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

Weymouth clients often tell us the same thing: they didn't expect a coastal town to need a different hair strategy than everywhere else, until salt air and harbor humidity started fighting their color. Kimberly Messing Hair Design sits at 533 Washington Street in Braintree, roughly 10 to 15 minutes from most of Weymouth, and we've spent 38-plus years building a team of nine specialists who actually account for what living near Boston Harbor does to hair.

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

Kim Messing Built This Salon on One Idea: Listen First

Kim opened her first chair in 1986. Nearly forty years, several team expansions, and a full buildout of specialist stylists later, the founding idea hasn't budged: every client gets a real conversation before anything happens to their hair, and nobody leaves feeling like a number. Clients who've been with Kim for ten, twenty, or thirty-plus years will tell you that's not a slogan, it's just how the place runs.

Kim is a board-certified color specialist, a credential fewer than 5% of working colorists ever pursue. It demands advanced testing in formulation, color theory, correction, and continuing education that most owners stop chasing after their first decade. Kim is closing in on her fourth. She's also Hot Heads certified for tape-in extensions and trains regularly with Goldwell, Redken, Keratin Complex, and Olaplex, because hair chemistry keeps evolving and she doesn't intend to fall behind it. Every stylist on the floor has trained with her or alongside her, which is why the standard holds no matter whose chair you sit in.

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 Weymouth Clients Keep Coming Back

A short drive only matters if what's on the other end is genuinely different. Here's what we hear most from Weymouth clients about why Washington Street became their salon.

Nine specialists, not one generalist stretched thin. Most neighborhood salons run on one strong stylist and a rotating bench of newer hires. This one doesn't. Janet owns color correction. Maureen handles foiling and cutting. Laura lives in blonding work. Each chair belongs to someone who picked a lane and went deep in it, so you're matched to a specialist, not whoever happens to be free.

Genuine attention to hair that deals with salt air and harbor humidity. A coastal town puts different demands on hair than an inland one, and most salons don't build that into their consultation process. We do, because a meaningful share of our client base lives close enough to the water that it actually matters.

A room built for an honest conversation. Consultations happen before anything else, they're thorough, and nobody's rushing you toward the chair. That's kept people coming back for the better part of four decades.

Services at Kimberly Messing Hair Design

Every service on this menu is handled by someone who specializes in it, and every appointment opens with an actual conversation about what you want, how you live, and what your hair can realistically do.

Hair Cut — see full details

  • Barber's Cut / Kid's Cut — $35, clean, low-maintenance, sharp.
  • Short Haircut — $44, bold and precise, easy to keep up.
  • Medium Haircut — $66, shape and movement without sacrificing versatility.
  • Long Haircut — $88, shaping and trimming that keeps length healthy.
  • Extra-Long Haircut — $110, built to preserve length while cleaning up split ends.
  • Shampoo and Cut — $50, a refresh that leaves hair more manageable.
  • Shampoo, Cut, and Blowdry — $60, walk out styled and ready.
  • Shampoo and Blowdry — $35, smooth, shiny, and frizz-free.
  • Perm — $105, lasting texture and volume.

Hair Color — see full details

Color here isn't a fixed formula pulled off a shelf. It's built around your skin tone, your hair's history, and how you actually live, with coastal humidity and salt exposure factored in so results hold through both summer beach days and winter storms.

  • Single Process Color — $75, rich, even color with depth.
  • Double Process Color — $120, a bigger transformation: lift, then tone.
  • Partial Foil — $148, dimension where you want it most.
  • Full Foil — $185, bold, multi-dimensional color throughout.
  • Balayage — $220, hand-painted color that grows out gracefully. One of the most requested services in the salon.
  • Custom Foil Add-On — $22, targeted brightness, placed with intention.
  • Color Balance — $37, correction for faded or uneven tone.
  • Up-Do — $100, long-lasting styling for events.

Alternative Hair and Toppers (priced upon consultation) — Jackie leads this work: private, unhurried consultations and expert fittings for clients navigating thinning or volume loss, handled with full discretion. Learn more.

Hair Extensions (priced upon consultation) — Kim personally handles extension work, matching and applying for length and volume that reads as natural. Learn more.

