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

If you've spent any time researching who does foiling and balayage right on the South Shore, Maureen Lamie's name has probably come up. She's spent more than 25 years mapping color placement to face shape and growth pattern at Kimberly Messing Hair Design, a full-service salon at 533 Washington Street in Braintree that has become a regular destination for clients making the trip from Franklin, MA.

Serving Franklin, MA from Our Washington Street Studio in Braintree

A Braintree Studio Franklin Clients Have Adopted as Their Own

Kimberly Messing Hair Design isn't in Franklin, and we're not going to pretend otherwise. What we are is a full-service color and cutting studio in Braintree that a steady stream of Franklin clients have decided is worth building into their routine, whether that means a Tuesday morning color appointment before the workday starts or a Saturday slot for a cut and blowout. The salon has occupied the same Washington Street address since 1986, which means the people booking with us today are often the daughters, coworkers, and neighbors of clients who started decades ago.

Nine stylists work the floor here, each one carrying a specialty rather than a little bit of everything. Maureen owns foiling and balayage. Jackie has spent close to four decades perfecting precision and curly cutting. Janet untangles color that's gone sideways elsewhere. Laura lifts hair safely into blonde territory most stylists won't attempt. That kind of specialization is uncommon at a single address, and it's a big part of why Franklin clients keep making the trip.

Phone: 781-817-5077

Email: hello@kimberlymessinghairdesign.com

Address: 533 Washington Street, Braintree, MA 02184

Salon Hours

  • Monday — Closed
  • Tuesday: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
  • Wednesday: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
  • Thursday: 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
  • Friday: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
  • Saturday: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
  • Sunday — Closed

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Why Clients Drive in From Franklin for This Particular Salon

There's no shortage of salons closer to home for a Franklin resident. So the honest question is what makes this one worth the drive, and the answer usually comes down to a handful of things clients mention over and over once they've been coming for a while.

A Genuine Specialist for Every Category of Work

Ask for a foil and you're sitting with Maureen. Ask for correction work on a color gone wrong and you're with Janet. Ask about a topper or thinning hair solution and Jackie takes the lead. Nobody here is a jack-of-all-trades stretched across every service the menu offers; the team built its reputation by each person going deep in one lane instead of wide across all of them.

A Slower, More Deliberate Pace

Consultations here aren't a formality squeezed in before the real appointment starts. They're where the real appointment starts. Expect to be asked real questions about your hair's history, your routine, and what you actually want, before a single tool comes out.

An Operation That Actually Watches Its Environmental Footprint

Kim runs the business with real attention to sustainability, in the products stocked, the waste generated, and the choices made behind the scenes, not just in language used to describe the salon. Clients who care where their money goes tend to notice and appreciate that.

Depth That Took Decades to Build

Combined, this team has put in well over a century and a half of chair time. That's not a number you build overnight, and it shows up in the small judgment calls, like knowing exactly how a formula will behave on hair that's been colored three different ways by three different salons before it landed here.

The Full Menu: Cuts, Color, Toppers, Extensions, and Finishing Work

Every service below comes with a real consultation first. Nothing gets pulled off a shelf formula, and nothing gets rushed.

Hair Cut

A cut appointment opens with a conversation about how you actually wear your hair day to day, not just what looks good in the mirror at the salon. From there:

Barber's Cut — $35. Clean, efficient, no-fuss shaping.

Kid's Cut — $35. Patient, unhurried cuts handled with kids specifically in mind.

Haircut (Short) — $44. Sharp, low-maintenance shaping for shorter lengths.

Haircut (Medium) — $66. Shape and movement that still leaves room to style it different ways.

Haircut (Long) — $88. Careful shaping that protects length while cleaning up damage.

Haircut (Extra-Long) — $110. Built to preserve as much length as possible while addressing split ends.

Shampoo and Cut — $50. A full refresh that leaves hair easier to manage.

Shampoo, Cut, and Blow-dry — $60. Leave styled and ready for whatever comes next.

Shampoo and Blow-dry — $35. A smooth, polished finish with no heat tools required once you're home.

Perm — $105. Texture and volume built to last.

See the Full Hair Cut Menu

Hair Color

Color decisions here factor in your skin tone, the condition of your hair, and how New England's seasons will treat the result, because a formula that looks great in a June photo can behave very differently by January.

Single Process — $75. Even, rich, all-over color.

Double Process — $120. A more dramatic shift: lifting the base, then toning it precisely.

