Neal’s The Hair Studio & Day Spa

Neal is AMAZING. I had no idea what I had in store for me when I walked through his salon doors. He is warm, funny, and knew exactly what was best for my hair. He burnt me a CD while he worked and we talked endlessly about theatre. Neal made me feel at home in his salon. What a great man!

The only reason I went was for my stylist, Randi. She has since moved onto Fells Point Salon. I never had any issues with this place, I just can’t stand behind a 5 star review when the salon had nothing to do with it.

PSA: Randi has now moved to Fells Point Salon! She’s great!
I have been a loyal customer at Neal’s for several years, largely b/​c of how generous they are to students with the 50% off discount on Tuesdays. Unfortunately, I will no longer be going back after a pretty bad experience.
I called to make an appointment with my usual stylist Randi, and was told that she no longer worked there. They offered me 3 free haircuts if I stay with them, and since I had no idea where she had gone and hey, free haircut, I said sure. But the 3 free haircuts should’ve sounded an alarm… I make an appointment with Neal, who was perfectly pleasant during the haircut, but just as I had experienced previously when I’ve gotten my hair cut with him, you notice that he’s only cutting your hair for about 3 – 4 minutes of the 45 – 60 minutes you’re in the chair and just chatting the rest of the time (also, I’ve gotten criticized by him every time for being a Hopkins Public Health student, just b/​c he had a bad customer from there before). This had made me very nervous previously, hence I had started seeing Randi. When he was done, my hair looked fine from the front and I left the salon happy. However, on the way home, as I’m playing with my hair, I could just FEEL with my hands that the back of my hair is uneven and that there’s this weird «tail» that’s extending out as well. I get home, look in the mirror, and lo and behold, the back of my hair is lopsided (and there is a tail!). I tried calling multiple times that evening and the next day both during their business hours to see if they could fix it, and no one answers the phone. Finally, I just give up and I very very luckily found through some Google sleuthing that Randi had moved to Fells Point Salon, and was able to get in the next day and get my hair fixed. Everyone at Fells Point Salon was so sympathetic and Randi even honored the same student discount rate as Neal’s (thank you!). So much for the free haircut — I ended up paying for a new haircut and I was down the tip I gave Neal.

If you’re a guy and want a good haircut from a nice guy who is very professional, I recommend Darren. He has given me excellent haircuts and it’s always nice to be at Neal’s with its great atmosphere and wonderful owners and staff.

I came here right after moving to the neighborhood back in 2000, and I happened to have moved across the street from this salon. It was a rushed move, and I consequently bagged my clothing in trash bags to save time and money. The snitty little queen at the desk had the audacity to snidely look at me and ask «What were all those trash bags?» (Work apparently didn’t keep him busy enough that he had to stare at me out the window while I was moving.)
In addition, the haircut wasn’t all that good anyway.
That was the first and last time I went to Neal’s.

I am from the west coast and was scared to let anyone touch my hair. Thankfully I discovered Neal’s, definitely a hidden gem in Baltimore. Randi has been doing my hair for two years and always makes my vision come to life. I’ve gone back and fourth between ombré and balayage she definitely helps in keeping my hair healthy through the process. If you need highlights she has you covered. The vibe of the hair studio is very lively and entertaining! Hope you enjoy!

I don’t normally write reviews on Unilocal,but my experience today with Neal at his hair studio was so amazing that I have to share the love.
As an asian male, getting a haircut in Baltimore is tough because there aren’t many people/​places that can do it right — Neal completely blew away my expectations. He has such a high level of expertise in his craft and it shows in the tiny bits of detail. When you come get your hair done you know that you’re in good hands with people who really know what they are doing.
The décor and vibe of the hair studio is also really warm and friendly. Neal used to be a broadway singer and the personality of the studio really reflects that. If you’re lucky, Neal might even sing a song for you.
I’ve spent 4 years looking for a consistent place to get a haircut in Baltimore and I’ve finally found my favorite place. If you’re reading this review and debating whether or not to check out Neal’s, go for it – I guarantee you will have your expectations exceeded!

