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

If you live in Quincy, you already know the drive to a great salon rarely lines up with the drive to a close one — Kimberly Messing Hair Design is one of the rare cases where it does. We're a short hop up Washington Street in Braintree, close enough that clients coming from Wollaston, Marina Bay, or the Quincy Center Red Line stop treat it as a normal errand rather than a special trip, and far enough into our own thing that we're not trying to be everyone's neighborhood quick-cut shop.

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

An Owner Who Still Works the Floor

Kim Messing opened this salon in 1986 with a chair, a sink, and a stubborn belief that a haircut should start with an actual conversation, not a guess. She's a board-certified master colorist, which sounds like a plaque on a wall until you watch her problem-solve a color that three other salons couldn't fix, and she still trains regularly with Goldwell, Redken, Keratin Complex, and Olaplex so the techniques she teaches her team aren't frozen in whatever year she learned them. She's also Hot Heads certified for tape-in extensions, a detail that matters if you've ever had extensions that looked great for two weeks and terrible after that. Nearly four decades in, she's still the person new stylists shadow before they touch a client's hair, which tells you something about how this place actually runs versus how a lot of salons claim to run.

Kimberly Messing Hair Design
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 your appointment online

Why Quincy Clients Make the Trip to Washington Street

Quincy is a big place with a lot of salons in it, so it's fair to ask why anyone would drive past a handful of them to get to Braintree. Here's the honest answer, in three parts.

Nine specialists, not one generalist trying to do everything. Most salons hand you whoever's free. We built the team the other way: Jackie cuts curly hair dry, curl by curl, because that's genuinely a different skill than cutting straight hair wet. Maureen maps your face shape before she picks up a foil. Alicia is DevaCurl certified, which is rarer on the South Shore than you'd think. You're not getting a generalist's best guess — you're getting whoever on our team has actually specialized in what your hair needs.

An eco-conscious operation that doesn't treat sustainability as a marketing line. We're deliberate about product waste, water use, and the chemical load we put into the building and down the drain. It's not the reason to book with us, but it's part of how we operate day to day, and if that matters to you, it should.

A consultation room built for actual conversation, not a five-minute pitch. We don't do the thing where you sit down and someone's already reaching for the cape before you've finished a sentence. Every new client gets an unhurried consultation — what your hair has been through, what you want, what's realistic — before anything happens with scissors or color.

The Full Menu

Hair Cut — see full details

  • Barber's/Kid's Cut — a straightforward, no-frills cut for kids or simple men's styles.
  • Short Haircut — precision shaping for cropped and above-the-shoulder lengths.
  • Medium Haircut — shape and movement for shoulder-length hair.
  • Long Haircut — layering and structure built to hold shape as length grows out.
  • Extra-Long Haircut — careful, weight-conscious cutting for hair past the mid-back.
  • Shampoo & Cut — a wash before your cut for a cleaner canvas to work from.
  • Shampoo, Cut & Blowdry — the full finish, from wet hair to styled and out the door.
  • Shampoo & Blowdry — a wash-and-style service with no cutting involved.
  • Perm — classic chemical texture service for curl or body.
  • Consultation — a free sit-down before any service, if you're not sure what you need.

Hair Color — see full details

  • Single Process Color — one all-over color application, root to end.
  • Double Process Color — lightening followed by a toner or deposit step for more dramatic change.
  • Partial Foil — targeted highlighting around the crown and face-framing sections.
  • Full Foil — complete, all-over highlighting for maximum dimension.
  • Balayage — hand-painted, low-maintenance dimension that grows out softly.
  • Custom Foil Add-On — an extra add-on for clients layering multiple techniques in one visit.
  • Color Balance — a quick refresh service between full color appointments.
  • Up-Do — event-ready styling for weddings, proms, and nights out.
  • Color Correction — fixing box-dye mishaps, banding, and botched highlights.
  • Gloss/Toner — a finishing step that shifts tone and adds shine without lifting the base color.

Alternative Hair and Toppers — Consultation-priced work for thinning hair and coverage needs, led by Jackie Shaughnessy. Learn more.

Hair Extensions — Consultation-priced, led by Kim Messing, Hot Heads certified for tape-ins. Learn more.