Partial Foil — $148. Targeted dimension around the face and crown.

Full Foil — $185. Multi-dimensional color from root to end.

Balayage — $220. Hand-painted color built to fade gracefully instead of growing out in a hard line. One of the most requested services on the menu.

Custom Foil (add-on) — $22. Extra brightness placed exactly where it's needed.

Color Balance — $37. Correction for tone that's faded or gone uneven.

Up-Do — $100. Event-ready styling built to hold.

Add Flat Iron. A sleek, polished finish added to any color service.

Add Curl. Soft waves or defined curl added on as a finishing touch.

See the Full Hair Color Menu

Alternative Hair and Toppers

Priced After Consultation

Jackie leads every conversation in this category. Fittings happen privately, without pressure, and every recommendation is built around what your hair and scalp actually need, not a generic off-the-shelf solution. Clients navigating thinning or volume loss consistently say this is the most comfortable version of that conversation they've had anywhere.

Learn More About Alternative Hair and Toppers

Hair Extensions

Priced After Consultation

Kim personally leads extension work, matching texture, tone, and density so the added length reads as your own hair rather than something clipped on. Every appointment starts with a full assessment of your natural hair before any decision gets made about method or placement. This is a service clients from well beyond Braintree specifically seek out.

Learn More About Hair Extensions

Tinting and Waxing

Quick, precise finishing services that pair naturally with a color or cut visit:

Eyebrow Wax — $20. Shaped to frame your features.

Brow Tint — $20. Fuller-looking brows without daily filling.

Lip and Chin Wax — $25. Fast, gentle, clean results.

Learn More About Tinting and Waxing

Meet Your Style Team

Maureen Lamie — Master Stylist, Foiling and Balayage

25+ Years of Experience. Maureen is the reason a lot of Franklin clients found this salon in the first place. Her foil work and hand-painted balayage are built around strategy, not repetition.

Kim Messing — Owner and Master Colorist

38+ Years of Experience. Kim opened the salon's doors in 1986 and still personally leads extension work and color formulation for the most complex cases.

Jackie Shaughnessy — Senior Stylist, Cutting and Toppers

38 Years of Experience. Jackie's precision cutting and topper consultations both draw clients who've struck out elsewhere.

Janet Layden — Color Correction Specialist

Correction and Dimensional Color. When a color has gone wrong somewhere else, Janet is who gets the call to fix it.

Laura Blaikie — Blonding Specialist

Lightening and Lived-In Blonde. Laura's blonding work leans on Olaplex and K18 to keep the hair's structure intact through the process.

Alicia Hayward — DevaCurl Certified Curl Specialist

Curl Cutting and Care. Alicia's training runs directly through DevaCurl, and it shows in how she approaches every curl pattern differently.

Emma Browning — Contemporary Cuts and Vivid Color

Trend-Forward Styling. Emma brings modern shapes and fashion color using professional vivid lines built to actually last.

Judy — Senior Stylist, Blowout Specialist

25+ Years of Experience. Judy's blowouts and event styling are booked out well ahead of weddings and galas.

Kat — Texture and Updo Specialist

Styling and Color Support. Kat handles the intricate styling work and is steadily building her own following in color.

What It's Actually Like to Visit

The Pace Is Different Than You Might Expect

Walk in and the first thing most new clients notice is that nobody's rushing them toward the chair. Consultations are unhurried, questions get real answers, and the appointment doesn't start until both you and your stylist are on the same page about what's about to happen.

Hair on the South Shore Deals With a Lot

New England throws four genuinely different seasons at hair every year, and this team plans around all of them. Summer humidity fights styling and shortens color life. Winter dries everything out and dulls tone. Spring arrives unpredictable and wet, which can put a fresh color at risk before it's fully settled. Fall becomes repair season, undoing whatever the summer did and shifting into deeper, warmer color for the months ahead.

Regulars Outnumber First-Timers

Walk in on a Wednesday afternoon and you'll likely overhear conversations that pick up where they left off six weeks earlier. That's the natural result of a stylist roster that hasn't turned over much in years. Continuity like that is hard to manufacture; it just accumulates over time.

What Our Clients Are Saying

Real, verified Google reviews from Kimberly Messing Hair Design clients.

★★★★★ Lori Murphy — Verified Google review — "I'm so very happy with the cut & color. Kim recommended Alicia to me. She was very careful to discuss & understand all of my hair needs before the process and during as I hadn't had my hair cut in a long time and was nervous. I felt so right at home ( only way better!) I..."

