Birch Salon in Richmond, VA

I have never gotten my hair professionally dyed but wanted a little change. Valentina was great- she gave me a caramel balayage and some curtain bangs. She definitely listens to you and doesn't cut too much off and is really accurate with cutting only a couple inches off. The process took 4.5 hours but it didn't feel too long.

Pros: The salon is aesthetic and clean. Everyone I interacted with was friendly and helpful. While my hair color did not even approach what I requested, it did not look too bad! Cons: Birch Salon utilizes a staggered pricing system where the customer is charged based off the stylist's experience level. The lowest level is a trainee. This means that folks can get services at a lower price point, but customers may not wind up with what they requested. I suppose if you don't mind inconsistent results and are on a budget, this may not be the worst thing. However, the stylists who are ranked at the top have an above-market charge for coloring services. I mention this because it may constrain availability when booking if experience levels or price points are important to you. Another thing to note is that you have to put down a non-refundable deposit on coloring services at the time of booking. My experience: I recently moved and decided to try out Birch Salon. I had an appointment with a trainee (which I did not fully understand the implications of when I scheduled my appointment-- that's on me). I showed my stylist a couple of picture of the hair color I wanted (a very light blonde), which is one that I have had before. At the time of the appointment, I had partial highlights that had grown out and I was essentially looking to have the roots done and get a full highlight underneath that matched the top. My stylist said she wouldn't be able to get my hair color quite as bright as the photos I showed her in one session, but that we could get pretty close. At the end, she seemed a little nervous and asked if I liked it. My hair-- which is naturally a medium brown-- had barely lifted at all. However, to her credit, it did look natural and not streaky. In terms of styling after washing the dye out, she just blew it dry. There was a bit of a dent in my hair at the top and it completely frizzed up within 20 minutes of leaving the salon. I've attached a photo here and you can compare it to photos I've posted in the review I did of my previous salon, which I absolutely loved. I had to leave the next morning for an extended trip and didn't have time to come back for a correction so I just said it was fine. When I got home, my husband was confused because it looked like I didn't have anything done and he jokingly asked "Did she forget to put on the bleach?" Overall, definitely not the worst experience ever, but I prefer to go somewhere with more consistency.

Couldn't be happier! I went there to get my hair dyed and cut slightly and honestly, probably the best haircut I have ever had in my life! I got a terrible cut a year ago and have been super apprehensive/cautious since then, but Erin did such a great job, and even fixed the super choppy and uneven layers I had! It now looks like my hair wasn't cut by a 3 year old, success! :) In terms of color I couldn't be happier too. Erin listened SO WELL to what I wanted, and even triple checked to make sure the color was right!! This was my first time dying my hair completely, and I was nervous but so happy I had Erin to do it :). She did an AMAZING job with the color, and it was so affordable too! She gave me great advice on how to take care of it, and even set up a toning appointment 5 weeks afterwards. Could not recommend this place, and Erin, more!! Best hair experience, you won't regret it trust me :) I included a pic of the reference photo, and my hair afterwards! Exactly what I wanted :)

I had my first experience going to Birch Salon in February. Pam McCall, who has been my colorist for over 20 years at Scott Miller had recently joined Birch and I decided to give it a try. She did a beautiful job as always and the salon itself is not only professional, but very cozy and warm. The staff is very friendly and accomodating. I have already made my next appointment with Pam. It was a nice feeling leaving satisfied with my hair. Oh by the way, bonus is that there is free parking right across the street right next to a Police Station.

I made my first appointment here based solely on other reviews. I came in for a transformative cut but wasn't 100% sure on making such a drastic change, nor did I have a vision of what I wanted. Hillary and the staff here made what might have been an indecisive and stressful situation a fun, collaborative effort. I left with a new look that I like very much and a donation ready to go to my charity of choice. Quite simply, this place has great energy. After 1 minute in Hillary's chair you will feel like old friends. And Kay does a great job making you feel at home. I was happy to spend my money here and look forward to coming back.