Tinting and Waxing — see full details

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

Meet Your Style Team

Kim Messing — Owner and master colorist, 38+ years behind the chair, opened the salon in 1986.

Jackie Shaughnessy — Senior stylist and curly-hair cutting specialist, 38 years of experience.

Maureen Lamie — Master stylist specializing in foiling and balayage, 25+ years in the chair.

Janet Layden — Our go-to for color correction and dimensional, layered color work.

Laura Blaikie — Blonding specialist known for bright, lived-in results using foil and hand-painting.

Alicia Hayward — DevaCurl certified curl specialist, cutting curly and coily hair dry, curl by curl.

Emma Browning — Contemporary cutting and vivid fashion color, always current on what's trending.

Judy — Senior stylist and blowout specialist with 25+ years, from pin curls to bridal hair.

Kat — Texture and updo specialist, building a following in dimensional brunette color.

What It's Actually Like to Visit

Let's be direct about geography, because a salon that dances around its own address doesn't earn trust. We're in Braintree, not Quincy. Washington Street sits close enough to the Quincy line that for a lot of our Quincy clients — especially anyone near Wollaston or the southern end of the city — it barely registers as leaving town. For others coming from further up toward Marina Bay or Quincy Center, it's a deliberate but easy drive, roughly 10 to 20 minutes depending on where you're starting and what the traffic on Route 3 or Washington Street is doing that day.

Once you're here, the pace changes. We don't rush consultations, and we don't double-book you into someone else's appointment slot. If you've never had someone explain, in plain language, why your hair is doing what it's doing this time of year — we'll get into hard water, humidity, salt air, and seasonal color further down this page — that alone tends to be worth the drive. This salon has been open since 1986, through several decades of hair trends, and the fact that it's still Kim running it, still on Washington Street, tends to say more than any of our marketing could.

What Our Clients Are Saying

★★★★★ Christina Belbin — "Incredible! She has so much skill and not only that but very intuitive and took the time to get to know me more so as to get the exact results I wanted! Kim always hooks me up with the perfect stylists and Alicia is by far beyond fabulous! I could not be happier!! She even..." (Verified Google review)

★★★★★ michelle merlino — "Best Colorist and Stylist from Boston to the Cape. I drive up from Cape Cod to see Kim. She is that good. I am normally gray in 6 weeks anywhere I've gone in the past, but not with Kim. She does her magic. She is also great in discussing what is good for my hair in regards to..." (Verified Google review)

★★★★★ Barbara Black — "I have been going to Kimberly Messings for several years. Love it there- stylists are so great, really nice vibe, everyone works together- my stylist is Janet. She's very good, listens to what I want, and is alway accommodating. It's a great place- highly recommend!" (Verified Google review)

Read more reviews on Google

The Full Team Behind Your Hair

Kim Messing, Owner & Master Colorist — Kim opened the doors of this salon in 1986 and has spent every year since sharpening her craft rather than coasting on her tenure. She's board-certified, holds Hot Heads certification for tape-in extensions, and continues to train directly with Goldwell, Redken, Keratin Complex, and Olaplex so the salon's color and extension work stays current. She also mentors every stylist on this team, which means her standards travel through the whole salon, not just her own chair.

Jackie Shaughnessy, Senior Stylist — Jackie has been cutting hair for 38 years, with a particular specialty in curly hair cut dry, curl by curl, so each curl falls the way it actually grows rather than the way it looks stretched out and wet. She also leads consultations for color, toppers, and alternative hair, making her one of the people clients lean on when a hair situation is more complicated than a standard appointment.

Maureen Lamie, Master Stylist — With more than 25 years of experience, Maureen specializes in foiling and balayage, and she maps face shape and natural growth pattern before she ever opens a foil packet. That mapping step is what separates highlights that flatter your face from highlights that just sit on your head looking technically fine.

Janet Layden, Color Correction Specialist — Janet is who we call in when a color has gone wrong somewhere else — box-dye disasters, botched highlights, visible banding — and needs a stylist who can diagnose the underlying problem before fixing the surface issue. She's equally strong in dimensional, layered-tone color work when nothing needs correcting at all.