★★★★★ Christine Conti — Verified Google review — "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!"

★★★★★ Anne Marie Donnelly — Verified Google review — "Nicest hair shop!! Absolutely love my hair stylist Jackie❤️. She's always spot on with my color and hair.!"

Read more reviews on Google

The Team, in More Detail

A quick bio only tells you so much. Here's a closer look at what each specialist actually brings to the chair.

Maureen Lamie, Master Stylist and Foiling Specialist

Maureen has spent more than 25 years building dimensional color, and foiling is where she's spent the bulk of that time. Other stylists in the industry study her placement technique specifically, because the difference between forgettable highlights and Maureen's comes down almost entirely to planning: she reads face shape, natural growth pattern, and how a client actually lives before the first foil ever goes in.

Her balayage is hand-painted rather than mapped out with foil, which avoids the harsh demarcation line that shows up when the technique gets rushed. Clients who want dimension that grows out gracefully, without an urgent trip back to the salon every six weeks, book Maureen. She's also the one this team turns to for complicated highlight work on hair carrying more than one prior color history.

Judy, Senior Stylist and Blowout Specialist

Judy has been behind the chair for more than 25 years, and blowouts are where her reputation lives. She's fluent in pin curls, finger waves, and the kind of voluminous, camera-ready wave that has to survive hours on its feet at a wedding or gala. When an event is on the calendar, Judy is frequently the first name booked.

Her cutting work is just as sought after, particularly among clients who want a shape that reads polished for work without demanding much daily effort to maintain.

Jackie Shaughnessy, Senior Stylist and Cutting Specialist

Jackie has been cutting hair for 38 years, and clients book her months in advance because her precision holds up. She trained in classical technique early in her career and has built a reputation on cuts that grow out cleanly over eight to ten weeks instead of falling apart after three.

Curly hair is where she goes deepest. Many curly clients arrive having been cut wet for years, which produces shapes that collapse the moment the curl pattern springs back into place. Jackie cuts dry, working curl by curl, so what you see in the chair is closer to what you'll actually live with at home. She also leads the salon's alternative hair and topper consultations.

Kim Messing, Owner and Master Colorist

Kim opened this salon's doors in 1986 and has spent 38-plus years since then studying how color behaves on real, lived-in hair rather than textbook examples. She's board-certified in color, a credential a small share of working colorists ever pursue, requiring advanced testing across formulation, correction, and ongoing education most stylists stop chasing after a decade in. Kim is closing in on her fourth decade of it.

She's also Hot Heads certified for tape-in extensions, refined across thousands of applications, and it's often clients managing thinning, postpartum shedding, or natural density loss who end up in her chair specifically for that work. Her color-correction skill is a big part of why clients travel in from outside Braintree; when a formula has gone wrong somewhere else, Kim is frequently who gets the call. She keeps up ongoing education with Goldwell, Redken, Keratin Complex, and Olaplex, and mentors the rest of the floor so the standard she set on day one carries through every chair in the building.

Alicia Hayward, DevaCurl Certified Curl Specialist

Alicia trained directly with the DevaCurl team and has spent years applying that method to curly, wavy, and coily hair that a lot of stylists still cut against the grain of. If your curly hair history is a string of appointments that left you disappointed, this is usually where that pattern breaks.

She cuts dry, curl by curl, following a real conversation about your pattern, your routine, and what you actually want to wear day to day, rather than what looks tidy in a single photo.

Laura Blaikie, Blonding Specialist

There's a meaningful gap between a stylist who can do highlights competently and a specialist who's built a career specifically around blonding. Laura sits firmly in the second category. Her work is bright and dimensional without tipping into brassy or striped, achieved through a mix of foil and hand-painting depending on what the hair actually needs.

Clients moving significantly lighter from a naturally dark base tend to land with Laura, because she knows how to lift safely, using Olaplex and K18 throughout every lightening service to protect the hair's internal bond structure along the way.

Janet Layden, Color Correction Specialist

Janet gets booked when something's gone sideways: a box-dye situation, highlights that didn't lift evenly, tone that refuses to budge, or years of root touch-ups that have built up visible banding. Correction work demands real technical fluency in lift levels, fillers, toners, and bond protection, and it's the discipline Janet has built her entire career around.