Tinting and Waxing — see full details

  • Eyebrow Wax — $20, shaped to flatter your features.
  • Brow Tint — $20, fuller-looking arches without a daily makeup routine.
  • Lip/Chin Wax — $25, gentle waxing, smooth results.

Meet Your Style Team

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

Jackie Shaughnessy — Senior stylist, curly-hair cutting specialist, 38 years, also leads topper consultations.

Maureen Lamie — Master stylist, foiling and balayage specialist, 25+ years.

Janet Layden — Color correction specialist and dimensional colorist.

Laura Blaikie — Blonding specialist, uses Olaplex and K18 through every lightening service.

Alicia Hayward — DevaCurl certified curl specialist.

Emma Browning — Contemporary cuts and vivid fashion color, uses Pulp Riot.

Judy — Senior stylist and blowout specialist, 25+ years.

Kat — Texture and updo specialist, salon assistant.

What It's Actually Like to Visit From Weymouth

We're located in Braintree, close enough that most of Weymouth, including Weymouth Landing, treats the trip as a short one — roughly 10 to 15 minutes depending on where you're starting and how traffic is moving on Route 18 or Washington Street that day. For clients near Great Esker Park or along the harbor, it's an easy addition to an errand run rather than a special trip.

Once you're here, the pace changes. We don't rush consultations, and we don't double-book you into someone else's color processing time. Your stylist stays with you from the first conversation through the final blowdry. 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 marketing we could put on this page. Given how many of our Weymouth clients live near the water, we also spend real time in that first consultation talking through salt exposure and how it's likely affecting whatever's already happening with your color or texture.

We also hear from Weymouth clients that they appreciate not having to explain the coastal-hair problem from scratch every time they book. A lot of salons treat "my hair feels different in the summer" as a vague complaint rather than a real, explainable phenomenon. Here, it's the opposite — we expect it, we ask about it directly during the consultation, and we build a plan around it rather than treating it as an afterthought once you're already unhappy with how your color has faded.

What Our Clients Are Saying

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

★★★★★ Kaitlyn Burns — "Can't say enough about my experience at this salon. From the moment I walked in the door I felt welcome and knew I was in the hands of experienced, talented, and friendly stylists. The decor alone is gorgeous and is the perfect atmosphere to relax with the certainty that..." (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)

★★★★★ Danielle Salvinski — "Im so glad I found this salon. I wish I could give more stars! Props to the owner for having such an amazing team!" (Verified Google review)

Read more reviews on Google

The Full Team Behind Your Hair: Nine Specialists, 180+ Combined Years

Most salons run on one or two strong stylists and a rotation of newer talent filling out the rest of the floor. This one is built differently: every chair belongs to a specialist with real depth in one specific discipline.

Kim Messing, Owner and Master Colorist — Kim opened this salon in 1986 and has spent 38-plus years studying how pigment actually behaves on real hair, not textbook hair. She's one of a small number of board-certified color specialists in Massachusetts, a designation that requires advanced testing across formulation, theory, correction, and ongoing education. Where most colorists reach for a preset formula, Kim mixes from scratch, weighing your underlying tone, porosity, water quality, lifestyle, and how you want your hair to behave between visits — a question that matters more than usual for clients who spend real time at the beach in summer. She's also Hot Heads certified for tape-in extensions, refined over thousands of installations.

Jackie Shaughnessy, Senior Stylist and Cutting Specialist — Jackie has cut hair for 38 years, and her precision work is why clients book her months out. Trained in classical technique, she's built a career on the kind of cut that grows out cleanly for eight to ten weeks instead of falling apart after three. Her specialty inside cutting is curly hair, cut dry, curl by curl, accounting for how each one actually moves.

Maureen Lamie, Master Stylist and Foiling Specialist — Maureen is the foiling and balayage specialist on this team, with 25-plus years building dimensional color. Her balayage technique is hand-painted, built to avoid the harsh regrowth line that comes from a sloppy application, and she's also the one who handles complex highlight work on hair with multiple prior color histories.

Janet Layden, Color Correction Specialist — Janet is who gets booked when something's gone wrong: box-dye disasters, botched highlights, tones that won't lift, banding from years of root touch-ups. Color correction is one of the more technical disciplines in the field, and Janet has built her whole career around it. Her dimensional work is just as strong, building depth through layered tones rather than a flat single shade.

