Best Hair Salon in Bridgewater, MA | Kimberly Messing Hair Design

Some businesses last because they are lucky. Others last because someone decided, a long time ago, that they would do the work properly even when nobody was checking. Kimberly Messing Hair Design has been doing hair on Washington Street since 1986, and if you are searching from Bridgewater for a salon worth the trip, that kind of staying power is worth paying attention to before anything else.

We are not going to tell you we were voted anything by anyone. What we will tell you is that a salon does not survive four decades of Massachusetts winters, changing color trends, and a completely different generation of clients by accident. It survives because the person running it treats the craft seriously, year after year, appointment after appointment. That is the story underneath everything else on this page.

Meet Kim Messing and the Salon She Built

Kim Messing opened her salon in 1986, which means she has now spent close to four decades behind the chair in the same town, on the same street, building the same reputation one head of hair at a time. Somewhere along the way she became a board-certified colorist, a credential fewer than five percent of working colorists ever pursue, because it requires a level of technical study most stylists simply skip. Kim didn't skip it. She still trains regularly with Goldwell, Redken, Keratin Complex, and Olaplex, and she is Hot Heads certified for tape-in extensions, which means the education never really stopped, even after thirty-eight years of doing this for a living.

What she stands for is simple to describe and harder to execute: color that is custom-mixed rather than pulled from a preset formula, consultations that are honest even when the honest answer is "not yet," and a team she personally mentors rather than simply supervises. Kim still takes the hardest color-correction cases herself, and she still personally handles hair extension work, because some things she is not willing to hand off.

Here is how to reach us and what our week looks like:

  • Address: 533 Washington Street, Braintree, MA 02184
  • Phone: 781-817-5077
  • Email: hello@kimberlymessinghairdesign.com
  • Hours: Monday Closed | Tuesday 9:00am–7:00pm | Wednesday 9:00am–7:00pm | Thursday 9:00am–8:00pm | Friday 9:00am–4:00pm | Saturday 9:00am–4:00pm | Sunday Closed
  • Book online: Schedule your appointment
  • Follow along: Facebook and Instagram

There is something almost poetic about writing this for a Bridgewater audience, because Bridgewater's identity is anchored by an institution with real longevity of its own. Bridgewater State University has been shaping the town for generations, drawing students, faculty, and staff who put down roots and stay for years, sometimes decades. A university town understands what it means for something to be built to last rather than to trend for a season. Kim's salon operates on that same logic. Thirty-eight years is not a marketing number. It is a track record.

Why Bridgewater Clients Choose to Drive to Braintree

Nobody drives past a dozen closer salons without a reason. When Bridgewater clients end up in our chairs, it is usually because they went looking for something specific and could not find it closer to home. Here is what tends to bring them in.

Specialists, Not Generalists

Most salons have one or two stylists who are "pretty good at everything." We built something different: nine specialists, each with a defined lane they have spent years, sometimes decades, mastering. When you need balayage, you see the person who has spent twenty-five years thinking about foil placement and hand-painted lightening. When you need a color correction from a box-dye mishap, you see the person whose entire specialty is untangling exactly that kind of damage. Nobody here is guessing.

Consultations That Actually Take Time

A rushed five-minute chat before someone starts mixing color is not a consultation, it is a formality. Every new client at Kimberly Messing Hair Design gets a real conversation first, one where the stylist actually listens before reaching for anything.

A Team Built Around Honesty, Not Just Talent

Talent is common. Honesty about what your hair can and cannot handle in one visit is rarer. Kim trained her team to say the harder true thing rather than the easier convenient thing, because a client who trusts the answer keeps coming back, and a client who gets a rushed promise usually does not.

Our Full Menu of Services

Below is the complete list of what we offer, with current pricing. Every service listed here has its own dedicated page with more detail if you want to dig in before booking, and Kim or your matched specialist will always walk you through options and cost during your free consultation before anything begins.

