Toka Salon & Day Spa

Classy, clean place with excellent stylists. Parking is convenient. I’m a fan!

Johara has been cutting my hair since they first opened. I highly recommend her. You won’t be disappointed.

I go to Toka in Alexandria regularly for hair and facials and I love it. I see Mazir for my hair and he is fantastic. The lady at the front desk is equally amazing and just polishes the entire experience. I used to see Melissa for facials and they might have been the best I’ve had– unfortunately she no longer works there.
I tried this salon after referral and I lived close by. I’ve since moved to DC but still travel to the Alexandria location. The ambiance is nice– although it could use some music. There has been a couple hiccups– hence the 4 and not 5 stars but it’s a great place and consistently refer to my friends.

Heather did an AMAZING job on my hair once again! I went from dark to light with an ombré. I am a recently licensed stylist myself and know many stylists I could go to. I still refuse to see anyone else besides Heather for my big hair projects. She makes you feel comfortable and pays close attention to what you want. Her shampoos are wonderful and relaxing. The salon is beautiful and inviting. I had a wonderful experience once again!

Heather at Toka was AWESOME. I wanted a major change and going somewhere new made me really nervous — especially when it was easy to get an appointment. I got exactly the cut and color I wanted and it’s the best cut I’ve had in years! Tons of compliments later I am going back again. She could not be nicer and is SO good! Highly recommend.

I chose a stylist who Unilocal reviewers rave about but I am disappointed with her work. Something must have gone wrong during my consultation because I have a hair cut that I despise and looking for extensions to cover it up. We agreed to take some length off but she cut two different layers all over with the short layer being thicker and more defined than the longer layer. The longer layer is a thin, stringy mess and looks ridiculous. I would have NEVER agreed to defined layers like she cut. We never even discussed layers during our consultation ! When she finished her blowout I did question her on it but did not want to make a scene. The short layer also appears to be angled like T-​boz from the mid-90’s OMG!!! My hair looks awful and I can’t wait to get my extensions to cover this mess up. At $ 90 + tip + the cost of my extensions, I will not be returning to this salon.

I had a fantastic experience getting my hair colored and cut by Heather. She really knows what she is doing and takes the extra time to make sure your hair is perfect. I have a TON of hair and went from dark brown to a honey blonde balayage ombré. I was hesitant to trust anyone with my hair because i feel that DC area stylist aren’t familiar with the more edgy or trendy techniques. I’m so glad I went to Heather, i’ll def be going back!!!