Excellent hairdresser, I would definitely recommend!
Getting my hair cut has always been a problem for me: since I have a pretty weird head shape, it usually takes my hairdresser 3 – 4 cuts before they manage to get it right. When I moved to Baltimore I was expecting through the same routine and went to Neal’s Hair Studio since it was one of the closest hairdressers to my place.
To my pleasant surprise I only had to explain to Randy the haircut I wanted once for her to get through it much better than any of my previous hairdressers! In addition there is a pleasant vibe to that place: both hairdressers and clients sincerely chat and laugh together, which is not something I’ve ever seen in a Hair Saloon before.
Needless to say that a Tuesday’s half price off for students made the whole experience even better (even though I would not have believed it would be possible).
All in all, it is an awesome place, very professional and pleasant. You can go there without hesitation: not only they would give you a great cut, the whole process will be really pleasant!

Some places offer dinner and a show, this place offers amazing hair and a show… and sometimes dinner too! I’ll explain… (TLDR version at the bottom)
First thing you’ll notice when stepping foot in Neal’s are the Broadway/​musical posters covering the walls and the show tunes filling the air. Neal was (/​is?) himself an actor, and is clearly an enthusiast, so if you know anything about musicals, strike up a conversation with him and he will probably fall right in love with you. I don’t know anything about the theatre (I was an extra in the Music Man at my high school?), so dang, opportunity missed.
My appointment was with Randi, whom I had asked for by name despite never having stepped inside this salon before (found her on Unilocal), and SWEET JESUS am I glad I did. My hair was a terrible mess, with 6 months of grown out highlights, faded color, and massive breakage. I was afraid she would look at me like I was a problem child or «tsk tsk tsk» me for not having addressed my horrendous hair issues sooner, but instead she told me how excited she was to get to play around with my hair! How refreshing to have a stylist who actually likes what they do and doesn’t judge! I showed her pictures, and she asked me some questions, then got to work on my hair. Here’s what I appreciated about my experience with her: (EVERYTHING. But, more specifically…)
* She was always positive, never made me feel ashamed and even complimented my old hairdresser’s work (from California)
* She asked my opinion about colors and really LISTENED
* She took her time. My hair always takes a really long time, and I warned her of that, but she was unfazed. She didn’t ever make me feel rushed, like working on my hair was eating up time that could be better spent on other (easier) clients, which is probably why my hair turned out perfect (spoilers!)
* She totally knew what she was doing and recommended products that I really needed, but also understood that I couldn’t spend too much money (most stylists seem to think hair should be your number one priority in life)
* She was careful not to cut off too much of my long hair (even though it really needed it), so as not to give me a panic attack. She double checked before making the cut and, in the end it was perfect (long layers and wispy bangs)
* She was funny and nice and made the salon experience a lot of fun. At the end, she gave me a gift bag and a hug (and Neal gave me a mix cd), so it made me feel like they really valued me as a new client. Plus I was offered food while I was there (I was too busy getting my hair shampooed to eat soup, but I heard it was good!), and I was invited to come to dinner the following night! These people are like a family, so be prepared for all that that entails.
I went on a Tuesday, so I got the student discount (50% off), which was awesome, but my only grievance is that I have no idea what I was getting 50% off of… Their website doesn’t seem to have a price list, and unless I was too distracted by the customer rewards situation at checkout (basically a frequent buyer card where the big payoff is a spa day at the salon), I didn’t see a price list there. After subtracting the products, $ 150 was an AMAZING deal for my hair, but $ 300 as a normal price, even for as much work as was done, is more than I’ve ever spent on my hair. And the real tragedy is that, given this normal price, I seem to have under tipped Randi, who was absolutely fabulous and gave me the hair of a goddess!
Lastly, for the all important disclaimers: there are lots of crude jokes and colorful language, so if you can’t hang, don’t come here. Also, DO NOT BE LATE FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT! They don’t take too kindly to that. Be early if you can.
TLDR: come here. Ask for Randi. She will make you look like a majestic god/​goddess. Tuesday specials for students (50% off) can’t be beat.

