Jean-Claude Biguine New York Salon — Local services in New York

Please read this entire review. I initially had a 5-star experience at Jean-Claude Biguine Salon (JGB), but it turned into a complete nightmare that I’ll be dealing with for the next 12+ months.

I trusted Simone with my hair because she gave me a fantastic cut the first time I went to her. I even recommended her to friends. But when I returned for what should have been a simple trim, everything went horribly wrong.

I showed Simone photos of my own hair, taken just weeks earlier at a wedding. These were not pictures of someone else’s hair—they were pictures of my own hair that Simone initially cut. I wanted to recreate that same look for an event later that week, for which I already had an appointment at JGB for the same style. I specifically asked her to take off just two inches to clean up the ends, face framing layers and maintain the style. That was it.

Instead, Simone cut more than six inches off my hair without my consent. The result? I don’t even know what to call this haircut. It’s a blunt bob that’s longer in the front, uneven on the sides, and completely choppy. It’s unrecognizable from the hair I walked in with and planned to wear to my event. I can’t even tie my hair into a ponytail, and there’s no way to style it into a bun.

This isn’t just a bad haircut—it’s a disaster. The emotional toll has been overwhelming. Every time I touch my hair in the morning or catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I feel upset all over again. I have no idea why Simone did this. Was it malicious? I don’t know. Even if it were some kind of misunderstanding, the resulting cut is so bad that it’s hard to believe it wasn’t intentional.

When I brought my concerns to Sophie, the manager, I was gaslit and dismissed. Her response was shockingly insensitive—she even said, “At least you don’t have cancer and don’t have to shave your hair off.” Her next solution? She suggested I come back and let Simone “fix it so it will grow out better.” Do you think I’m going to let someone who traumatized me touch my hair again—especially after I had just complained about her?

While they eventually offered a refund, that doesn’t undo the trauma or fix my hair, which will take at least 12 months to grow back. I was not on a hair journey! I did not ask for a new hairstyle. I did not want a new hairstyle, and I certainly do not have the time, energy or interest to learn a new hairstyle.

I’m sharing this because this isn’t an isolated incident. Other reviews describe similar experiences at this salon. Hair is deeply personal—it’s a part of your identity and self-expression—and what happened to me has caused me daily distress.

If you’re considering JGB, please think twice. I wouldn’t wish this...

I've been here a lot because of it's convenient location, and every time it's been awful. These people have a specific kind of haircut they like, and they'll do that regardless of what you ask for. So if you're okay with that, they're fine. Otherwise, they ignore what you ask, and get aggressive when you ask for changes at the end. They have a policy that lets you come back in to change it for free within a week (which shows you how often they mess up) and on my second trip in - with a different stylist - they just made it even worse. I've had it with these people, and will never ever go there again.

REPLY FOR OWNER*

I've been there MANY times before this since, as I said, I grew up around here. I used a different card and was usually with a parent which may be why your records don't reflect it. Thanks.

Yes, I was initially pleased she fixed the major problem from the first time (which was that barely anything changed about my hair and it was a waste of a haircut.) But it didn't take long for the styling to fade and see that the top layer was incredibly short in comparison to the bottom lawyer, with no layers in between. So it looks very unnatural, and like a mullet now.

Every time I come here I try to be as descriptive as I can, even though I'm afraid of being rude. I even bring pictures but no one seems interested, or they say 'yes I understand' but will proceed to ignore it. The stylists are all fine for their own tastes, but like I said, they don't listen to customers.

I wasn't going to mention this, but I also specifically requested someone other than the first stylist for my re-do. The first stylist was nice, she wasn't the one who was aggressive, but that wasn't what I asked for and she didn't do much to my hair. (I also had her a few times as a kid, though she didn't seem to remember me. She's always given me that same haircut no matter what I go in for.)

When I came in for the re-do, they placed me directly across from her so she had to hear everything - all my complaints to the second stylist. It was incredibly humiliating for me. I'm sure it hurt her feelings, and I felt terrible. There were plenty of other stations and people, why didn't anyone think that though?

I understand you guys have been there for ages and you're following your routine, but please try to exercise a little more thought and consideration...

I'm surprised to see the overall score for this place to be 4.4 as of now. But then it looks like there are overwhelmingly a lot of 1 star reviews. The fact that the stars are so extreme should inform you something.

I had my worst hair cut in my life at this salon. I don't remember the hairdresser's name. I asked for a simple trim, nothing fancy. And she trimmed my hair unevenly - from the back you would see my hair trimmed obliquely. While cutting my hair, she occupied herself watching a live stream of a bird hatching eggs on her phone. The fact that this is allowed during a customer's seating is very unprofessional. She also trimmed my side ban in a zig zag shape that can hardly be called stylish. It was a disaster. I tried to communicate with her but she didn't seem to be aware that she was not doing it right. I left and booked the earliest appointment with my usual mid-town Japanese hair salon right away to save myself from crying. Advice for anyone looking to get their hair cut: walk away from the bad ones. Life is too short to waste your chance on people whose attention is somewhere else.

Response to the owner: Hi I appreciate your quick response. Apparently I was wrong that people here don't pay attention - clearly you care about the reviews and claim to be professional. But I will not take down my review since I did have a bad experience there. The woman was on her phone full time and she even invited me to watch it with her. Wherever she is from doesn't matter - I had a hair cut at Jean-Claude Biguine on Lexington Ave that I regret to. I'm glad to learn that you don't allow phones now. But as a former customer, what I expected was an apology, not...