Laura Blaikie, Blonding Specialist — Laura focuses on bright, lived-in blonding using a combination of foil and hand-painting, and she runs Olaplex and K18 through every lightening service to protect the hair's structure while she pushes the color lighter. Clients who've been burned by dry, straw-like blonde elsewhere tend to become repeat clients of hers specifically.

Alicia Hayward, Curl Specialist — Alicia is DevaCurl certified, a distinction that's genuinely uncommon on the South Shore, and she cuts curly, wavy, and coily hair dry, curl by curl, the same technique-driven approach Jackie uses. Having two specialists trained this way means curly-hair clients aren't waiting on one person's schedule.

Emma Browning, Contemporary Stylist — Emma keeps the salon current on shape-driven cuts like textured shags, French bobs, and butterfly layers, and she's the stylist most clients request for vivid or fashion color using Pulp Riot. If you want something a little bolder than a classic color service, she's who to ask for.

Judy, Senior Stylist — Judy has more than 25 years in the industry and built her reputation on blowout artistry — pin curls, finger waves, French twists — the kind of finishing work that shows up at weddings and formal events. She's just as comfortable delivering a polished, low-maintenance everyday cut.

Kat, Texture & Updo Specialist — Kat handles braids, updos, twists, and ponytails engineered to survive an entire night of dancing without falling apart, and she's steadily building a client base around dimensional brunette color as well. She also plays a key role keeping the salon floor running smoothly day to day.

Products We Trust and Sell

K18 is the peptide bond-repair treatment we run through essentially every chemical service in the building — color, lightening, extensions — because it rebuilds the internal bonds a chemical process disrupts rather than just coating the outside of the hair.

Goldwell is one of our core color lines, and we back it up at home with their Color Revive, Kerasilk, and Dualsenses lines, so the color we build in the chair has a fighting chance against everyday washing, sun, and hard water.

Redken shows up across several parts of the menu, from All Soft for dry or coarse hair to Color Extend Magnetics for color-treated clients to Acidic Bonding Concentrate for anyone who needs extra structural support after a chemical service.

Keratin Complex handles our smoothing services and sends clients home with sulfate-free care, which matters because sulfates strip the very smoothing treatment you just paid for.

Olaplex rounds out our bond-building lineup, with No.3 as an at-home perfector and the No.4 and No.5 shampoo and conditioner for daily maintenance between visits.

Beyond those five, we carry 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 — a deep enough bench that most hair concerns walking through our door have a real product answer, not just a service answer.

Our Philosophy

You get one stylist, start to finish. We don't double-book, which means the person who consulted with you is the same person doing your color, not a rotating cast handing you off mid-appointment. And if something you're asking for isn't going to look good on your hair — because of texture, condition, or history — you'll hear that from us honestly, before we start, not after.

The Hair Science Behind What We Do

Hard Water and Mineral Buildup

A lot of the South Shore deals with hard water, and mineral buildup from it is one of the quiet reasons color looks dull or brassy faster than it should. Those minerals coat the hair shaft and interfere with how light reflects off it, which is why a color that looked vibrant on day one can look flat by week three even with decent home care.

Humidity and Summer Frizz

New England summers bring humidity that swells the hair cuticle and creates frizz, especially in hair that's already had a chemical service. The right cut and the right finishing products can manage this, but it starts with a stylist who accounts for humidity when planning your cut and color in the first place.

Salt Air and Coastal Dryness

This one is genuinely relevant if you're a Quincy client. Between Wollaston Beach and Marina Bay, plenty of our Quincy clients spend real time near saltwater, and salt air pulls moisture out of hair the same way it does out of skin. If you're at the beach regularly in summer, your hair is drying out in a way that a client who never sees the coast simply isn't dealing with, and it changes what your hair needs from a color and conditioning standpoint.

Winter Breakage and Static

Cold air outside and dry heat inside is a rough combination for hair. It strips moisture, causes static, and makes already-color-treated or fine hair more prone to breakage. Winter is usually when we adjust clients toward richer conditioning treatments even if nothing about their color routine is changing.

Seasonal Color Strategy

Color that reads perfectly in December can feel heavy or wrong by July, and a bright blonde that looks right in summer sun can look harsh under winter light. We talk through this with clients who like to adjust their color seasonally — lightening up as the weather warms, deepening back down as it cools — so the color always feels intentional rather than just left over from the last appointment.