Hair Cut

  • Barber's Cut — $35
  • Kid's Cut — $35
  • Short Haircut — $44
  • Medium Haircut — $66
  • Long Haircut — $88
  • Extra-Long Haircut — $110
  • Shampoo + Cut — $50
  • Shampoo, Cut & Blowdry — $60
  • Shampoo + Blowdry — $35
  • Perm — $105

Hair Color

  • Single Process — $75
  • Double Process — $120
  • Partial Foil — $148
  • Full Foil — $185
  • Balayage — $220
  • Custom Foil (add-on) — $22
  • Color Balance — $37
  • Up-Do — $100

Alternative Hair and Toppers

Jackie Shaughnessy leads these consultations, which are private, unhurried, and priced individually based on what you need, whether that is a topper for thinning, volume support, or something more comprehensive.

Hair Extensions

Kim personally leads all extension consultations, from tape-ins to fuller transformations. Pricing depends on method, length, and volume, and is quoted after she has seen your hair in person.

Tinting and Waxing

  • Eyebrow Wax — $20
  • Brow Tint — $20
  • Lip or Chin Wax — $25

Meet the Team

Nine specialists, one shared standard. Here is the quick introduction to everyone you might work with.

  • Kim Messing — Owner and master colorist. Thirty-eight-plus years of experience, board certified, and still the one who personally handles the toughest color corrections and every extension consultation.
  • Jackie Shaughnessy — Senior stylist and cutting specialist with thirty-eight years behind the chair, known for cutting curly hair dry, curl by curl, and for leading our Alternative Hair and Toppers program.
  • Maureen Lamie — Master stylist specializing in foiling and hand-painted balayage, with more than twenty-five years spent mapping face shape and growth pattern before the first foil ever goes in.
  • Janet Layden — Our color correction specialist, fluent in lift levels, fillers, toners, and bonding agents, and the person we call in when a color has gone sideways somewhere else.
  • Laura Blaikie — Blonding specialist who builds bright, dimensional, lived-in blonde using both foil and hand-painting, always protecting the hair's structure with Olaplex and K18 along the way.
  • Alicia Hayward — One of the few DevaCurl-certified curl specialists on the South Shore, trained directly by the DevaCurl team, cutting curly, wavy, and coily hair dry and curl by curl.
  • Emma Browning — Our contemporary cutting specialist, fluent in shags, French bobs, and butterfly layers, and equally comfortable with vivid Pulp Riot color built to actually last.
  • Judy — Senior stylist and blowout specialist with twenty-five years of experience, frequently booked for weddings and galas thanks to her pin curls, finger waves, and runway-style waves.
  • Kat — Our texture and updo specialist, building event-ready styles that survive a full night out, while steadily building her own following for brunette color work.

What It's Actually Like to Visit Us From Bridgewater

Let's be straightforward about geography, because we would rather you know exactly what you're signing up for than be surprised later. Kimberly Messing Hair Design is physically located in Braintree, on Washington Street. We are not in Bridgewater, and we have never claimed to be. What we are is a salon that a meaningful number of Bridgewater clients choose to drive to, because the specialization and consistency here is hard to find closer to home. Think of it as a short drive from Bridgewater out to the South Shore's Braintree corridor, not a neighborhood salon down the block.

Once you're here, the experience is the same regardless of where you started your drive. Free parking right at the door, a team that knows your name after a visit or two, and a building that has watched hair trends come and go since 1986 without ever needing to reinvent itself every few years. New England hair has its own seasonal rhythm too, and we spend the year adjusting for it: brighter, sun-driven color in the summer months, more moisture-focused routines once the coastal humidity kicks in, and a shift toward deeper tones and stronger protective care once winter dries everything out. Longevity on Washington Street means we've seen enough seasons to know exactly what South Shore hair needs and when.

What Our Clients Are Saying

We would rather show you real, verified reviews than write our own marketing copy about ourselves. These are pulled directly from Google, shown exactly as written, with nothing added or edited.

