8 best hair salons in Boston

When you’re trained by the likes of Paul Mitchell, Bumble & Bumble and L'Oreal, you know your stuff. Which is why this Back Bay salon fills its chairs with celebs and local TV personalities, all looking for the latest and greatest in services from balayage to blowouts. There are classic and creative cuts and colors, even for curly girls (they have certified curl specialists on staff). Natural hair benefits from extra expert care for services including simple silk press, single plaits, locks and crochet.

As part of Encore Boston Harbor’s 19,000 square feet dedicated to self-care, this expansive high-end salon is a tranquil oasis from Everett’s bustling casino. It boasts experienced stylists that take great care in their art. Of note is the Design and Finish - a cut and power blow dry that’s paired with an in-depth consultation, relaxing scalp massage and a customized Kerastase fusio-dose or K-water treatment. This salon is also one of the only places to find the world-renowned Bellami Hair Extensions in the area.

Husband-and-wife team Joanna Howell-Giraud and Omar Giraud split their time between their north shore Giraud Studio in Manchester-by-the-Sea and their new Boston location, Studio Number 4. Partnering with two other local stylists high above Newbury Street, this intimate four-seat salon is pristine in its all-white décor and high ceilings with a relaxed view overlooking adjacent residential rooftops. The quintessential dream team, Joanna is a Best of Boston winner for coloring with expertly mixed and applied shades, while Omar is known for his razor-shape skill at creating precision cuts.

The grand dame of Newbury Street salons, Patrice Vinci set up shop in a man's world (think Marc Harris, Mario Russo, etc.) more than 15 years ago and has managed to stake her claim as one of Boston's top colorists. She has Best of Boston awards galore, was named as Elle magazine "Top 100 Salons in America,” and is NBC's go-to gal for coiffing celebs for their press junkets. Her eponymous salon houses some of Boston’s best hair and makeup artists for a total transformation or just a little off the top.

There are seldom empty chairs at this Boston-area hair empire. James Joseph Salon opened in 1997 with five stylists in a 1,000-square-foot basement and eventually moved to its current 2,100-square-foot architecturally dynamic, sun-splashed loft at 30 Newbury Street with a team of 19. With a unique ambiance and the latest technology, this location remains the centerpiece of the JJ experience, but there are six other locales with the same high-caliber styling expertise.

With “knowledge, confidence, creativity and the skill to execute'' as his salon’s driving forces, Marc Harris has been a mainstay on Boston’s beauty scene for more than 30 years. Garnering kudos with more than 30 Best of Boston awards, this master stylist and Southie native boasts an exacting eye that not only satisfies his own clients’ needs, but allows him to vet his expert team of colorists and stylists. With only the best products on-hand (Parlux Blow Dryers, GHD Flat Irons, Kerastase Professional hair treatments, Bumble&bumble Color Minded and more), these stylists truly care for your tresses.

When you want to avoid the salon bustle, consider Area Salon Studios your small escape that showcases big talent in Boston. A vision of Marc Harris, these turnkey salon suites (Area 207 and Area 129 on Newbury Street, the South End’s Area 56, and Newton and Brookline Village locations coming soon) offer unique self-encapsulated mini salons within each setting – perfect for an intimate tête-à-tête in a calm environment with your stylist about your look. The most recent to open, Area 129, is a nod to soothing vibes with neutral color palettes, air plants, greenery and branches throughout the six poshly appointed salon studios within the brownstone.

Co-owners Michelle Lee and Eva Mustafai have taken their combined know-how and award-winning execution and brought it to an experimental space stripped down to its bare essentials with exposed flooring and brick walls known as Salon Eva Michelle. With several Best of Boston awards for cuts and colors, the stylists grasp not only trends but also classics, as well as constantly growing to create new looks through the salon’s own education and developmental program. They’re also one of the few salons to offer the Inca Glow Smoothing Treatments, a formaldehyde-free system of natural and organic ingredients. Want to keep constantly coiffed? Check out their monthly blowout membership.