Hair Reformation — Local services in Town of Amherst

After speaking with several women who had the same experience as me after posting on Facebook I had a consultation there and everyone telling me “ don’t do it “. I decided to share my own experience.

I had a consultation done at HR on 5/5/23 for new extensions. I booked the appointment with the owner Natalie. Not really knowing how they do things at the salon or who does what services etc.

Now walking in, Natalie was at the front counter and was very welcoming, the salon is beautiful, but it turned very uncomfortable very quickly.

Immediately Natalie started telling me her history and that she just got back from LA all while staring at herself in the mirror consistently. She seemed to think I was a fan and knew about photos she posted on her social media. I had never really looked at their Instagram or hers. Which in itself is impersonal. Also adding some kind of ppl a subtle brag that her fiancé is a lead singer of a band that was relevant maybe 15-20 years ago.

Within the first 5 minutes it became apparent she could talk about herself and I wouldn’t be able to speak nor would she care what I had to say. Natalie would ask me questions about myself and talk over me, completely ignore me or blatantly walk away while I was trying to speak. Three times I caught myself trying to respond or say something about myself and my hair and she just walked away to the other side of the salon not having a care in the world or even realizing she just dismissed a potential customer repeatedly. I immediately texted my husband and told him I felt like I was in the twilight zone. Then there’s the sales pitch on products and her treatments. My entire half hour there was a very fake interaction and very disingenuous.

In the beginning of the consultation at some point, Natalie advised Cheyenne would be doing the extensions and Natalie would be the colorist because she’s a master colorist. She says it in a way like you don’t know what she’s talking about, or almost insinuates that you’ve never been to one. I have, I paid good money for my hair for years, by a master colorist who does the same thing Natalie does. But because at that point I felt like I couldn’t speak I just let her continue her speech. Cheyenne then came over to talk to me about the extensions and the types. Natalie and Cheyenne agreed upon the color of the extensions and Cheyenne continued to discuss everything with me and the contract/quote of the services for the color, hair extensions and install. Which came out to be $ 2370 and $600 for removal and move up every 8-10 weeks not including any color, or cut. Plus other treatments I’ve heard they just add on without asking. Price is not an issue for me and I probably would’ve booked had this experience been completely different. I could not fathom sitting in that salon for 8hrs after this interaction.

To top it off, I originally booked with Natalie and had a lengthy interaction with her before Cheyenne took over for the last five minutes. As Cheyenne is going over everything with me for the quote, Natalie says bye to the person at the front counter and just walked right by us and out the door.

Now, Im also a small business owner, I have many friends and family who own businesses throughout WNY and several are quite popular in the area. If you really cared about customers and you’re charging that insane price all because you think you’re some kind of big deal, I have words of advise for you. Try saying “ I’m heading out for the day, Cheyenne will finish this up, I can’t wait to see you for your appointment ! “ next time. I mean honestly anything personable and simple would be ideal for new customers and returning.

All in all it’s obvious this salon is working for some women as it was full when I arrived. I’m not sure if that’s because in today’s world “ social media “ plays a huge role in people’s lives of what’s “trending”. However there are so many salons that give you amazing genuine experiences who care about you as a customer for a fraction of the price and that sell the...

I am writing this review because of my bad experience with this salon and their terrible customer service, after I was recommended to go there and my hair was trashed. I am graduating from nursing school next week and am deeply upset about my hair and the amount of money I was charged! This is the email I sent, and I have tried to contact multiple times with no response !!! After researching reviews, I read on yelp about another client who went through the SAME exact thing as me. Then after telling someone about what I went through at Hair Reformation by Natalie they told me their friend went through the SAME thing !!! They didn't care to own the mistake while I was there or fix any of these situations with anyone who was dissatisfied with their experience which is disheartening. Even if 1 out of every 100 clients is disappointed it should be addressed and made right and if not then that's just called BAD BUSINESS.