★★★★★ Kathleen Dole — "This salon is new to me but not the stylist - Robbie. She really knows what she's doing - no matter what kind of hair you have. My own hair has transformed quite a lot over the 20+ years she's been doing it - different natural color, different texture, naturally curly to..." (Verified Google review)

★★★★★ Christine Conti — "Excellent customer service! Everyone is so friendly! SHOUT OUT to ALICIA Who's been doing my hair for a while now! SHE'S THE BEST!! Thank you! See you all again in 8 weeks!" (Verified Google review)

★★★★★ Maura Patricia Daniel — "Love this salon! Everyone is so kind and caring. From the moment I walked in, the staff took care of my needs. I felt like family! And my hair looks soooo great!" (Verified Google review)

Read more reviews on Google

Getting to Know Our Team a Little Better

The short bios above tell you what each stylist does. Here is a deeper look at how they got there and what actually sets each of them apart.

Kim Messing has run this salon since 1986, which by itself puts her among the more experienced independent salon owners on the South Shore. Her board certification as a colorist is not a title she picked up casually; it demanded a depth of technical study that the vast majority of working colorists never attempt, and it shows in the way she mixes color: custom formulas built around each client's history rather than a formula pulled straight from a box. She keeps training every year with Goldwell, Redken, Keratin Complex, and Olaplex, treats mentoring her team as part of the job rather than a side task, and still personally sits down with every extension client and every genuinely difficult color correction that walks through the door.

Jackie Shaughnessy has been cutting hair for thirty-eight years, nearly as long as the salon has existed, and her approach to curly hair is deliberately unhurried: she cuts it dry, curl by curl, because that is the only way to see how each curl actually falls once it's out of the shower and back to its natural shape. She also leads our Alternative Hair and Toppers consultations, a role she takes seriously because clients coming in about thinning or volume loss need privacy and patience more than almost anyone else who sits in the chair. On top of all that, she still does color work regularly.

Maureen Lamie brings more than twenty-five years of experience to foiling and balayage, and what separates her work is the planning that happens before a single foil goes in. She studies face shape, natural growth pattern, and lifestyle first, then places foils strategically instead of uniformly. Her hand-painted balayage is designed specifically to grow out softly, so clients aren't stuck coming back every few weeks just to avoid a hard line, and she is often the one called in for highlight work on hair that has been through several color histories already.

Janet Layden specializes in the fixes nobody wants to need: box-dye disasters, botched highlights, and the kind of banding that builds up after years of DIY root touch-ups. She is technically fluent in lift levels, fillers, toners, and bonding agents, which means she can diagnose what actually happened to the hair before deciding how to repair it. She also builds layered, dimensional tone for clients who simply want more depth than a flat single color can offer.

Laura Blaikie focuses on blonding in all its forms, from bright and dimensional to soft, lived-in color, mixing foil work with hand-painting depending on what the client's hair and goals call for. She runs Olaplex and K18 through every lightening service as standard practice, not an upsell, because she works often with clients moving several levels lighter from naturally dark hair, and that kind of transformation needs real structural protection built in from the start.

Alicia Hayward is one of the few DevaCurl-certified specialists on the South Shore, trained directly by the DevaCurl team rather than through a secondhand certification. Her method is the same discipline Jackie uses: dry cutting, curl by curl, but her specific focus is understanding each client's curl pattern and daily routine first, so the cut actually works with how they live, not just how their hair looks the day of the appointment.

Emma Browning is our newest team member, but "newest" does not mean less trained. She came in with strong foundational skills and has been mentored to the same exacting standard as everyone else on this list. Her specialty is contemporary, trend-forward cutting, think textured shags, French bobs, butterfly layers, but always with real technical structure underneath the trend. She also does vivid and fashion color using Pulp Riot, chosen specifically because it's formulated to actually hold up over time instead of fading within a few washes.

Judy has twenty-five years of experience and has built a reputation as our go-to for events that need to look flawless for hours: pin curls, finger waves, French twists, and voluminous runway-style waves. Weddings and galas book her out regularly for exactly that reason. She's equally comfortable, though, with polished, low-maintenance cuts for clients who need something dependable for the office every single day.

Kat handles our texture and updo work, from braids and twists to event-ready ponytails built to actually survive a full night of dancing, and she also keeps the salon floor running smoothly as our assistant. She's steadily building her own client base for color work, with a particular strength emerging in brunette tones.