What a Free Consultation Covers

Every new client — and plenty of returning ones facing a change — gets a free 20 to 30 minute consultation before we touch anything. Here's what we actually go through:

  • Your hair history, including past color, chemical services, and anything that's gone wrong before
  • The current condition of your hair, not just how it looks but how it's holding up structurally
  • Your daily routine — how you wash, style, and maintain your hair at home
  • Your lifestyle, including things like sun and salt water exposure, exercise, and how much styling time you actually have
  • Visual references, if you have photos of what you want (or don't want)
  • A realistic conversation about what outcome is actually achievable given your starting point
  • Cost and time expectations, laid out clearly before you commit to anything
  • A maintenance plan so you know what upkeep looks like after you leave

Part of the South Shore Community

Quincy isn't a filler city on our service list — it's one of the more historically significant places in the entire state, and we don't take that lightly. This is the city where two U.S. presidents, John Adams and John Quincy Adams, were born, a fact preserved today at Adams National Historical Park. It's a city built around water, with Wollaston Beach and Marina Bay giving residents a genuine coastal lifestyle inside city limits, and it's one of the better-connected communities on the South Shore thanks to the Quincy Center MBTA Red Line station putting Boston within easy reach. A city with that much depth and that much daily movement deserves a salon relationship that doesn't feel like an afterthought, and that's what we've tried to build with the Quincy clients who already trust us.

Is the Drive from Quincy Worth It?

Honestly, yes, but we'd rather make the case than just assert it. The trip from most parts of Quincy to 533 Washington Street runs roughly 10 to 20 minutes, which puts us closer to a lot of Quincy neighborhoods than some Quincy salons are to each other. If you're taking the Red Line, Quincy Center connects easily toward Braintree, and if you're driving, parking at our Washington Street location is straightforward with no meter hunting involved. We also keep evening hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and Saturday hours until 4pm, which matters if your schedule doesn't cooperate with a typical nine-to-five salon calendar. One of our own reviews puts this in perspective better than we could: a client who now sees Kim drives up from Cape Cod because, in her words, she's "Best Colorist and Stylist from Boston to the Cape." If clients are making that trip, the drive from Quincy is a modest ask by comparison.

What Clients Book Most

Color work leads the list, particularly balayage and full foil with Maureen and Laura, along with color correction appointments with Janet for clients arriving with a color problem from somewhere else. On the cutting side, Jackie and Alicia's dry curl-by-curl cutting draws clients specifically for curly and wavy hair, while Emma stays busy with contemporary shapes and fashion color. Extensions and topper consultations round out the list, with Kim and Jackie respectively leading those conversations for clients dealing with length, thinning, or coverage needs.

Building a Long-Term Relationship With Your Stylist

Good hair is rarely a one-appointment achievement — it's a rhythm. Single-process color generally wants a refresh every 4 to 6 weeks to keep roots and tone consistent. Highlights and balayage stretch further, typically every 8 to 12 weeks, since the whole point of those techniques is a softer regrowth line. Cuts usually land somewhere around every 6 to 8 weeks depending on how fast your hair grows and how precise the shape is. Bond and moisture treatments are worth revisiting quarterly even if nothing else is changing.

What actually makes this work long-term is staying with the same stylist, which is exactly what we heard from one client who's been coming here for years and specifically credits her stylist Janet for listening to what she wants and staying "alway accommodating." That kind of continuity is hard to fake, and it's a big part of why our philosophy keeps one stylist with you from start to finish rather than rotating you through whoever's available.

Frequently Asked Questions

What actually makes this salon different from others near Quincy?
Nine specialists rather than one generalist per client, a genuinely unhurried consultation process, and a stylist team that includes rare specialties on the South Shore, like DevaCurl-certified curl cutting and Hot Heads-certified extension work.

How much does a haircut cost?
Haircuts range from $35 for a Barber's/Kid's Cut up to $110 for an Extra-Long Haircut, with Short, Medium, and Long cuts priced in between. Shampoo and blowdry add-ons and perms are priced separately.

How much does hair color cost?
Single Process Color starts at $75, Double Process at $120, Partial Foil at $148, Full Foil at $185, and Balayage at $220. A Color Balance refresh is $37 and an Up-Do is $100.