Her dimensional color work outside of correction is just as strong, layering tone rather than laying down one flat shade, the kind of result that reads as effortless even though it's technically demanding to execute.

Emma Browning, Contemporary Cuts and Vivid Color

Emma brings the newest technical energy on the team: textured shags, French bobs, butterfly layers, whatever's currently circulating on social media, cut with a solid technical foundation so the shape actually wears well past the first wash.

She also handles vivid and fashion color, from soft pastels to saturated brights, using Pulp Riot and other professional fashion lines built for longevity rather than the fast-fading vivids a lot of stylists still turn to.

Kat, Texture and Updo Specialist

Kat handles the styling work that goes beyond a curling iron: braids, updos, intricate twists, and ponytails engineered to hold through a full night on the dance floor. Brides, event clients, and anyone who needs their hair to survive humidity and hugging relatives all tend to book Kat specifically.

She's also steadily building a following for color, particularly dimensional work for brunettes, and clients regularly mention how at ease she makes the whole visit feel.

See our full service menu and pricing.

The Products on Our Shelves and in Every Service

What's on the retail wall here is what the team actually reaches for during a service, not inventory stocked to fill shelf space. Every purchase comes with a real explanation from your stylist about how and why to use it.

The Core Four: K18, Goldwell, Redken, and Keratin Complex

K18's peptide technology works to rebuild the hair shaft's internal bonds rather than simply coating over existing damage, and it's incorporated into chemical services across the board. Goldwell provides much of the color foundation here, alongside take-home lines like Color Revive and Dualsenses for stretching a fresh color between visits. Redken's Acidic Bonding Concentrate and All Soft lines are retail staples for anyone who wants dependable daily performance, and the full Keratin Complex range supports the salon's smoothing services along with the sulfate-free care needed to extend them.

Olaplex: The Bond-Building Standard

Olaplex remains one of the most reliable bond-builders available, used in-service and recommended as an at-home step between visits, with the accompanying shampoo and conditioner maintaining the repair work done in the chair.

The Rest of the Retail Wall

Beyond those primary lines, the shelves carry Soma, Zenagen for thinning hair concerns, Tri Design for styling, Living Proof for frizz control, Aluram for clean-formulated beauty, Design Me for performance styling, Amika for color care, Pureology for color-treated hair, Milk_shake for moisture, Hot Like Me for thermal protection, Revitalash for lash growth, ECRU New York for protective styling, FHI Heat for tools, Wahl for clipper work, and Jon Renau for wigs and toppers. Every recommendation comes with guidance specific to your hair, not a generic tag on the shelf.

The Philosophy Behind How We Work

A lot of salons run on volume: tight scheduling, color processing handed off between chairs, multiple clients per stylist at once. It keeps the appointment book full, but it also means nobody gets a stylist's undivided attention for long.

Here, your stylist works with you and only you, from the opening consultation through the final blow-dry. There's no double-booking and no passing your color off to an assistant who's never met you. Whatever's happening in the chair is happening with somebody's full focus, the whole time.

Honest consultation is part of that same commitment. If what you're asking for isn't going to work well for your hair or your lifestyle, you'll be told that plainly, along with what will work instead. If your hair needs some health restored before it can handle a bigger chemical service, that gets explained too, rather than pushed through anyway. The goal at the end of every appointment is a result both you and your stylist are genuinely proud of.

Understanding Why South Shore Hair Behaves the Way It Does

Hair doesn't exist in a vacuum. Local water chemistry, seasonal humidity swings, proximity to the coast, and harsh New England winters all leave a real, measurable mark, and this team accounts for every one of them starting at the consultation, not as an afterthought once something's already gone wrong.

Hard Water and Mineral Buildup

Water across the region tends to run hard, which means calcium, iron, and magnesium slowly deposit onto the hair shaft over time. That buildup shows up as dullness, brassy undertones in lightened hair, flattened texture, color that fades faster than it should, and shampoo that seems to stop working the way it used to. If any of that sounds familiar, hard water is a likely contributor, and there are specific chelating treatments and take-home products built to address it directly.

Humidity and the Frizz It Brings

Summer humidity here is enough to trigger frizz even in clients who've never dealt with it before, because moisture works its way into the hair shaft and lifts the cuticle. The fix is usually a combination of a cut designed to work with humidity rather than fight it, the right sealing and anti-humidity products, and occasionally a smoothing service for clients who want the frizz pattern addressed more directly.