The Products We Trust With Your Hair

We carry more than two hundred products across roughly twenty-eight professional brands, and every one of them earned its place on our shelves rather than being added because a rep asked us to. K18's peptide bond repair technology is used across our color services to protect hair structure during and after chemical processing. Goldwell rounds out both our color line and our take-home care, including Kerasilk and Dualsenses. Redken's All Soft, Color Extend Magnetics, and Acidic Bonding Concentrate lines cover moisture, color protection, and bond strength. Keratin Complex handles our smoothing services, and Olaplex's No.3, 4, and 5 are staples in bond-building both in-salon and at home.

Beyond those core lines, we also carry Soma, Zenagen for thinning hair, Tri Design, Living Proof for frizz control, Aluram for clients who want clean beauty formulations, Design Me, Amika, Pureology, Milk_shake, Hot Like Me, Revitalash, ECRU New York, FHI Heat, Wahl, and Jon Renau for wigs and toppers. When you ask us for a home care recommendation, it's coming from actual knowledge of what's on that shelf and why it's there, not a generic answer.

Our Philosophy: One Stylist, Start to Finish

Since 1986, this salon has operated on a rule that some salons treat as optional: one stylist works with you from your very first consultation through your final blowdry, every time. We do not double-book two clients into overlapping color processing so one person can bounce between chairs, and we do not hand your color off to an assistant who wasn't part of the original consultation. Kim built the business this way because she believes accountability and outcome quality both drop the moment a client becomes a relay race between staff members. It also means honesty is built into the model. If your hair needs a health-restoring step before it can safely handle the color you want, your stylist will tell you that directly, even if it means a longer plan than you originally hoped for.

The Actual Science Behind South Shore Hair

Good hair care on the South Shore isn't generic advice borrowed from a national magazine. It has to account for the specific water, weather, and seasonal shifts of this region, and that's exactly what our team plans around.

Hard Water Mineral Buildup

A lot of Massachusetts water carries calcium, iron, and magnesium, and over time those minerals settle onto the hair shaft. The result is dullness, unexpected brassiness, color that fades faster than it should, and a general buildup that makes styling products stop performing the way they're supposed to. Periodic chelating treatments strip that buildup back out and let color and product actually do their job again.

Humidity and Frizz

Summer humidity swells the hair cuticle and disrupts smoothness almost the moment you walk outside. We address it two ways: through cutting technique that accounts for how the hair will behave once humidity hits, and through anti-humidity products and keratin smoothing treatments for clients who want a longer-lasting solution.

Salt Air and Coastal Influence

Being this close to the coast means salt air is a real factor in hair health, not a minor detail. It dries hair out and dulls color faster than inland conditions would. A consistent moisture routine, UV-protective leave-ins, and salt-clarifying shampoo all help counteract it.

Winter Damage

New England winters bring dry indoor heat, static, and the friction of hats and scarves rubbing against hair all season. Most clients need to shift their home care every fall, before winter actually arrives, rather than reacting once damage has already set in.

Seasonal Color Strategy

Tone reads differently under winter light than it does under summer light, which is why some clients adjust their color formula twice a year rather than sticking with one formula regardless of season. It's a small shift that keeps color looking intentional year-round instead of slightly off for half of it.

Your Free Consultation

Every new client starts with a free twenty-to-thirty-minute consultation, no obligation attached. In that conversation, your stylist will go through your hair history, assess your current condition and porosity, ask about your daily routine and lifestyle factors like workouts, swimming, sun exposure, and sleep habits, and look at any reference photos you bring, both what you want and what you specifically want to avoid. Before anything is booked, you'll leave with realistic expectations about the outcome, a clear cost and time estimate, and a maintenance plan for keeping the result looking right between visits.

Building a Relationship With Your Stylist Over Time

Kim's own story is really a story about what happens when you stay in one place long enough to know it well. Thirty-eight years on Washington Street means she has clients whose hair she has watched change through multiple decades, multiple life stages, and more trend cycles than most stylists will ever see. That is not a coincidence. It is what happens when a stylist stays with a client instead of a client bouncing between salons every year.