Best perm experience I’ve ever had (they use these long rubber tubes that loop onto themselves as rods so they can perm as long as you want, what a concept) and then cut it curly, so your new cut doesn’t change depend on how your hair perms like w cut-​then-​perm method. The atmosphere is also pure baltimore magic, full of top of the line hair equipment all nestled in grand antique carved wood and marble vanities in front of ornate salon chairs «exclusively from 1910», it is gorgeous, like if your grandma had been a «fast girl» and spent her life doing hair and makeup for Broadway and dragshows, and this is her backstage. My process took like 5 hours, I wasn’t sure what I wanted, and everyone there treated me like a friend from the time I walked in, everyone joined in to offer an opinion or a hand from time to time like they cared how my hair turned out. Well, it turned out beautiful, so Thankyou guys. HOWEVER! Having come in not knowing what I wanted, I was very happy to come in and utilize their policy where if you change your mind, within 7 days you can come in and have a recut FOR FREE! so a week later I booked with beloved Darren again armed with a bunch of pictures of haircuts and he spent no less than THREE FULL HOURS getting it gorgeous, explaining things, showing me tricks to make it do what I wanted, not getting paid at all (besides the best tip I could manage, for sure)! Best customer service of all time, plus once you’re a customer you get a whole bunch of deals, etc. I brought my bf back to Darren for a better version of his every six weeks «high and tight» and he was into it as well. Go there. I also would recommend Randi.

I’d like to preface this review with a little background. A few years ago I had moved across the country to New York, the beginning of a new adventure. Although I was growing my hair for Locks of Love, I thought it was time for a trim. I’ve never thought of my hair as particularly difficult — straight, smooth, not too thin, not too coarse, doesn’t require much work in the morning before work. So, I went to a local salon. «Just a little off the ends, please» and didn’t realize the atrocity until I got home and took a good look in the mirror. It seemed my head was divided into quarters, the diagonals matched in length, but not with its neighbors. No, parting my hair on the other side did not help. My hair looked jagged even in a ponytail. I considered fixing the unevenness myself, but quickly talked myself out of it. I called the salon and described my condition. They agreed to «fix» the problem. Although the results were somewhat better, there was still a lopsidedness and I was minus three inches of progress for Locks of Love. Sigh. After that traumatic experience, I would only get my haircut when I was safe, back with my hairdresser in California.
Fast-​forward to living in Baltimore. I had donated to a wonderful cause with the incentive of a few raffle prizes. I was ecstatic to hear I won a prize to Neal’s the Hair Studio and Day Spa. I was waiting for my mani/​pedi and this rock-​band looking guy with face piercings and tattoos sits down in front of me and says, «Hi, I’m Darren» and begins to take off my toe nail polish. I was shocked at how gentle he was — from start to finish. Although his exterior looks like hard-​core rocker (which he is, btw), he was very sweet and soft-​spoken with a definite edge, which made our conversation hilarious. It was literally one of the best pedicures I’ve had. Very meticulous with every step, even strokes, no rush, extremely thoughtful throughout the process. That’s when I thought… maybe I could trust this guy with my hair.
It took me a few weeks to build up the nerve to make an appointment, but I am so glad I did. Darren uses that same, gentle, meticulous approach to all aspects of cosmetology. He very importantly wants to make sure we are on the same page about the goals of the visit. He’s been my hairdresser for a year now and I trust that if I ask for just an eighth of an inch off, that is exactly what I’ll get. Recently he created some light layers and I love it.
Neal’s the Hair Studio and Day Spa is a fun and quirky place. The staff is super friendly and welcoming as soon as you walk in. They all joke around with each other, pushing each others’ buttons like family. There is a warm vibe, but no sugar coating. Their jokes are not for the faint of heart, but I find them hilarious. I love the Broadway show tunes playing in the background, especially when Neal (owner) belts out some tunes. Overall, I think it is fabulous and Darren is the absolute best! He is now doing facials and I can’t wait for my upcoming appointment!

