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

Plymouth has spent four centuries deciding that some things are worth keeping exactly as they are, and other things are worth doing properly the first time. A haircut falls into the second category more often than people expect. You can walk the cobblestones near the waterfront where the Mayflower II sits at anchor, watch the tide pull at the harbor the same way it has since long before anyone thought to build a dock there, and still show up to an appointment with hair that a humid August afternoon has turned into something closer to a science experiment. Plymouth residents tend to have strong opinions about authenticity, about doing things the way they were meant to be done, and about not settling for an imitation of the real thing. That instinct is exactly why so many of them end up driving north to Washington Street in Braintree instead of settling for whatever chair happens to be closest.

Voted Best Salon in Braintree | 38+ Years on Washington Street

Kim Messing Built This One Client at a Time

In 1986, Kim Messing opened a salon on Washington Street with a fairly simple idea: hair should be handled by someone who actually understands what it's doing and why, not someone reciting a script from a training manual. Nearly forty years later, that idea is still the operating principle. Kim is a master colorist and a board-certified stylist, and she still works behind the chair herself. She's Hot Heads certified for tape-in extensions, and she trains continuously with Goldwell, Redken, Keratin Complex, and Olaplex so the techniques she teaches her team stay current rather than frozen in whatever was cutting-edge when she got her license. She's also spent decades mentoring the stylists who now make up her team, several of whom have been with her long enough that "team" undersells it — it's closer to a trade that gets passed down.

If you're calling from Plymouth to ask a question before you book, here's everything you need:

Why Plymouth Clients Choose Us

Nobody drives past their own town's salons without a reason. Here's what usually brings Plymouth clients to us, in their own words when we ask:

Nine specialists, not one generalist stretched thin

Most salons hand you whoever happens to be free. We built the team the opposite way — nine stylists, each with an actual specialty, so the person cutting your curls has spent years doing exactly that, and the person handling your color correction isn't guessing at a technique they saw once in a workshop.

A salon that thinks about where its product waste goes

We run an eco-conscious operation — that shows up in the product lines we choose, how we handle color waste, and the fact that we're not chasing the cheapest bulk order at the expense of what actually goes on your hair and down the drain.

A consultation room, not a rushed hallway conversation

Every new service starts with an unhurried consultation — not a two-minute chat while someone's already draping a cape over you, but a real conversation about your hair's history, what's realistic, and what it will take to get there.

Part of the Plymouth and South Shore Community

Plymouth occupies an unusual place in the South Shore's identity. It's a working coastal town, but it's also one of the most historically significant few square miles in the country — Plymouth Rock, the Mayflower II moored at the State Pier, Plimoth Patuxet Museums, Pilgrim Memorial State Park along the harbor. People come from around the world to see it. And the people who actually live there, who watch the tourists come through every summer and the town settle back into itself every fall, tend to carry a particular kind of pride in their community — a sense that history isn't just a backdrop, it's something you're responsible for representing well.

We think that instinct translates directly to how people want to look and feel day to day. A town built around preserving something real for four hundred years doesn't produce a lot of people who want a trendy, disposable haircut that looks dated in six months. It produces people who want work that holds up — color that grows out gracefully, a cut that survives a humid harbor walk, a style that still looks like *them* a year from now. That's the kind of work a salon can only do if it's been doing the same thing, carefully, for a long time itself. Kim opened her doors in 1986. Plymouth has been doing this since 1620. We're not claiming those are the same kind of longevity, but we understand why a client from a town that values that kind of continuity gravitates toward a business that's been quietly doing the same thing well for almost four decades.

Our Full Menu of Services

Here's the complete rundown, organized the way we actually offer it.

Hair Cut

  • Barber's/Kid's Cut — a straightforward, no-frills cut for kids or simple men's styles.
  • Short Cut — precision shaping for hair above the shoulders.
  • Medium Cut — for shoulder-to-collarbone lengths that need real structure.
  • Long Cut — shaping and layering for hair past the collarbone.
  • Extra-Long Cut — the most detailed cutting work, for hair well past shoulder length.
  • Shampoo + Cut — a wash paired with your cut for a fresh start every time.
  • Shampoo/Cut/Blowdry — the full service, wash through finished style.
  • Shampoo + Blowdry — a wash and style with no cutting involved.
  • Perm — for clients adding curl or texture rather than removing it.

Full details and current pricing live on our haircut services page.

