In need of a quick trim, or fancy giving a new hair colour or complete restyle a try? Book yourself into one of these London hair salons.
Bangs London – Walthamstow
For colour; for sustainable haircare; for beauty treatments; for restyles and fringe trims
They're doing what it says on the tin at Bangs, where they'll make it their mission to style your perfect fringe, from delicate little microbangs to heavy, sultry feathering. You'll also get one free fringe trim with your stylist between appointments, to keep it looking salon-crisp. Still, that's far from the only string to their bow, with a team devoted to making dramatic colour changes while still keeping your hair in dramatically good condition, and a whole range of beauty treatments available in-salon — from BIAB manicures to facials to brow laminations — if you're in the mood to make your self-indulgence session a very extensive one.
Bangs London, Walthamstow
Blue Tit London – Dalston, Leyton, Peckham, and branches across London
For colour; for sustainable haircare; for restyles and fringe trims
If you want to turn your naturally ink-black hair to Debbie Harry-platinum, or painstakingly balayage the hell out of your knee-length waves, you're going to be there for hours. Might as well choose somewhere actually nice to hang out, and Blue Tit's exceptional at not only the big colour transformations, but also at making the wait an enjoyable one — each salon has its own mood but they're all informal, welcoming and gorgeous (plus smell great, thanks to their work with the botanical-and-sea-spray-scented Oway product line).
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Our personal favourites: the OG Blue Tit, in Dalston, with its beaten-up wood, industrial piping, trailing plants and 90s soundtrack, and Leyton's cosy 70s-living-room salon, where you can get haggis toasties delivered from Deeny's to your salon chair, or catch some sun in back garden while you're waiting for the colour to take hold.
Blue Tit London, Dalston, Leyton, Peckham, and branches across London
Glasshouse Salon – London Fields
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For colour; for sustainable haircare; for beauty and wellness treatments
Expect a sizeable wait for the next available appointment at the much-adored Mare Street salon, with slots booking up way in advance — but you can also expect it to be worth the wait. Glasshouse Salon comes with gender neutral pricing, sustainably-minded products, soothing interiors designed with eco-conscious materials, and an attached Therapy Room if you want to start with a facial or foot massage, and slide into your haircut/colour in a state of maximum relaxation.
Glasshouse Salon, London Fields
Bleach London — Brixton and Dalston
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For colour; for curls and natural hair
Bleach London's USP is making big colour changes feel easy and unintimidating, whether it's in their London salons or with their range of at-home options (you can make a video call appointment with their in-house stylists to talk you through using them). Their clientele comes by for everything from semi-permanent pastels to vivid neon to hair art — think leopardprint on a buzzcut — and, although they offer all the usual variations on naturalistic hair colours, subtle balayages and highlights, you're probably missing out on the best stuff if you're not coming out of their salon with something flamboyant.
Bleach London, Brixton and Dalston
The Curl Bar – Bowes Park
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For colour; for curls and natural hair; for hijab-friendly appointments; for bridal hair; for kids
Their Hornsey salon seems to have closed at time of writing, but The Curl Bar on Myddleton Road's still going strong. And whether you're after big volume, precise twists, bridal hair or a colour change, there's an expert in the team for that, with curls, coils and waves of all kinds welcomed — along with kids from 6+. Hijab-wearers are also well catered-for, with a lovely separate room for you and your stylist (request it when making a booking).
The Curl Bar, Bowes Park
Quinn Harper – King's Road
For kids
We understand the ideal kids' hairdresser basically comes down to patience, calm demeanour... and an immense amount of post-haircut rewards and during-haircut distractions. Quinn Harper's Chelsea salon offers all of those, but is especially strong at the distractions part. Among other things in its arsenal to enchant the wary toddler: a big fish tank, a TV, a liberal scattering of interactive books and chocolate coins available throughout the experience — and one of the chairs is a tiny replica car raised on a pole, so your small child can elect to have their hair cut from the comfort of the driving seat of a Bentley (we don't know what to tell you, this is King's Road).
Quinn Harper, King's Road
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Trotters – Turnham Green, Shepherd’s Bush, Selfridges, and branches across London
For kids
The childrenswear brand now has a scattering of kids' hair salons around west London, with all the stuff you'd hope for to keep a tiny client feeling calm — stickers, toys, a patient and cheerful team of hairdressers — plus some nice extra touches: a little personalised certificate for your kid after their first chop, and they also offer free haircuts for kids wanting to donate their hair to the Little Princess Trust to help other children experiencing hair loss (mention when booking).
Trotters, Turnham Green, Shepherd’s Bush, and branches across west London
Buller and Rice – Wanstead, Walthamstow, Newington Green
For colour; for restyles and fringe trims
We can attest to the transformative skills of a Buller and Rice haircut, after a post-lockdown visit that, in under half an hour, managed to make it look like we hadn't spent the last 12 months of the pandemic enthusiastically 'restyling' our own hair. Go for a big change or drop in for a £10 fixed-rate fringe trim, you'll still get the same relaxed expertise and intense attention to detail.
Buller and Rice, Walthamstow, Wanstead, Newington Green
Kids' Haircuts — roaming
For kids; for at-home visits
Mary Poppins references and various mentions of her wonderfully calming influence on skittish toddlers abound in the reviews for Kate Prokop's mobile hairdressing business — the ex-Trotters stylist turns up at your home ready to trim or restyle all ages, so you can get haircuts for the entire family in one visit if you want.
Kids' Haircuts —roaming.