Salt Air and Coastal Exposure

Time spent near the water means salt exposure, and salt is drying, both to hair and to color, often leaving tone looking dull or slightly gray. Clients who spend a lot of time near the coast benefit from a more intensive moisture routine, UV-protective leave-ins, and a shampoo formulated to lift salt residue without stripping color in the process.

What Winter Does to Hair

Cold outdoor air, dry indoor heat, and the friction of hats and scarves add up to real seasonal damage: breakage from friction, dryness from forced heat, and static from cold, low-humidity air. Home care recommendations shift every fall specifically to get ahead of this before it starts.

Adjusting Color With the Seasons

Tone reads differently depending on the light and the season. A bright blonde that feels a little harsh under gray winter skies can look completely right in summer sunlight, and a rich brunette that feels heavy in July can feel elegant by December. Plenty of clients here adjust depth or tone twice a year to match, and it's a normal part of the conversation with every stylist on the floor.

What a Free Consultation Actually Covers

Every new client gets a free consultation before any service is booked, with no obligation attached. It typically runs 20 to 30 minutes, and it's a working conversation rather than a sales pitch.

  • Hair history. What chemical services your hair has been through, when, and how it responded each time.
  • Current condition. An honest assessment of health, integrity, and porosity, and a realistic picture of what your hair can currently handle.
  • Daily routine. How often you wash, what you currently use, and how much time you're genuinely willing to spend styling.
  • Lifestyle factors. Exercise habits, sun exposure, swimming, work environment, and sleep patterns that all affect hair over time.
  • Visual references. Photos of what you're hoping for, and just as usefully, photos of what you want to avoid.
  • A realistic outcome. A clear picture of what's achievable in a single visit versus what will take multiple sessions to reach.
  • Cost and timing. Numbers discussed upfront, with no surprise at checkout.
  • A maintenance plan. What it will actually take, at home and in the salon, to keep the result looking right between visits.

Plenty of clients say this one conversation gave them more clarity than years of appointments elsewhere. It's treated as the foundation everything else gets built on, not a formality to get through before the real work starts.

Serving Franklin From a South Shore Studio Built to Last

Franklin sits comfortably within the Metrowest and South Shore area, and while it's a bit of a drive from Washington Street, plenty of clients there have decided it's worth working into their schedule. Some come in on a lunch break, some plan around a Tuesday evening slot, and some simply treat it as their standing Saturday appointment.

There's a piece of Franklin's own history that resonates with how this salon tries to operate. The town is named for Benjamin Franklin, and when residents asked him to help fund a church bell, he sent books instead, a donation that's widely credited as the seed of one of the earliest public libraries in America. It's a small story, but it points at something real: a preference for investing in something that actually serves people over the long run, rather than something that just makes noise in the moment. That's roughly the same instinct behind an unhurried consultation and a maintenance plan built to hold up for years, not just for one appointment.

New England's seasons don't stop at any town line, so the same hard water, humidity, coastal air, and harsh winters that affect hair in Braintree affect hair in Franklin too. The advice doesn't change based on which town you're driving in from.

Is the Drive From Franklin Actually Worth It?

It's a fair question, and it comes up honestly with almost every new Franklin client before they book. There are salons closer to home. What's different here is a team where nine people each specialize instead of generalize, a founder who's spent nearly four decades refining how color formulation actually works, and a structure built around giving each client a stylist's full attention rather than splitting it three ways.

Much like the choice Franklin's own namesake made, investing books instead of a bell, plenty of clients decide that spending a little more time getting to the right specialist pays off longer than settling for whoever happens to be closest. Retention here runs high, and clients who book once tend to stick around for years. Logistics help too: free parking, evening hours Tuesday through Thursday, and Saturday availability for anyone working a standard week.

What Clients Book Us for Most

Color leads the list by a wide margin, particularly foiling, balayage, and correction work. Between Maureen's foil placement, Kim's formulation expertise, Janet's correction skill, and Laura's blonding, that's four specialists working under one roof on color alone.

Cutting comes in close behind. Curly-haired clients specifically seek out Alicia for her DevaCurl training and dry-cutting method, while clients wanting a classic, polished shape tend to book Jackie, and clients chasing something more current book Emma. Anyone with an event on the calendar usually ends up with Judy or Kat.

Extensions, alternative hair, and finishing treatments round out the rest. Kim's tape-in work draws clients dealing with fine hair, postpartum shedding, and density loss, while Jackie's topper consultations serve clients managing thinning or medical hair loss with real discretion.