I came in Monday noon to have my hair done by Alyssa, after Hair Reformation was recommended to me by another salon who couldn’t fit me in before my graduation. I spent a lot of time on the phone and in person being very detailed with what I wanted and with the past horrible experiences I’ve had with my hair. I have long natural brown hair with blonde highlights (established blonde) that have been growing out for about six months and wanted to basically freshen up the highlights with a natural root/shadow root. I came prepared with specific pictures and was told this could be done. I will attach photos in this email. After my hair was only a little dried the first time my hair was orange on top and whiter on the bottom, so Alyssa had to fix it. Long story short I ended up in the salon for five hours, and after voicing how upset I was with how it turned out there was always a rebuttal. I actually stated that “if I have to be seen with my hair like this at graduation I’ll cry”, and her reply was “I can’t give you a celebrity look in one visit.” And then proceeded to tell me this was the first step. I made it quite clear I was having my hair done for graduation (which is in one week) and if that was ever told to me in the first place I would not have done it. I chose this look because all I wanted was to freshen up my highlights and bring them back up to a natural root. Every single piece of my hair was dyed (not like when highlighting with strips in between left out) which is deeply upsetting to me because now all my hair is dyed awful colors. I spent the past year sleeping in conditioning treatments to overcome something that I am now regressing back to. After all of this and not leaving until 5 pm, I was charged $265 before tip, and I purchased a $35 bottle of shampoo. I tipped Alyssa $50 for her time and effort, but I would like to request my money back for this appointment. Towards the end of the appointment she started saying things like “color correction” and I questioned her! She kept saying this is still color correction, which I have had done before in the past and this was not color correction or what I had asked for. It seems to me I was charged for color correction at this price, which would be fine if I had left and loved my hair. Trying to move me around in different lighting to make it look better didn’t help my anxiety either. I have been sick to my stomach over this all night, washed it with blue based shampoo (as suggested by Alyssa) and it didn’t help it just looks horrible, and I am deeply upset by this. I would have rather gone to my graduation with my natural roots grown out at this point. Please understand I do think Alyssa is a very nice girl and I appreciate her effort, but I don’t appreciate being made to feel like I got something I asked for when I didn’t and I would like a refund of my money for the appointment (not tip or...

Tonsurephobia is the fear of getting a haircut.

The last time I had a haircut was October of 2021.

I'm self-diagnosing myself.

It might seem a bit foolish to be afraid of such a thing, but, lest we forget, hair is a very intimate part of our existence. How many people have actually ran their fingers through your hair and chopped off the fibers that sheathe your insecurities? You might have more fingers than you do people.

May 2nd, 2023. I've chosen my house of hair. From a distance, it looks modern, progressive, chic. Some might say, 'out of place,' even. I say that as a compliment. It is both conspicuous and inconspicuous at the same time.

My goal is to 'survive the hair cut.' My expectation: I have none. This is a solo endeavor, one that my wife wishes me well on, but, I must endure all on my own.

I've been greeted at a voguish hair salon before. It's difficult to tell at this point if these are salutations of sincerity or prerequisites. It's not their fault; I have trust issues.

My pupils scour the scene. It looks and feels different than other places. It might be pretentiousness, but it's okay if it is. If my haircut includes a coffee bar and free compliments, I'll take one of each. It's not easy to find them anymore.

Scroll on my phone; seem important. I'm not important, I just want to toggle the switches on the espresso machine. I tell my wife the obligatory, 'here,' so she knows I'm here.

Someone is walking over. I recognize her from the website where I could 'meet the stylists,' selecting the one who seemed the least judgmental as I, myself, was being judgmental.

The first thing I notice are her shoes: tan Jordan 1's. I stand up quickly in an attempt to draw attention away from my Asics painted with grass stains and scuff marks. I should have worn my Golden Goose, the only brand where stains and scuffs are desirable.

She shakes my hand. 'I'm Elise.'

Now, my expectations and reality are diverging.

A handshake is a very humbling moment. I have dirt in my cuticles and my nails aren't manicured, but I'm still respected here.

To be honest, the actual haircut was a blur. My brain was overstimulated by compliments I've never received before and the reality that I'm equally entitled to a drink at the coffee bar as everyone else.

The owner walks over to Elise's hair station. Elise and I were talking about the value of exposure to other cultures.

'Your hair is amazing,' Natalie, of whom the shop is named after, says.

'The before or the after?' I ponder.

I guess, whatever the style, my hair is my hair and I own all compliments related to it.

Natalie sees I have a youthful curiosity about the coffee bar. She makes me a concoction of caffiene that tastes very nice. It's as if she made the drink based on my personality: mellow and jittery all at the same time. Sweet enough, just to keep the bitterness a safe distance away.

When she walks away, I notice a pair of Golden Goose on her feet and this is when the whole experience comes full circle. Everyone in here understands the desirability behind an imperfect facade that's well-grounded.

In an alternate reality, today, I was being primed to attend the Met Gala: an offbeat personality celebrated for being eccentric. Elise was my stylist.

It would have been easier to plainly state that this haircut was the best I have received in Buffalo since unearthing myself 27 years ago, or that Elise was the most comfortable stranger I've held a conversation with for one hour, or that Natalie, the proprietor, was a humble visionary, but then again, if I liked to make things easy on myself, I wouldn't have waited nearly two years for a haircut.

I will be a loyal patron of Hair Reformation as long as my hair keeps growing and there are caffeinated beverages to match my personality. An easy five stars...