If I had written this review even a day before I would have given Toka Salon 3 stars instead of the 4 I give it now. What changed my mind… The salon’s front line person when calling to make appointments-​Teresa.
Having just moved to the area, I have looking for my go to hair spot. I tend to find one stylist who I like and will keep going to them until I moved far far away that getting there involves more than a 3 hour car drive (I did that with Amad from Amaci, Boston… who by far has been the best stylist for me).
After rummaging through tons of salon reviews, I found Toka salon.
During my initially call to set an appointment I spoke to Teresa, who took time to try gauge what I was looking for, the kind of hair I had, if I would want highlights etc and taking everything into consideration before she paired me with stylist Tuya. What enhanced the experience for me was, her follow up call a week later to try to figure out how my experience was and if I had any feedback. That to me earned Toka Salon the extra star… cause they took that extra step to try to find out if Toka was a fit for me. Everybody who invests time in the beautification process likes to have an wonderful spa/​salon day experience. Teresa offers that for Toka Salon. It is great when a salon takes time out to see if they gave the customer exactly what they are looking for.
Now for the main event: My actual hair cuttery and coloring experience with Tuya was not what I had expected of a salon of this stature. I have had my hair cut and colored at several salons (more expensive and less) in several cities in the northeast and came in with high expectations. I love to have hair which looks a cut above the rest and am willing to pay the steep price attached to it.
I had several pictures and ideas of what I was hoping to achieve. I usually like my stylist to give some inputs/​creative thoughts on how to make my idea better. To me that makes a great stylist. With Tuya I could not build a rapport or an understanding of what I was looking for from the get go. I have thick, wavy, dark hair and I was hoping to go for a caramel/​chestnut brown with red and gold highlights. My stylist did listen patiently to what I was hoping for but ultimately she offered to put highlights (blonde/​red) over by natural black hair. Despite me telling her I had that done before & hated how stark those colors looked on a black canvas such as my natural hair color, I feelt great reluctance from Tuya’s end to do so. I couldn’t tell if it was because of the work it would entail, her inexperience with something of such nature or if it would be something which would not suit me at all… I couldn’t gauge that. She explained in great detailed talk about the extreme brittleness and the dryness that my hair would incur if I decided to go for what I wanted, which according to her would include bleaching my hair first, then putting a base color and then the highlights. Her diligent efforts to caution me with no choice of alternatives succeeded in making me feel unsure about trusting her with my hair. I did appreciate that she took time to talk to her manager to find the cost of what the process would incur, but, the hassle of avoiding tiger striped hair was too much especially without any feedback from the stylist who is ultimately an expert in the field and in my opinion should have a fair idea of what would look good and how to incorporate what the client hoped to achieve.
In the end Tuya did the a single process (no bleaching my hair first thankfully) following it up with the highlights (red more than gold) which turned out great. For the haircut I only got a quick trim. By the time we reached that stage, it was closing time (my appointment started at 4 and it was 6:30 by the time my hair was blown dry) and I did feel rushed through the hair cut as her husband and daughter had showed up at salon to get her and I felt she didn’t want to keep them waiting even though she did not come outright and say so.
My wish to thicken my side bangs were met with resistance and I decided to just let it be. I don’t mind a stylist giving her opinion and offering alternatives I didnt get that from Tuya. Even though she did a good job, just the anxiety and the feeling of reluctance/​unsurity on Tuya’s part and being rushed through the process makes me reluctant to work with her again. I know my feeling of disappointment with Toka is amplified not because the end result was bad but it was only because I expect more of stylist working at a $$$ salon.
The only reason I will give Toka salon another shot is because of Teresa’s follow up call and effort to understand what did not work for me during my time there and how she could better it by finding me another stylist.

I went in for a total transformation on Friday and was not disappointed! I wanted my hair cropped very, very short for the summer. Not only did the stylist give me exactly what I asked for, but she also made it cute, flirty, and fun. This style walks a fine line between boyish and flirty girl. She managed to keep me looking feminine with just enough «edge» to make you smile. Thank you! (Also got a great color job and beautifully dyed eyebrows and lashes.)

I got a nice color and cut here and they were able to take me on the same day. The salon is bright and open and lovely. There’s lots of street parking. The shampoo (and scalp massage) was wonderful. The downside is the price. $ 170 for a single process color and cut is a lot to me. But if you have money to burn then go to Toka. If you have any money left in your wallet after your visit go next door for a nice coffee at Cameron Café. And if you go on a Sunday check out the farmer’s market nearby.

Heather… Heather…Heather…remember the name and call Toka salon! I came in for a cut with highlights and lowlights. She listened carefully to my concerns while taking into account my complexion, eye color, makeup style, etc. Here’s a tip… I brought in 2 pix on my phone for her to look at to show her what I liked and didn’t. I was so pleased with my results! :) She takes pride in her work and will give you a look that’s unique and right for you!
Heather’s talented and has spent 10+ years studying in NY. Do yourself a favor ladies and give your look what it needs right here in Alexandria! :)

VERY high quality color and cut experience– TOTALLY worth the price. Toka salon in Cameron Station opened about three years ago and I have gone multiple times since they opened. The owner (Teresa) takes COMPLETE ownership of the business and is quick to intervene if there is any hint of a problem. Her husband (Nuri) has many celebrity clients from what I understand. Because my hair is very long and thick, it takes very precise skill to cut and style it. I admit I once tried to go to another salon that charged less and they did a terrible job (complete hatchet job — it was bad:). I came running back to Toka immediately. Tuya is now my stylist «soul mate» — VERY good at her job — love her! She knows EXACTLY how to beautifully highlight my hair without making it too «stripey» or «fake» (I work for the government, I cannot look «fake»). I HIGHLY recommend Toka salon to everyone!