Why a Long-Term Stylist Relationship Actually Matters

The value of working with the same stylist compounds over time. The first appointment sets a baseline. By the second or third, your stylist has started learning your hair specifically: how it lifts, how it takes tone, how quickly it grows, how it shifts across seasons. By the fifth or sixth visit, that understanding starts to resemble the way you'd know a close friend's habits, not a formula written on an index card.

Clients who stay with one stylist consistently get better results than clients who bounce between salons, simply because the work is allowed to build on itself instead of starting over each time. That's why rebooking before you leave is standard practice here: color clients typically return every 4 to 6 weeks, foiling and balayage every 8 to 12, cuts every 6 to 8, and finishing treatments on a quarterly basis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Kimberly Messing Hair Design located in Franklin?

No. The salon is located at 533 Washington Street in Braintree, MA, and a meaningful number of clients from Franklin make the trip specifically for the team's specialization and depth.

What makes this salon worth the drive from Franklin?

Nine stylists, each carrying their own specialty rather than a little bit of everything, a founder with nearly four decades of color experience, and a consultation-first approach that puts your actual hair ahead of a preset formula.

What do haircuts cost?

Barber's Cut and Kid's Cut both start at $35. Short cuts start at $44, medium at $66, long at $88, and extra-long at $110. Shampoo and Cut starts at $50, Shampoo/Cut/Blow-dry at $60, and Shampoo and Blow-dry at $35. Perms start at $105.

What does hair color cost?

Single Process starts at $75, Double Process at $120, Partial Foil at $148, Full Foil at $185, and Balayage at $220. Custom Foil add-ons start at $22, Color Balance at $37, and Up-Do styling at $100.

Do you handle hair extensions?

Yes. Kim leads every extension appointment personally, starting with a full consultation before any method or placement is decided.

What about toppers or alternative hair?

Jackie leads those consultations, priced individually after a private assessment, always handled with discretion.

Is there a curly hair specialist on the team?

Yes, two: Alicia, who's DevaCurl certified, and Jackie, whose cutting specialty is curly hair cut dry, curl by curl. Either is a strong starting point if no stylist has ever fully understood your pattern before.

What does tinting and waxing cost?

Eyebrow Wax and Brow Tint each start at $20, and Lip and Chin Wax starts at $25. Both are common add-ons to a color or cut visit.

How do I book an appointment?

Book online anytime, or call 781-817-5077 during business hours. Booking ahead is smart for color, extensions, and curly hair work, especially since Thursday evening hours run until 8:00 pm.

What are the salon's hours?

Tuesday and Wednesday 9 am to 7 pm, Thursday 9 am to 8 pm, Friday and Saturday 9 am to 4 pm, closed Sunday and Monday. Saturdays fill up fast.

Extended FAQ: Deeper Questions

How long does color actually last before it needs a refresh?

Single process color and root touch-ups typically need attention every 4 to 6 weeks. Foil highlights hold for 8 to 12 weeks before regrowth becomes noticeable. Balayage stretches further, usually 12 to 16 weeks, since the technique is designed for a soft, gradual regrowth line. Vivid and fashion colors fade the fastest, generally within 4 to 8 weeks, though the right at-home products extend all of these timelines noticeably.

Will a color service damage my hair?

Done correctly, it shouldn't. Single process color is the gentlest chemical service on the menu and rarely causes any real damage. Lightening services are more demanding on the hair's structure, which is exactly why Olaplex and K18 are built into every one performed here. Damage tends to show up in clients who move between salons frequently, push too far in a single session, or supplement professional color with box dye at home in between.

How long should I plan for a color appointment?

Single process color usually runs 90 minutes to 2 hours. A root touch-up runs 75 to 90 minutes. Partial foils take roughly 2 to 2.5 hours, full foils 2.5 to 3.5, and balayage falls in that same 2.5 to 3.5 hour range. Color correction can run anywhere from 4 to 8 hours and is sometimes split across two visits. Nothing here gets rushed to fit a tighter window.

Balayage or foil highlights, which one is right for me?

Foil highlights are placed for maximum lift and a brighter, more defined pattern. Balayage is hand-painted for a softer, more lived-in look with an easier, slower-growing regrowth line. A lot of clients actually combine the two. A free consultation is the fastest way to figure out which fits your hair and how much upkeep you're realistically willing to do.