Do you do hair extensions?
Yes. Extensions are consultation-priced and led by Kim Messing, who is Hot Heads certified for tape-in application.

Can you help with toppers or alternative hair?
Yes. Jackie Shaughnessy leads our alternative hair and topper consultations, and pricing is determined during that consultation based on your specific needs.

Do you have a curly hair specialist?
We have two: Jackie Shaughnessy and Alicia Hayward, both of whom cut curly and coily hair dry, curl by curl. Alicia is also DevaCurl certified.

How much do tinting and waxing services cost?
Eyebrow Wax is $20, Brow Tint is $20, and Lip/Chin Wax is $25.

How do I book an appointment?
You can book online here, call us at 781-817-5077, or email hello@kimberlymessinghairdesign.com.

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

Do you work with every hair type?
Yes. Between our nine stylists, we cover straight, wavy, curly, and coily textures, along with color correction, thinning hair, and extension work, so most hair situations have a specialist on our team rather than a generalist guess.

Extended FAQ

How long does hair color typically last?
It depends on the technique, but single-process color generally needs a refresh every 4 to 6 weeks, while balayage and highlights can stretch to 8–12 weeks because the regrowth line is intentionally softer.

Will color damage my hair?
Any chemical service changes the hair's structure to some degree, which is why we run K18 through our chemical services and recommend Olaplex and other bond-building home care to protect against long-term damage.

How long does an appointment take?
A simple haircut can run under an hour, while a full foil, balayage, or extension appointment can take several hours. We'll give you a realistic time estimate during your consultation.

What's the real difference between balayage and highlights?
Full or partial foil highlights create more uniform, defined lightened sections, while balayage is hand-painted for a softer, more graduated result that typically grows out with less visible demarcation.

How do I prevent my color from fading fast?
Hard water minerals and salt air are two of the biggest culprits on the South Shore. Using sulfate-free, color-safe products like Goldwell's Dualsenses or Redken's Color Extend Magnetics, and limiting hot water exposure, both help meaningfully.

What would a full transformation cost, roughly?
It varies widely based on your starting hair and goal, but a full foil or balayage combined with a haircut typically falls somewhere in the $250–$350 range before any extension or treatment add-ons. We'll always quote you precisely during your consultation.

How do I find the right stylist for me here?
Tell us your goal when you book, or call ahead, and we'll match you based on specialty — curly cutting, blonding, color correction, extensions, or texture work — rather than just whoever happens to be free.

What if I don't love the result?
Tell us before you leave the chair. Because you work with one stylist throughout the appointment, adjustments happen in real time with the person who did the work, not through a game of telephone.

Can I bring someone with me to my appointment?
Yes, within reason for space. Just let us know when booking if you're bringing a guest, especially for longer appointments like extensions or bridal styling.

Do you work with clients experiencing medical hair loss?
Yes. Jackie Shaughnessy leads alternative hair and topper consultations, and we approach these appointments with sensitivity and privacy in mind.

Do you offer gift cards?
Yes, gift cards are available and make a straightforward gift for a first-time client we can then match to the right specialist.

What's your cancellation policy?
We ask for advance notice if you need to cancel or reschedule so we can offer that time to another client. Call or email us as soon as you know your plans have changed.

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 any photos of styles or colors you like (and dislike), a general sense of your hair history, and a little extra time. Plan for more time than you think you'll need if you're coming in for color or extensions, since consultations at the start of a new client relationship take a bit longer by design. Wear something you don't mind getting a little product on, and if you're coming straight from the beach in summer, know that we'll likely talk about how that salt exposure factors into your color plan. Parking at 533 Washington Street is straightforward, and when you arrive, just check in at the front desk — your stylist will come get you once your color or treatment step is prepped.

Also Serving Nearby Communities

We work with clients across the South Shore, not just Quincy. Our Braintree page covers our home base directly: Best Salon Near Braintree, MA. We also serve clients from several neighboring communities:

Our Specialty Services

Ready When You Are

If you're in Quincy and ready to work with a stylist who actually specializes in what your hair needs, we'd like to meet you. Book your appointment online or call us directly at 781-817-5077. You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram for a closer look at recent work from the team.