Laura Blaikie, Blonding Specialist — There's a real difference between a stylist who can do highlights and a specialist who lives in blonding, and Laura's firmly in the second category. Her work is bright, dimensional, and lived-in, built to flatter skin tone and grow out well. She uses Olaplex and K18 through every lightening service, which matters even more for clients whose hair is already stressed by regular salt water and sun exposure.

Alicia Hayward, DevaCurl Certified Curl Specialist — Alicia is one of the few DevaCurl-certified stylists on the South Shore, trained directly with the DevaCurl team, applying the technique to curly, wavy, and coily hair that most stylists cut against the grain of. One of our Weymouth clients has been seeing her "for a while now" and calls her simply "the best," which is a fairly typical description of how clients talk about Alicia's work.

Emma Browning, Contemporary Cuts and Vivid Color — Emma brings the newest energy on the team and the most contemporary technique: textured shags, French bobs, butterfly layers, cut with a technical foundation underneath so the shape actually wears well. She also handles vivid and fashion color using Pulp Riot.

Judy, Senior Stylist and Blowout Specialist — Judy has styled hair for 25-plus years and is the resident blowout artist, fluent in pin curls, finger waves, French twists, and voluminous, runway-style waves. She's the one booked ahead of weddings, galas, and anything where hair needs to hold up under pressure.

Kat, Texture and Updo Specialist — Kat handles the styling that needs more than a curling iron: braids, updos, intricate twists, half-up looks, and ponytails engineered to survive a full night of dancing, including humid nights near the water. She's also building a following for dimensional brunette color.

The Professional Products We Trust and Sell

The retail wall carries products from more than two dozen professional brands, every one of them something the team actually uses in the chair and stands behind.

K18's peptide formulation rebuilds the hair shaft's internal structure rather than just coating over damage, and it's used in every chemical service here. Goldwell is one of the primary color lines in the salon, with take-home care to match: Color Revive, Kerasilk, and Dualsenses. Redken's All Soft, Color Extend Magnetics, and Acidic Bonding Concentrate are retail mainstays. Keratin Complex supports the salon's smoothing services, particularly useful for clients fighting salt-air frizz. Olaplex is still the most reliable at-home bond-builder available.

Other key brands on our retail wall include Soma, Zenagen for thinning hair, Tri Design for styling, Living Proof for frizz control, Aluram for clean 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.

Our Philosophy: One Stylist, Full Attention, No Exceptions

Most salons run on volume: tight booking, double-booked color processing, multiple chairs per stylist, clients moved through quickly. It's efficient for the business and exhausting for everyone in the chair. This one doesn't run that way.

Your stylist works on you, and only you, from the first consultation through the final blowdry. No double-booking, no handing color processing off to an assistant who doesn't know your name. Clients consistently point to this as the biggest reason they keep coming back: the calm, the real conversation, the sense of being a person instead of a slot on a schedule.

Honest consultation is part of the deal. If something you're asking for won't look good on you, you'll hear that. That's been the standard since 1986.

Coastal Hair: Why It Behaves Differently in Weymouth

Hair reacts to its environment, and few of the towns we serve deal with as direct a coastal influence as Weymouth. Between Boston Harbor and the town's shoreline, salt air, humidity, and sun exposure all leave a real mark on hair, and most stylists treat environment as an afterthought. Every consultation here builds it in from the start.

Salt Air and Coastal Dryness

Time spent near the water means salt exposure, which dries hair out and can leave color looking dull or grayish faster than it would inland. Clients who spend a lot of time near Weymouth's coastline benefit from a more intensive moisture routine, UV-protective leave-ins, and shampoos that lift salt without stripping color.

Hard Water Mineral Buildup

Local water is hard, and over time it deposits calcium, iron, and magnesium onto the hair shaft, showing up as dullness, brassiness in lightened hair, and color fading faster than it should. There are specific chelating treatments and take-home products built to reverse it.

Humidity and Frizz Management

Harbor humidity is a real test for hair, even for clients who've never dealt with frizz before. The fix is a combination of a cut built to work with humidity instead of against it, the right sealing products, and in some cases a keratin smoothing service.