I wanted to love Neals– I really did. Between the old Baltimore neighborhood feel and the fun energy between the staff, I was ready to love Neals. However, there are almost no redeeming qualities.
1. Cleanliness: ⁰⁄₅ I did not see scissors or combs in any kind of sterilizing solution. Since my stylist had a client directly before me, I can assume that he used the same tools on me. He also had a trashbag on his vanity filled with junk food trash. It was gross.
2. Haircut: ¹⁄₅ One of the worst cuts I’ve had. I have very straight, thick hair and you can see all of the cut marks. Moreover, the stylist, Darren asked me every 2 minutes exactly how I wanted it to be cut (down to details that only a stylist would understand, like where to start framing my face). He seemed very very unsure of himself and I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt (since my haircut was a drastic change– from long hair to a blunt bob). I kept waiting for him to «polish» the bottom of the bob up at the end of the cut and apparently he didn’t see the same obvious mistakes. Granted, I really am happy with my new length, but the cut itself looks like a very amateur stylist cut it. His constant questions about how to cut it made me want to leave and get it fixed elsewhere instead of trying to explain to him what he obviously didn’t see was wrong. I left with an extremely lopsided bob that looked like a child cut.
3. Professionalism: ⁰⁄₅ Darren, my stylist, made a number of quasi-​racist and misogynist jokes that I guess could be funny to someone else (not me). Why test out those kind of remarks on complete strangers? They (the staff) all talked the entire time to each other or about themselves. I hardly said a word while I was there, which is weird because most other stylists I’ve had are more personally engaging OR they just don’t talk to you, either of which is fine. But no, Darren spent the majority of the time talking about himself, talking, offensively, about his black best friend (which means he’s obviously not racist right?!! NO.), talking about his preference in women, etc etc. DUDE, you work in a hair salon. Why talk about all the things you don’t like about women when you are cutting a woman’s hair?!! I can’t even begin to explain this guy. The irony is that he also talked at length about how he doesn’t get good Unilocal reviews. LESSON LEARNED.
Conclusion: do not go. Or, maybe someone else there can cut hair better and is less offensive than Darren.

I have had my hair cut at a lot of different salons, as I have lived all over the country. And I always turn to Unilocal!when deciding where to go in a new city. I found this salon with rave reviews on Unilocal!,it was within walking distance, and the quoted price for a haircut was reasonable ($ 36). I went to this salon with high hopes and expecting to leave with a stellar cut. However, I was not pleased with my result, or the salon.
I had my haircut by Markeisha, who was certainly quite pleasant and sweet. Unfortunately, she did a less than acceptable job with my hair. I requested a simple blunt cut. I came in with waist length blonde hair and wanted it a little below armpit length. I also let her know, prior to cutting, that I have baby fine, stick straight hair that shows every scissor mark. I let her know this upfront because I have found if I don’t tell a stylist, they cut too much, see the marks, and then have to cut more to even it out and I end up with a length much shorter than desired.
Despite being told this, she cut my hair to a full inch ABOVE my armpits, and there are obvious scissor marks in my hair. If you’re not sure what that looks like, it is when the hair is slightly different lengths (aka choppy) in spots and not smooth, because each section as cut does not correspond with the next.
Like I said, she was very sweet and nice, but perhaps a little inexperienced with my type of hair. However, I believe that a good hairstylist should be able to understand and accommodate all hair types.
As far as the salon goes, the décor and furnishings are very kitschy and cute… but the overall cleanliness of the salon was utterly lacking. The entire hair cutting area was empty when I walked in, yet there was already hair all over the floor, none of the tools were organized and the overall ambiance was messy and cluttered.
The woman who answered my phone call, booked my appointment, and checked me out was pleasant enough. However, when I went to check out, she tried to charge me $ 43 instead of the $ 36 she quoted. And when I said something, she acted as if she wasn’t going to correct the price, but she eventually did.
So, as much as I wanted to believe in the power of Unilocal!,for the very first time I have found myself disappointed with the quality of service despite the stunning reviews. Now I know my experience is just one of many, and perhaps other stylists are better, or Markeisha’s winning talent is color or some other service, but I am incredibly disappointed with this salon. So, Neal’s Hair Studio, here is the grain of salt to your otherwise stellar reviews.

I really enjoyed my experience here. I have always gone to Asian salons but I realize they never quite do what you want them to do. I’ve always wanted to try a pixie cut but none of the Asian hair dressers are ever willing to go that short. My coworker recommended this place to me and gave me a card with a 50% discount for any new experience there. I walked in and the staff was super friendly. Markiesha cut my hair and she was so excited when I told her I wanted to cut it all off. My hair was a medium length, a few inches past my shoulders so it was definitely a drastic change. The cut was amazing and I was surprised how well it suited my face. With the discount my cut ended up being $ 25, which is an amazing deal. Great service, fun staff, and cute location. I will definitely be back.