What can I do to keep color from fading quickly?

Sulfate-free shampoo, spacing washes out to every 2 to 3 days instead of daily, a cool final rinse, heat protectant before any hot tool, a UV-protective leave-in, rinsing with clean water before swimming, and a monthly clarifying treatment if your water runs hard. Clients who follow this routine consistently see meaningfully longer color life.

What does a full color transformation typically cost?

It depends entirely on your starting color, your target color, and your hair's length and density, which is exactly why it's quoted after a free consultation rather than guessed at over the phone. Nothing gets sprung on you at checkout.

How do I know which stylist is the right fit for me?

A free consultation is the fastest path to an answer. The team will match you based on what your hair actually needs, whether that's Maureen for foiling, Janet for correction first, Laura for ongoing blonding, or Kim for extensions or complex formulation, rather than whoever happens to have an open slot.

What happens if I'm not happy with the result?

Say something before you leave, or call as soon as you notice. There's a plan for adjusting nearly anything: color that reads too dark, too light, or too warm; a cut that needs reshaping; a style that missed what you asked for. Nobody should walk out unhappy without speaking up first.

Can I bring a friend or family member with me?

Yes. Plenty of clients book alongside a sister, mother, daughter, or close friend, and overlapping appointment times can usually be arranged with a little notice.

Do you work with clients experiencing medical hair loss?

Yes. Kim personally handles Jon Renau wig and topper consultations, with full discretion, and private parking in back is available if that added privacy matters to you.

Do you sell gift cards?

Yes, in any amount, available online or in the salon, and they never expire.

What payment methods do you accept?

Cash, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, debit cards, and gift cards.

What's the cancellation policy?

We ask for 24 hours notice. Same-day cancellations and no-shows are charged 50% of the scheduled service cost.

Is tipping expected?

It's never required but always appreciated. Standard practice runs 18 to 22%, and tips can be given in cash, on card, or through Venmo.

Do you take walk-ins?

The salon runs primarily by appointment, though same-day openings do occasionally come up. Call 781-817-5077 to check availability.

What if I'm running late?

Call ahead as soon as you know. Past about 15 minutes, your stylist may need to shorten the service or reschedule, depending on how the rest of the day's booked.

Are kids welcome at appointments?

Yes, as long as they're seated and supervised. A child with their own appointment needs an accompanying adult present.

Do you handle wedding day styling?

Yes, with advance booking. Trial runs happen in the salon, and day-of styling typically takes place at the venue or hotel.

How do I book my very first visit?

Book online, or call 781-817-5077. A phone call for a first visit lets us match you with the right specialist before anything gets locked into the calendar.

Booking, Hours, and What to Expect the First Time

Book online through our portal or by calling 781-817-5077 during business hours.

Hours of Operation

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 & Monday: Closed

What to Bring

Photos of what you're hoping for, ideally clear and well-lit, along with photos of what you want to avoid, which are often even more useful. A list of what you're currently using at home. Any questions you have. Come ready to actually talk through it.

What to Wear

Something you won't mind getting slightly damp, since color services involve water and the occasional splash. White shirts aren't the best call. Capes and towels are provided, but a stain-resistant top never hurts.

How Much Time to Plan For

A cut and style typically runs 60 to 90 minutes. Single process color plus a cut runs 2 to 2.5 hours. Foil highlights or balayage plus a cut usually run 3 to 4 hours. Color correction is variable and sometimes split across sessions. Exact timing gets confirmed when you book.

Parking

Free lot on-site, no meters, no garage to deal with.

Checking In

You'll be greeted at the front desk, and your stylist will come find you within a few minutes. The consultation starts right there.

Also Serving Nearby Communities

Looking for a top-rated salon near you? Visit our dedicated pages for other nearby towns:

Our Specialty Services

Your Next Appointment Is Worth Getting Right

Foiling and balayage built around real strategy instead of guesswork, extensions that actually look like your own hair, curly cutting from two specialists who understand pattern rather than fighting it, and a team that asks real questions before anyone picks up a brush. That's what's waiting on Washington Street.

Kim built this salon for people who were tired of feeling rushed through an appointment, and nearly four decades later, that's still the standard every stylist here is held to, whether you're walking in from Braintree, Quincy, Milton, Randolph, Brockton, or making the trip in from Franklin.

We've been on Washington Street for close to 40 years, and we intend to stay right where we are.

Book Your Appointment Now | Call 781-817-5077