Winter Damage

Winters near the water bring their own version of dryness: cold wind off the harbor, dry indoor heat, and hats that all cause real damage. Home care recommendations shift every fall to get ahead of it.

Seasonal Color Strategy

Color reads differently depending on the season and the light bouncing off the water. Bright blondes that feel harsh in winter can look gorgeous in summer light, and rich brunettes that feel heavy in July can feel elegant by December.

What a Free Consultation Actually Covers

Every new client gets a free consultation before the first service, no charge and no obligation to book. It typically runs 20 to 30 minutes and it's a working conversation, not a sales pitch.

  • Hair history. What chemicals have touched your hair, when, and how it responded.
  • Current condition. An honest read on health, integrity, and porosity.
  • Daily routine. Wash frequency, products, and styling habits.
  • Lifestyle factors. Beach time, sun exposure, workouts, sleep.
  • Visual reference. Photos of what you want and what you don't.
  • Realistic outcome. What's achievable in one visit versus multiple.
  • Cost and time. Clear numbers upfront, no surprises at checkout.
  • Maintenance plan. What upkeep actually looks like between visits, including how to manage salt and sun exposure.

Part of the Weymouth Community

Weymouth is a genuinely coastal town on Boston Harbor, and areas like Weymouth Landing and the open space around Great Esker Park give it a character that's noticeably different from the inland towns we also serve. That coastal identity isn't incidental to how we think about Weymouth clients' hair. It shapes real recommendations: more frequent clarifying treatments for anyone spending summer weekends at the shore, moisture-focused routines for hair that's dealing with salt and wind most of the year, and color choices that account for how sun exposure near the water lightens hair faster than it would inland. Weymouth is also a short, easy drive from our Washington Street studio, roughly 10 to 15 minutes for most of town, which is part of why it's become one of the communities we see the most consistent repeat business from. Clients who live near the harbor or spend regular time at Great Esker Park tend to be some of the most engaged people we talk to about hair care generally, because they've already noticed firsthand how differently their hair behaves depending on the season and how much time they've spent outdoors, and they're looking for a stylist who treats that as useful information rather than an inconvenience.

Is the Drive From Weymouth Worth It?

For Weymouth, the drive itself is close to a non-issue — roughly 10 to 15 minutes for most of town. The real value is what's waiting on the other end: board-certified color expertise, nine specialists instead of one or two generalists, and a stylist team that actually understands what harbor living does to hair. Retention here runs high, and clients who book once tend to stay for years. Free parking, evening hours Tuesday through Thursday, and Saturday availability round out the practical case.

What Clients Book Most

Color leads the list, especially highlights, balayage, and correction work. Between Kim's board-certified formulation, Maureen's foiling, Janet's correction skill, and Laura's blonding, that's four specialists under one roof for color alone. Cutting is close behind — curly-haired clients specifically seek out Alicia for her DevaCurl certification and dry-cutting method, and clients wanting classic, polished shapes book Jackie. Given how much sun and salt exposure our Weymouth clients deal with, moisture treatments and clarifying services also see heavier booking from this group specifically than from clients living farther inland. We also see a noticeable seasonal pattern with Weymouth clients that's less pronounced elsewhere: bookings for deep conditioning and bond-repair treatments climb every September, right after a summer of beach weekends and boat trips, as clients come in to recover hair that's had a much harder few months than a typical inland client's would.

Building a Relationship With Your Stylist Over Time

The value of this kind of salon compounds. The first visit sets a baseline. By the fifth or sixth, your stylist understands your hair's habits the way they'd understand a close friend's — how it lifts, how it deposits, how it grows, and for our Weymouth clients specifically, how it responds after a summer of beach weekends. That's why booking your next appointment before you leave is standard practice here: color clients typically return every 4-6 weeks, highlights and balayage every 8-12, cuts every 6-8, and treatments quarterly, sometimes more often in peak summer for clients dealing with heavier salt and sun exposure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Kimberly Messing Hair Design the best salon near Weymouth, MA?
Nearly four decades on Washington Street, a board-certified color specialist as owner, a team where every stylist specializes rather than generalizes, and a genuine understanding of what coastal living does to hair.