Hair Color

  • Single Process — one all-over color application, root to end.
  • Double Process — a two-step color service, typically for major lightening or corrective work.
  • Partial Foil — targeted highlighting through the top and sides.
  • Full Foil — highlighting throughout the entire head.
  • Balayage — hand-painted color for a soft, sun-grown-in look.
  • Custom Foil Add-On — extra foils added onto an existing color service.
  • Color Balance — a toning or refresh service between full color appointments.
  • Up-Do — special-occasion styling, often paired with a color visit.

See the complete list and pricing on our hair color services page.

Alternative Hair and Toppers

Jackie leads our alternative hair and topper consultations, working with clients dealing with thinning, medical hair loss, or anyone wanting more density without a full wig. Every recommendation here is priced after a private consultation, because no two situations are the same. Learn more on our alternative hair and toppers page.

Hair Extensions

Kim personally leads our extensions program, including Hot Heads tape-in work. Pricing depends entirely on the method, the amount of hair needed, and your goals, so we quote it after a consultation rather than off a flat menu. Details are on our hair extensions page.

Tinting and Waxing

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

Full details on our tinting and waxing page.

Meet Your Style Team

Kim Messing — Owner, master colorist, and the reason this salon exists at all. Nearly four decades behind the chair, still training, still mentoring.

Jackie Shaughnessy — Senior stylist with 38 years of experience and a real specialty in curly hair, cut dry, curl by curl. Also handles color and alternative hair consultations.

Maureen Lamie — Master stylist known for foiling and balayage, with 25-plus years of mapping face shapes and growth patterns before she ever picks up foil.

Janet Layden — Our color correction specialist. If a box dye or a botched highlight job needs fixing, she's the one who untangles it.

Laura Blaikie — Our blonding specialist, building bright, lived-in color using a combination of foil and hand-painting, with Olaplex and K18 built into every lightening service.

Alicia Hayward — DevaCurl certified, one of the few certified curl specialists on the South Shore, cutting curly, wavy, and coily hair dry.

Emma Browning — Our go-to for contemporary cutting — shags, French bobs, butterfly layers — and vivid color using Pulp Riot.

Judy — Senior stylist with 25-plus years, our blowout and bridal specialist, known for pin curls, finger waves, and event-ready hair.

Kat — Our texture and updo specialist, building braids and styles that hold through a full night out, and growing a following in dimensional brunette color.

What It's Actually Like to Visit

Let's be straightforward about it: this salon is in Braintree, not Plymouth. If you're coming from Plymouth, you're making a drive — south along the South Shore corridor, past a string of towns that all have their own salons, on your way to one that isn't the closest option on a map. We're not going to pretend otherwise. What we'd rather tell you is why the clients who make that drive keep making it.

Part of it is the same reason people plan a trip around Pilgrim Memorial State Park or the waterfront near Plymouth Rock instead of settling for whatever's nearby — sometimes the thing worth seeing, or in this case the person worth trusting with your hair, isn't in your own zip code. Part of it is more practical: Plymouth's coastal position means your hair deals with a specific set of seasonal stresses — salt air off the harbor, humidity rolling in off the water in summer, dry winter wind whipping in off the Atlantic — and we've spent years learning how South Shore hair responds to exactly that. We'll get into the specifics of that in a minute. And part of it is simply that a salon doesn't survive on Washington Street for 38 years by coasting. Longevity like that gets earned appointment by appointment, not by accident.

What Our Clients Are Saying

★★★★★ Jennifer OBrien — "Just want to give a huge shout out and recommendation to Kimberly Messing Hair Design. I've been seeing Kim for a couple years now. The staff stays up-to-date on education within their field. They offer not only a fabulous service of haircuts colors and more, but also..." (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)

★★★★★ Amanda Mcintyre — "I just had a consultation for extensions and it was amazing. I was given a very thorough understanding of the process, maintenance, and cost. I can't wait to move forward." (Verified Google review)

Read more reviews on Google

Amanda's review is worth sitting with for a moment if you're considering extensions yourself, because it describes exactly how Kim runs that consultation — not a quick upsell, but a real walkthrough of what the process involves, how you'll maintain it, and what it actually costs before anyone commits to anything. And Christine's loyalty to Alicia after multiple visits — booking her next appointment eight weeks out before she's even left the salon — is the kind of relationship we're trying to build with every client who walks in, not just the ones who happen to mention it in a review.

The Full Team Behind Your Hair

Kim Messing opened this salon in 1986 and has spent the years since building it into a place where technical education never stops. She's a board-certified master colorist and Hot Heads certified for tape-in extensions, and she trains directly with Goldwell, Redken, Keratin Complex, and Olaplex to keep her own technique — and her team's — current. She personally leads our extensions program and still takes color clients regularly, which is unusual for an owner nearly forty years in.