I’ve always dreaded having my hair done professionally, partially because of having a hair stylist for a mother who often did what *she* wanted to my hair and my need to feel in control.
With that said, I completely trust Randi with my hair, and that’s saying a lot! She gives me my perfect level 10 ash blonde and I’ve been getting tons of compliments. I love the student special on Tuesday’s and it’s saved me a LOT of money! (But make sure to tip based off the original amount and bring an updated schedule or enrollment confirmation).
Randi is the kind of stylist that can set you up with a plan and properly recommend which products to use, so everything fashion and beauty magazines told me my hair stylist could be.
I like that the salon has a comfortable feel to it and I just feel more at ease in that environment.
If men wearing fake costume breasts and wigs or show tunes offends you, you should probably look elsewhere (but then again, who the hell are you??).

I highly recommend this place!!! The people were great! My stylist was determined to create a new, fun, and creative way to style my hair for an event I was attending. I loved it! Btw, I love the vintage barber chairs and nostalgic atmosphere at the hair stylists area.

I love Neal’s! Randi is the most amazing hairdresser, she knows what she is doing and you can trust her to do a great job. Randi takes the time to explain your hair to you so that you can take better care and even experiment with different techniques. She was spot on when she recommended I get a perm, I have pin straight hair and was afraid of the term, perm. Randi explained the whole process to me and I ended up with a sexy beach wave. I received so many compliments and it added just enough volume and character. I highly recommend Randi… so definitely call and make an appointment. You won’t regret it.

This salon is the best ! From the telephone etiquette with booking appointment to the wonderful feeling walking out with flowing hair. — I got color from Markeisha — everyone loves it– she was professional, friendly & genuine. The whole staff was amazing ! I felt cared for and pampered by everyone. The owner Neal even burned a CD for me when I mentioned that I love the music. Oh & not to mention the décor — I could spend a whole day just appreciating the walls of this well– kept Baltimore row house — overall splendid !
Saffie Muna Jeter

I wanted to like this place, I really did. I just moved to Bolton Hill and have been trying to find a good nail salon (I currently drive 30 minutes to Columbia to get my nails done)
I was here a few weeks ago… I don’t remember the exact date. I walked in and said I just wanted a manicure. The staff was friendly and soon got me seated down with a guy, I can’t remember his name anymore.
Anyway, this guy was horrendous. Not only was he texting his ex-​girlfriend throughout the manicure (at the request of his boss), but he was actually asking ME questions about what he should do in the manicure. I was actually having to give him the order or tasks that other manicurists would do to my nails. He said he didn’t really like doing nails that much (not my problem).
It literally took him 20 minutes just to file my nails. And he barely touched them… Just lightly grazed over them. They were not shaped at all… barely cleaned.
He also refused to clean out my cuticles because he thought the instrument was «creepy» and he didn’t like using it.
Not to mention, the manicure looked awful and took over an hour and ten minutes to complete.
I will *never* come back here. Ever.

I think i wrote a review once before, and I just wanted to write it once more. This is a quality business! It’s owned by Neal and Joe, who are amazingly wonderful people. They are true Baltimore, community men, who participate and care for their community. They are just great people.
I have been going to see Randi for the past 6 months or so… In which time I have drastically changed my hair color 4 times. She is wonderful, ready to do anything that I ask, very up to date on her skills. My only complaint is that she knows that for my job that I have to go for natural colors, and she is sometimes a bit on the conservative side, which is probably good to have her keeping me in check.
I currently own 4 or 5 CDs burned for my by Neal, who is almost always belting out a tune of one kind or another.
I will say that although I have noticed the clientele to range from age 6 to age 90, that this is not a salon for the faint of heart. It’s a great place to spend a few minutes to hours (depending on what you get done), because the owners/​employees are real. They talk about real things, they use real language and no one sugar coats. I’ve laughed so hard and had such a good time, but then again i’ve seen at least one person be offended by colorful language… and what I really appreciated about this situation was that the owners back their employee saying «you know, if you can’t handle a few f words, then this isn’t the salon for you»
I’m just saying, this is a place to hear some fabulous stories, have a great time, and come out looking FABULOUS.
I’ve been from blonde, to natural brunette, to almost black drastically shorter bob. The latest hair color, I walked in, Randi said «Neal thought of a color that we think will look great on you» and I said ok, she mixed it up, I trusted her to change my color without even really knowing what I was going to look like. you won’t regret spending your time and your money at Neal’s!
There is a reason this salon is the oldest in the city!