The value of that continuity compounds. A stylist who has done your color for two years knows your hair's specific quirks in a way a first-time stylist simply cannot. Most clients settle into a rhythm: color touch-ups every four to six weeks, highlights or balayage every eight to twelve weeks, cuts every six to eight weeks, and treatments on a quarterly basis. None of that rhythm works particularly well if you're starting over with a new stylist each time. Committing to one person, the way so many of Kim's long-term clients have, consistently produces better, more consistent results than salon-hopping ever will.

What Clients Book Us for Most

Color leads the list by a wide margin, and it's easy to see why once you know the team is built the way it is: Kim handles custom formulation and the hardest corrections, Maureen owns foiling and balayage placement, Janet specializes in correction work, and Laura focuses on blonding. That's four dedicated specialists covering different corners of color, not one generalist trying to do all of it.

Cutting is close behind, and here is where Bridgewater's own character actually shows up in our appointment book. A college town brings in a genuinely wide range of ages and needs, students chasing the latest cut or a bold color change, right alongside longtime faculty, staff, and family clients who want dependable, classic color that doesn't need reinventing every season. That range maps almost perfectly onto our team: Emma's trend-driven, technically grounded cuts and vivid Pulp Riot color speak directly to a client who wants something current, while Janet and Maureen's steady, dimensional color work is exactly what a client wants when consistency matters more than novelty. Alicia's DevaCurl expertise and Jackie's classic, polished shapes round out the cutting side, and Judy and Kat get the call whenever an event is on the calendar.

Extensions, treatments, and alternative hair make up the rest: Kim's tape-in work, keratin smoothing treatments, and Jon Renau topper consultations for clients dealing with thinning or medical hair loss.

Part of the Bridgewater Community

We want to be honest about our relationship with Bridgewater rather than overstate it. We are not located in Bridgewater, we are a short drive away in Braintree, and we think that honesty matters more than pretending otherwise. What we can say is that Bridgewater has sent us clients for years, many of whom first learned about us through word of mouth rather than an ad.

Bridgewater's identity is genuinely shaped by Bridgewater State University, a school with real generational reach in the town: students moving through, faculty and staff who settle in for the long haul, and families who have called the area home for years. That mix produces a town with a wide range of hair needs, from a student wanting a fresh look before a new semester to a longtime resident who has had the same trusted routine for a decade. We see that same range come through our own doors, and honestly, it's part of what keeps the work interesting for our whole team.

Is the Drive Worth It?

We'll answer that plainly: yes, and here's the actual case for it rather than just a claim. You get access to a board-certified colorist, something genuinely uncommon in this region. You get nine specialists instead of one or two people trying to be good at everything. You get undivided attention during your appointment because of our one-stylist, no-double-booking philosophy. You get a salon with client retention measured in years and sometimes decades, which tells you something real about how people feel once they've actually been here. And logistically, it's easy: free parking right outside, evening hours Tuesday through Thursday for anyone working a normal schedule, and Saturday availability for when a weekday visit just isn't realistic.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Kimberly Messing Hair Design worth the trip for Bridgewater clients?
A board-certified colorist, nine defined specialists instead of generalists, and a one-stylist-per-client approach that most salons don't offer.

How long does color typically last?
Single process and root touch-ups usually need attention every four to six weeks, highlights every eight to twelve weeks, balayage every twelve to sixteen weeks, and vivid color every four to eight weeks depending on how it's cared for at home.

Does color damage hair?
Done properly, single process color is gentle, and our lightening services incorporate Olaplex and K18 specifically to protect structure. Most serious damage we see actually comes from salon-hopping or box dye used at home, not from professional lightening done consistently by one stylist.

How long should I plan for my appointment?
Single process color runs ninety minutes to two hours, root touch-ups seventy-five to ninety minutes, partial foil two to two-and-a-half hours, full foil two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half hours, balayage similarly, and color corrections can run four to eight hours, sometimes split across two visits.

What's the difference between balayage and highlights?
Foil highlights create a brighter, more defined result, while balayage gives a softer look with easier regrowth. Your consultation is where we help you decide which fits your hair and lifestyle better.