Jackie Shaughnessy has been cutting hair for 38 years, and her curly-hair work is done entirely dry, curl by curl, so she's cutting the shape the hair actually falls into rather than guessing at how it will spring back after it dries. Beyond curls, she also runs our alternative hair and topper consultations and handles color work for clients who want a second, experienced set of eyes.

Maureen Lamie has more than 25 years in the chair and has built her reputation on foiling and balayage that actually accounts for the shape of your face and the direction your hair naturally grows — she maps both before she starts placing a single foil, which is the difference between highlights that flatter you and highlights that were placed the same way for the last three clients.

Janet Layden is who other stylists call in when a color job has gone sideways — box-dye disasters, uneven highlights, visible banding where regrowth wasn't blended correctly. She also does strong dimensional and layered-tone work for clients who aren't fixing a mistake, just want color with real depth.

Laura Blaikie specializes in blonding — the kind of bright, lived-in blonde that still looks soft rather than stark, built through a combination of foil work and hand-painting. Every lightening service she does incorporates Olaplex and K18, because lightening is the most damaging thing you can do to hair chemically, and she treats it that way from the first foil.

Alicia Hayward is DevaCurl certified, a distinction that's genuinely rare on the South Shore, and she cuts curly, wavy, and coily hair dry, curl by curl, the same technique-driven approach that makes curly cutting actually work instead of leaving you with a shape that only looks right the day you leave the salon.

Emma Browning works in contemporary cutting — textured shags, French bobs, butterfly layers, the styles that show up in your feed and that most stylists can describe but not actually execute. She also does vivid and fashion color using Pulp Riot for clients who want something with more personality than a traditional palette.

Judy has more than 25 years of experience and built her specialty around blowouts and event styling — pin curls, finger waves, French twists, bridal hair that has to survive a full day of photos and dancing. She's equally comfortable with polished, low-maintenance everyday cuts for clients who just want something easy to live with.

Kat handles texture and updos — braids, twists, ponytails, and styles built specifically to hold through a night out rather than falling apart two hours in. She's also building a genuine following in dimensional brunette color, and keeps the floor running as part of our assistant team, which means she's often the person making sure your appointment starts on time.

Products We Trust and Sell

K18 is built into every chemical service we perform, not sold as an optional add-on. It's a peptide bond-repair treatment, and given how much lightening, coloring, and heat styling we do here, it's not optional in our view — it's part of doing the service correctly.

Goldwell is one of our primary color lines, and we back it up at home with their Color Revive, Kerasilk, and Dualsenses lines so the color you leave with actually holds up between visits instead of fading the first time you wash it.

Redken rounds out our color and care arsenal — All Soft for dry or coarse hair, Color Extend Magnetics to hold onto vibrancy, and Acidic Bonding Concentrate for strength after chemical services.

Keratin Complex handles our smoothing services, and we send clients home with their sulfate-free care line so a smoothing treatment doesn't get undone by the wrong shampoo three weeks later.

Olaplex shows up both in-salon and at home — No.3 as an at-home bond perfector, No.4 and No.5 as a daily shampoo and conditioner for clients who want ongoing strength support between visits.

Beyond those five, we also carry and use Soma, Zenagen for thinning hair, Tri Design, Living Proof, Aluram, Design Me, Amika, Pureology, Milk_shake, Hot Like Me, Revitalash, ECRU New York, FHI Heat, Wahl, and Jon Renau for wigs and toppers.

Our Philosophy

We work one stylist per client, start to finish. That means the person who begins your color is the person who finishes it — nobody hands you off partway through to keep two chairs moving, which is a common practice at busier salons and one we deliberately avoid. We don't double-book. And we tell you the truth in consultation: if a look you're describing isn't going to work with your hair's current condition or history, you'll hear that before we start, not after you've already paid for a service that couldn't deliver it. Every new service includes a free consultation before anything happens.

Hair Science: What Actually Happens to Your Hair Here

Hard water and mineral buildup

A lot of the South Shore, Plymouth included, deals with water that carries more dissolved minerals than people realize. Over time that mineral content deposits on the hair shaft, which dulls color, contributes to brassiness in blondes, and speeds up fading after a fresh color service. It's rarely the color itself failing — it's what's coating the color.