What do haircuts cost?
Barber's Cut and Kid's Cut start at $35. Short cuts start at $44, medium at $66, long at $88, extra-long at $110. 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, Balayage at $220.

Do you do hair extensions?
Yes, Kim personally handles extension work with a full consultation before any installation.

What about alternative hair and toppers?
Jackie leads those consultations and fittings, priced individually after assessment.

Is there a curly hair specialist on staff?
Yes, Alicia Hayward is DevaCurl certified, and Jackie also cuts curly hair dry, curl by curl.

What do tinting and waxing services cost?
Eyebrow Waxing starts at $20, Brow Tinting at $20, Lip and Chin Waxing at $25.

How do I book?
Book online any time, or call 781-817-5077.

What are the salon hours?
Tuesday and Wednesday 9-7, Thursday 9-8, Friday and Saturday 9-4, closed Sunday and Monday.

Do you work with every hair type?
Yes: fine, thick, curly, color-treated, all of it.

Extended FAQ: Deeper Questions

How long does color last for hair that spends a lot of time near saltwater?
Generally a bit less than inland hair. Single process and root touch-ups still typically need a refresh every 4-6 weeks, but clients swimming regularly in summer often need a clarifying treatment in between to keep tone accurate.

Will color damage my hair?
Done correctly, no. Lightening services are more demanding, which is why Olaplex and K18 are used in every one, and it matters even more for hair that's already dealing with sun and salt exposure.

How long does a color appointment take?
Single process: 90 minutes to 2 hours. Full foils: 2.5 to 3.5 hours. Balayage: 2.5 to 3.5 hours. Color correction: 4-8 hours, sometimes split across visits.

Balayage or highlights, which is right for me?
Highlights are foiled for maximum lift. Balayage is hand-painted for a softer, lived-in look with easier regrowth. A free consultation is the fastest way to decide.

How do I keep color from fading with regular beach and boat time?
Sulfate-free shampoo, a cold final rinse, heat protectant, a UV-protective leave-in, rinsing with fresh water before swimming when possible, and a monthly clarifying treatment.

What does a full color transformation cost?
It depends on your starting color, target color, and hair length, and it's always quoted after a free consultation.

How do I find the right stylist?
A free consultation is the fastest way. We match you based on what you need, not who happens to have an opening.

What if I don't like the result?
Say so. There's a plan for adjusting almost anything, and nobody should leave unhappy without saying something.

Do you serve clients dealing with medical hair loss?
Yes, Kim handles Jon Renau wig and topper consultations personally, with discretion.

Gift cards?
Available in any amount, online or in-salon, and they never expire.

Payment methods?
Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Discover, debit, and gift cards.

Cancellation policy?
24 hours notice, please. Same-day cancellations and no-shows are charged 50% of the service cost.

Tipping?
Not required, always appreciated. Standard practice runs 18-22%.

Wedding day services?
Yes, with advance booking, including for beachfront or waterfront venues. Trials happen in-salon; day-of styling typically happens at the venue or hotel.

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

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

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

What to Bring

Photos of what you want, and photos of what you don't want, which are often more useful. If you swim or boat regularly, mention it — it changes our recommendation.

What to Wear

Something you don't mind getting slightly damp; color services involve water. Skip white shirts. Capes and towels are provided.

Time to Plan For

Cut and style: 60-90 minutes. Single process and cut: 2-2.5 hours. Highlights and cut: 3-4 hours. Balayage and cut: 3-4 hours.

Parking

Free lot at the salon, no meters, no garage.

Check-In

You'll be greeted at the desk and your stylist will find you within a few minutes.

Also Serving Nearby Communities

Our Braintree page covers our home base directly: Best Salon Near Braintree, MA. We also serve clients from several neighboring communities:

Our Specialty Services

Your Best Hair Is Waiting

Color built to survive salt air and harbor humidity, extensions that finally give you the length you've wanted, curly hair care that actually gets it right, and a team that listens before anyone picks up a brush. That's the case for Kimberly Messing Hair Design on Washington Street, roughly 10 to 15 minutes from most of Weymouth.

We've been here for over 38 years, and we're not going anywhere.

Book Your Appointment Now | Call 781-817-5077