How do I keep my color from fading?
Use a sulfate-free shampoo, wash every two to three days rather than daily, rinse with cooler water, use a heat protectant, add a UV leave-in, rinse hair before swimming, and consider a monthly clarifying treatment if you're dealing with hard water.

How much does a full transformation cost?
It depends entirely on your starting color, target color, and hair length, so we quote it after your free consultation rather than guessing over the phone.

How do I know which stylist is right for me?
That's exactly what the free consultation is for. We'll match you with the specialist whose focus lines up with what you're actually trying to achieve.

What if I'm not happy with my results?
Speak up before you leave, or call us right after. We'll put together a plan to adjust it and make it right.

Can I bring a friend to my appointment?
Yes, we can often arrange overlapping appointment times so you can come in together.

Extended FAQ: Policies, Timing, and the Details

Do you offer any services for medical hair loss?
Yes. Kim personally handles Jon Renau wig and topper consultations, and we keep the process discreet, with private parking available for anyone who prefers extra privacy.

Do you sell gift cards?
Yes, in any amount, and they never expire.

What payment methods do you accept?
Cash, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, debit cards, and gift cards.

What's your cancellation policy?
We ask for twenty-four hours' notice. Same-day cancellations or no-shows are charged fifty percent of the scheduled service.

Is tipping expected?
It's not required, but eighteen to twenty-two percent is standard in the industry, and we accept tips via cash, card, or Venmo.

Do you accept walk-ins?
We're primarily appointment-based. Give us a call to check for same-day openings.

What happens if I'm running late?
Call ahead as soon as you know. If you're more than fifteen minutes late, we may need to shorten the service or reschedule to keep the rest of the day on track.

Can I bring my kids to my appointment?
Kids are welcome as long as they're seated and supervised. If your child is getting their own appointment, they'll need an accompanying adult present.

Do you do wedding day hair and makeup?
Yes, with advance booking. Trials happen in-salon, and day-of services are often provided at the venue.

How do I book my first appointment?
Online or by phone, though we generally recommend calling first so we can match you to the right specialist based on what you're looking for.

Will my stylist actually remember my hair history between visits?
Yes, that continuity is the entire point of our one-stylist-per-client approach. Your formulas, preferences, and hair history stay with the same person visit after visit.

What if I've never had a professional color correction before?
Janet will walk you through exactly what she sees in your hair's current state and what a realistic, sometimes multi-visit, path back to health and the color you want will look like.

Do you offer any clean beauty product options?
Yes, we carry Aluram specifically for clients looking for that kind of formulation, alongside our full professional lineup.

Is there a minimum age for services?
We welcome kids' cuts, though younger children need an accompanying adult present for their appointment.

Booking, Hours, and What to Expect on Your First Visit

Ready to book? You can do it online through our booking page or by calling 781-817-5077. Our hours are Monday Closed, Tuesday 9:00am–7:00pm, Wednesday 9:00am–7:00pm, Thursday 9:00am–8:00pm, Friday 9:00am–4:00pm, Saturday 9:00am–4:00pm, and Sunday Closed.

For your first visit, bring reference photos of both what you want and what you specifically want to avoid, a list of the products you currently use, and any questions you've been holding onto. Wear something you're comfortable getting slightly damp in, and skip the white shirt if you can, though capes and towels are provided throughout. Plan on sixty to ninety minutes for a cut and style, two to two-and-a-half hours for single process color with a cut, three to four hours for highlights with a cut, three to four hours for balayage with a cut, and know that correction work is more variable depending on where your hair is starting from.

Parking is free in our own lot, no meters or garages to worry about. When you arrive, you'll be greeted at the front desk and your stylist will come find you within a few minutes so your consultation can start right away.

Also Serving Nearby Communities

We work with clients from across the South Shore, not just Bridgewater. Here's where else we're proud to be the salon people drive for:

Our Specialty Services

Book Your Visit Today

If you're in Bridgewater and searching for a salon with the kind of depth and consistency that only comes from decades of specialization, we'd genuinely like to meet you. Kim built this salon to last, and it has, one client relationship at a time since 1986. Call us at 781-817-5077 or book online now, and let's get your hair on a plan that actually holds up over time.