Summer humidity and frizz

Humid air swells the hair's outer cuticle layer and lets moisture in unevenly, which is exactly what produces frizz and unpredictable curl behavior. It's not a styling failure on your part — it's a structural response to moisture in the air, and it needs to be addressed with the right cut and the right products, not just more product piled on top of the problem.

Salt air and coastal dryness

This one matters more in Plymouth than almost anywhere else we serve. A town built around a working harbor and a historic waterfront means a lot of our Plymouth clients spend real time near open water — walking the waterfront near Plymouth Rock, out on a boat, or just living close enough to the coast that salt air is a daily fact of life. Salt draws moisture out of hair and leaves it drier and more prone to breakage, which is a very different problem from humidity frizz and needs a different fix.

Winter breakage and static

Cold air holds less moisture, indoor heating dries it out further, and the combination leaves hair statically charged and structurally weaker. That's when we see the most breakage and the most complaints about hair that "won't lay flat," and it's almost always a moisture and protection issue rather than a cut issue.

Seasonal color strategy

Color doesn't read the same in every season. A bright, high-contrast blonde that looks striking in July sunlight can look almost harsh under gray winter light, and a deep, rich brunette that feels elegant in December can feel heavy and hot come July. Part of what our colorists do is talk through not just what you want now, but how it will read six months from now, so you're not fighting the season with your color choice.

What a Free Consultation Actually Covers

Every new client, and every client starting a new service, gets a free 20-30 minute consultation before anything happens. Here's what we go through:

  • Your hair's history — previous color, chemical treatments, anything that affects what we can safely do next
  • The current condition of your hair, honestly assessed
  • Your daily routine and how much time you realistically want to spend styling
  • Your lifestyle — work, activity level, how often you're near salt water or a pool
  • Visual references, so we're both picturing the same result
  • A realistic outcome based on your hair's starting point, not just what a photo shows
  • Cost and time expectations, laid out before you commit
  • A maintenance plan so you know what upkeep looks like after you leave

Is the Drive From Plymouth Worth It?

Honestly — for a haircut you could get anywhere, probably not. For a color correction, a curl specialist who cuts dry, or an extensions consultation with someone who's Hot Heads certified, we think so, and so do the clients who keep coming back. It's a drive south along the South Shore, and we'd rather you know that going in than discover it after booking. What we can tell you is that it's a manageable one to build into a day off, especially paired with our evening hours on Tuesday and Wednesday or our Saturday hours if weekday driving doesn't work for your schedule. Parking on Washington Street is straightforward, and we don't overbook our schedule, so you're not sitting in a waiting area burning through the extra time you set aside for the drive.

What Clients Book Most

Balayage and full foil lead our color bookings, largely thanks to Maureen and Laura's work in that space, alongside a steady stream of color correction appointments with Janet for clients arriving from elsewhere with a color situation that needs untangling. On the cutting side, Jackie and Alicia's dry curl-cutting work draws clients from well outside Braintree specifically for that specialty, and Emma's contemporary cutting keeps a younger client base coming back season after season. Extensions consultations with Kim have grown steadily, especially among clients who, like Amanda in her review above, want a real understanding of the process before committing to it.

Building a Long-Term Relationship With Your Stylist

Christine's review above — booking Alicia eight weeks out before even leaving the salon — is a pretty accurate picture of how this works when it's going well. Hair care isn't a one-time transaction, it's a relationship with a rhythm to it. Full color services typically need a refresh every 4 to 6 weeks. Highlights and balayage stretch further, generally every 8 to 12 weeks depending on how your hair grows and how much contrast you want to maintain. Cuts fall somewhere in between, usually every 6 to 8 weeks to keep shape and length where you want them. Treatments like Keratin Complex smoothing or deep bond-repair work are typically a quarterly commitment rather than a monthly one. None of this is rigid — your stylist will tell you what your specific hair needs — but knowing the general rhythm helps you plan visits (and the drive) instead of scrambling to book last minute.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Kimberly Messing Hair Design different from a salon closer to Plymouth?
Mainly depth of specialty. Nine stylists, each genuinely specialized rather than generalists, plus nearly 40 years of continuous operation in the same location.

How much does a haircut cost?
Barber's/Kid's Cut is $35, Short Cut is $44, Medium Cut is $66, Long Cut is $88, and Extra-Long Cut is $110. Shampoo + Cut is $50, Shampoo/Cut/Blowdry is $60, Shampoo + Blowdry is $35, and a Perm is $105. Full details are on our cut page.

