REVscene Automotive Forum - A Serious Opinion on Good Vancouver Hair Salons for Men

Wouldn't you want a trendy hairstyle that will perfectly match your facial features and personality? A hairstylist that could assess:

- your facial features
- your facial structure and shape
- your hair texture and growth direction
- your lifestyle, your personal life and professional life
- and use that along with current trends to come up with your hairstyle.

I thought the top-notch Vancouver hair salons could do this, but I was wrong. Perhaps. Perhaps celebrity hairstylists could do this, but a regular person cannot walk into a local salon and expect this kind of service for a reasonable price.

Why the best Vancouver hair salons do not provide the "Personalized Hair Service"

I have visited a few famous high end Vancouver salons expecting a comprehensive consultation about what kind of hair suits me best--allowing them to come up with ideas and suggestions, hoping they will know from assessing my facial features, lifestyle and personality, just as they have all promised on their websites.

Which hair salons did I visit?

1. On the Fringe Hair Design, on Main St. by King Edward
http://www.onthefringehairdesign.com/

This salon has apparently award winning stylists and extensive experience in hairstyling, with canvases of flashy hair models on the walls of the salon store. The salon is recently voted as Best Salon East Van 2013, and 2nd Place Best Salon East Van 2012.

I remember calling this salon several years ago where they told me I will receive my haircut with a consultation beforehand. This would later be a $45 men's haircut to which I was disappointed, not because of the haircut, but because I was provided no special consultation as they have said on the phone. In fact, my talk with the stylist was the same as any other salon's "what kind of style do you want?" while sitting in front of the mirror on the barber stool.

2. Toni&Guy, at Kitsilano,
http://toniguy.com

Fast forward to this week, I visited the infamous Toni&Guy hair salon where their advertised female models look like catwalk homosapiens and the male models like flaming homosexuals. In addition to their overall presence and stylish stylists of Toni&Guy, I thought that this would be the pinnacle of Vancouver's top-notch high end hair salons, and thought they had the "Personalized Hair Service" I so wished for.

Toni&Guy was more conscious of their complementary hair consultation than "On The Fringe" much more so. Toni&Guy's online social media is active and encourages potential customers on hair consultations, as well as providing immediate tips and possible techniques about hairstyles on the blog.

As soon as I sat down on the barber stool at Toni&Guy, I was treated with water and a discussion on my hair that felt like an actual consultation, unlike at "On the Fringe". However, I was disappointed. It was not my expected "Personalized Hair Service". Although she did offer some suggestions through magazines and her own knowledge, the suggestions were not reassured by any assessments of my facial features, personality, lifestyle, or current trends, as they have promised on their online presence.

I have a few predictions that this might be an exclusive issue

1. The hairstylists I have chosen to "consult" with are the least experienced and least expensive in the category of 4 progressive levels of hairstylist experience.

2. The hairstylist's/hair salon's emphasis of expertise are focused on the female's hair, as opposed to the male's hair, leaving the male's hair with little to no specialized service.

I have a feeling that #2 is more of a possibility right now.