sleek, modern, and pristine. David sat me down and I showed him some inspiration pictures. I was a little nervous at first because I haven't bleached my hair in a long time and the last time I hair done, I had major breakage. I would be trusting him with virgin hair that I babied and grew out for 5 years. I was immediately comfortable because David was very honest, warning that it may not be exactly like the pictures I wanted so he swiped through his own work and showed kind of look he could attain with his style of application. I think it was thoughtful for him to have this conversation just in case I was particular, but his work was all very beautiful (and still looked much like the photos I brought if I'm being honest) so I trusted him to do my hair with what he thought would look best.

THE COLOR PROCESS: David REALLY cares about the results and how the customer feels about the hair color and cut. He frequently checked in throughout the process to see if I was liking everything. He also made sure I was comfortable, offering snacks and water throughout the 6 hour long process. His other stylists were also enthused and excited for the final results and helped him out and checked the bleach carefully, reapplying when necessary. They were also extremely careful not to snag my fresh piercings and also put a mini shower cap like thing over my ear to protect it! The final results post bleach went from virgin Asian black hair to icy blonde LEVEL 9 in just one sitting. I was in awe at the skill. He then toned it down to a beautiful ash blonde (level 7 or 8).

HAIRCUT: I had minimal breakage after the bleaching and David cleaned up my hair cut (which was also impressive, quickly adding layers to lighten the movement of my hair and trimming deadends) and it revitalized my hair. He also reshaped my bangs to be more flattering.

The pictures attached are photos David and his team took for me in their photo room. They were so awesome, and were very proud of their work, admiring the final color. It was so endearing! I love working with people who love their work and are proud of it because it shows how hard they work. I will trust no other team with...

I’ve been going to David since 2017-2018, so this review is 5 years overdue. Having tried many stylists in the past (been dying my hair since 2010), I have stuck with David ever since he has first done my hair. I have always been particular about my hair color and David has always been incredibly accommodating! Starting from the beginning, David is incredibly accommodating on my various schedules especially since I’ve been driving from Jersey just to see him.

He always pays close attention to the reference pictures I show him and the particular details regarding what color I want my hair to be. What I appreciate about David is that he’s honest and tries his best to mimic the pictures but always warns that it won’t turn out exactly like the picture I show. David always walks me through what he plans on doing with my hair (of course) even though he knows I’ve been going for a while and trust his process.

He also earnestly cares about the health of my hair and goes out of his way to use less harsh products to maintain the quality of my hair. He has referred me to various products like specific shampoo’s, conditioner’s, and purple conditioner’s. I also come to David when my hair seems particularly dry and he has used masks/treatments for my hair. What is really incredible about David is how he cares about his client’s satisfaction, he is willing to re-tone my hair even after a whole session if I am not happy with the end result. This care and consideration is what I believe puts David above other hair stylists! I appreciate that he is willing to put in the extra effort to make sure I love it.

An important thing to note is that I have long, thick hair, so our full head sessions usually take about 8 hours long. David is always incredibly patient, and never tries to rush the long process. We’ve had to start at 12pm and end at around 9pm when his shop usually closes around 7pm.

I have brought family to David, and he had fixed my cousin’s cut & color hair disaster in the past. David is someone I highly recommend as well as the rest of his staff. I want to give a special shout out to Kelly, David’s assistant, for giving great washes and also taking the time to do my hair. She is incredibly sweet and very meticulous as well.

If you want to find a place where you can consistently go to and not fight for a place on the waiting list, I highly recommend David! I have attached my numerous pictures from different timelines of my life as well as different lightings to really show off his work. Another commendable note, whenever my hair starts growing out, the color still look good because he makes sure...