Once again Thank you to the wonderful staff at Toka Alexandria!!! Every time I leave with super model hair!!! Plus I have the best experience! You need to make your appointment today if you have not been!!!

I had a great experience here! My stylist recommended that I see Ky Walker for a hair consultation and a new look. I explained to Ky that I needed something new, but wasn’t sure what. She had a few recommendations, so I trusted her experience and expertise. In the end, we settled on highlights and a sassy cut that would frame my face and give me an overall summery look. I have straight, fine, shortish hair (about chin length). I’ve always had a hard time finding a stylist to cut my hair in a way that doesn’t look choppy. Ky definitely knows what she’s doing — the cut is so cute and my highlights look very natural. She’s also very friendly and easy to talk to — I was almost sad that the appointment was over.
The salon is very clean and feels high end. The owner was working the reception desk when I came in, and she was very friendly as well, offering me something to drink and engaging me in light conversation while I waited. Although, I didn’t have to wait more than a minute for my appointment. Parking was very easy and free — big spaces right out front. Overall, great experience and I will definitely be back.

Nice experience. The salon is in a nice area I found parking close by and I most happy because it is 10 mins from my house. Ky Walker was my stylist. I have relaxed hair and it was truly time for a relaxer when I visited Ky but when I left it looked I had a fresh relaxer. The curls she did were right on point, every other stylist I show the picture to always gives me spirals curls. I had soft hair and naturally thin edges and she was able to recognize that, other stylists I have visited try to push deep conditioning down my throat without understanding the texture of my hair and how it grows. I will try Ky again. Overall great experience!!!
FYI: Bring cash for tip, there is an ATM close but if you hate fees like me just plan ahead and bring cash.

I got my hair cut by Ky Walker a few weeks ago. The salon was really nice, and the staff was very friendly. I LOVE my hair cut… and get compliments all the time about how great my hair looks. Ky specialized in natural hair care, which is great! I will definitely be coming back.

Ky Walker now works at Toka Salon in Alexandria Va. I have natural hair and as I said in other reviews, I am very picky. The difference between Ky and some of the other stylists I have reviewed (and thank god I have other really great stylists that I can go to), she is def more modern in her technique. She gives me waves instead of curls and is able to translate hairstyle pictures or something that I have dreamed up in my head. So please go here if you are need of a great stylist and no drama. Ky is just a nice person in general and the salon takes care of you.

I LOVE this salon. The stylists are wonderful. The staff is friendly, and the atmosphere is relaxing and welcoming.
Theresa guided me to Mazur, a genius at color and cut. I just tell him to «make me goregous!» He picks the color, asks me a few questions before cutting, and viola! I am a new woman.
On a recent appointment, I was a bit late and had a meeting to get to. I was supposed to get color, highlights, and cut. I offered to reschedule. Mazur, Theresa and the staff said they could do it. In one hour, I got it all. Mazur was flying with the scissors. I never looked better!
This is classy, professional salon and worth every penny. I am a professional government executive, and my appearance is important. I want to look my best, and Toka is the best!

First visit to Toka for a long overdue cut and partial highlight. Alex did a fantastic job and I couldn’t be happier with the highlights and cut. I will definitely be returning. Thank you, Alex & Toka!

SWEET. LAWD. JEEEZAAAAHHHSS.THAT.HURT!!!
Without going into too much detail, let’s just say that I am beach ready and the eyebrow waxing I got after was nothing! Whew… No pain, no gain though right?
The manager who greeted me when I arrived immediately made sure that I had something warm to drink and a magazine or two to keep me busy and relaxed while I waited. The salon itself seemed like a good-​sized salon at first, but when I was brought back to the spa area, I realized that it was actually very big. All the décor was clean, crisp, and modern and invited people to come back for more services by just its look.
Sylvia, my aesthetician, was polite and professional and made me as comfortable as possible seeing that I went to her for a very uncomfortable task. I would say I enjoyed my experience, but that’s sort of an iffy statement given what I came there for. LOL! However, I will say Toka did a great job, its prices are fair, and I’d definitely go back.