How much does hair color cost?
Single Process is $75, Double Process is $120, Partial Foil is $148, Full Foil is $185, and Balayage is $220. A Custom Foil add-on is $22, Color Balance is $37, and an Up-Do is $100. See our color page for the full menu.

Do you do hair extensions?
Yes. Kim leads our extensions program, including Hot Heads tape-in work. Pricing is set after a consultation since it depends on method and volume. Details on our extensions page.

Do you work with toppers for thinning hair?
Yes, Jackie leads those consultations. Like extensions, pricing is set individually. More on our alternative hair and toppers page.

Do you have a specialist for curly hair?
Two, actually — Jackie Shaughnessy and Alicia Hayward, who is also DevaCurl certified, one of the few on the South Shore. Both cut curly hair dry, curl by curl.

What do tinting and waxing services cost?
Eyebrow Wax is $20, Brow Tint is $20, and Lip/Chin Wax is $25. Full list on our tinting and waxing page.

How do I book an appointment?
Online through our booking page, or by calling 781-817-5077.

What are your hours?
Tuesday and Wednesday 9am–7pm, Thursday 9am–8pm, Friday and Saturday 9am–4pm. Closed Monday and Sunday.

Do you work with every hair type and texture?
Yes — between the nine of us, we cover straight, wavy, curly, and coily hair, as well as color-treated, chemically processed, and thinning hair.

Extended FAQ

How long does hair color typically last before it needs a refresh?
It depends on the service — single-process color usually needs attention every 4 to 6 weeks as regrowth becomes visible, while balayage and foil highlights can often stretch to 8 to 12 weeks since they're designed to grow out more gradually.

Will coloring damage my hair?
Any chemical lightening carries some risk to hair structure, which is why we build K18 and Olaplex into our lightening and double-process services rather than treating bond repair as optional.

How long does an appointment usually take?
A cut alone might run 45 minutes to an hour. Full foil or balayage with a cut and style can run several hours. We'll give you a specific time estimate during your consultation.

What's the actual difference between balayage and traditional highlights?
Foil highlights are more uniform and higher-contrast, applied section by section. Balayage is hand-painted freehand, which produces a softer, more graduated result that tends to look more natural as it grows out.

How do I keep my color from fading as fast, especially dealing with salt air?
Use a sulfate-free shampoo, avoid excessive heat styling, and rinse your hair after time in salt water when possible. We can also recommend Goldwell's Color Revive line at your next visit for extra protection.

What would a full transformation — cut and color — realistically cost?
It depends entirely on length, current condition, and the specific services, but a Full Foil at $185 combined with a Medium or Long Cut ($66–$88) gives you a rough sense of range before you factor in add-ons.

How do I know which stylist is right for me?
Tell us what you're after when you book, or just ask — we'll match you based on specialty rather than whoever has the next open slot.

What if I don't love the result?
Tell us before you leave the chair. Because you work with one stylist start to finish, they can address it in the same visit rather than you having to explain your hair's history to someone new.

Can I bring someone with me to my appointment?
Yes, that's fine, especially for a first visit or a big change you'd like a second opinion on.

Do you work with clients experiencing medical hair loss?
Yes. Jackie leads sensitive, private consultations for alternative hair and topper solutions for exactly this situation.

Do you offer gift cards?
Yes, available in salon or by calling us directly.

What's your cancellation policy?
We ask for as much advance notice as possible if you need to reschedule, since we don't double-book and a missed slot is time we can't offer another client on short notice.

Booking, Hours, and What to Expect

Day 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

For your first visit, bring photos of what you're hoping for and, if relevant, photos of what you're hoping to avoid — both are genuinely useful. Wear something you don't mind getting a little color or hair on, since we'll drape you but accidents happen. Plan for the full length of your appointment plus a buffer for the drive down from Plymouth, especially if you're coming during Tuesday or Wednesday evening hours. Parking on Washington Street is straightforward and free. When you arrive, just check in at the front desk and we'll take it from there.

You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram if you want to see recent work before you book.

Also Serving Nearby Communities

We're proud to be the pilot location for this part of the South Shore, and we regularly serve clients from towns throughout the area:

Our Specialty Services

Ready to Book?

Plymouth has spent centuries protecting things worth keeping. We'd like to think that's a fair way to describe the relationship we build with clients who make the drive up Washington Street — something worth maintaining, season after season, rather than starting over every time. If you're ready to see what nearly 40 years of specialized experience can do for your hair, book your appointment online or call us directly at 781-817-5077. We'll see you on Washington Street.