eXpression Hair Design

For most of my life, I’ve gone to your typical low cost, mom and pop asian haircutters that charge $ 10-​$ 15. This place charges $ 16 for a men’s cut which is not the cheapest but I consider it reasonable. I have had several people cut my hair here and my favorite is Wayne. Though I get a simple cut, short on the sides with a fade and trim up top, Wayne’s attention to deal is what sets him apart and he can find the best length for me rather than rely on my often ill-​judgement. With that said, I give four stars instead of five because I’ve received a pretty bad cut by someone else here, so for someone new and not set on a stylist, it could be a hit or miss.

Eason Liu is the man to go to. Have to go back soon. So worth the $ 165. I’d do it again for the rest of my life. Lol. seriously.

I went here to color my hair and have a haircut. My hair was bleached and its texture was so elastic. The color was dirty blonde… Yes, dirty blonde. First, they colored my hair. I showed them a photo of my favorite hair color. The color they gave me was dark brown but after 2 weeks washing my hair, the color changed to the color that I liked. The hairdresser was a lady. Another hairdresser cut my hair was a man. He gave me a great layered haircut. I bought their product, conditioner. Omg I have to admit that the conditioner is so damn good. Ive never owned such a conditioner that left my hair smooth and silky. It also added a little shiny (my hair was like a bush before) and my hair is less falling out than before. The conditioner its look is kinda fat, brown, and it smells really good. I will visit the salon again. Definitely recommend.

My Hair: Thick and wavy.
Like all curly-​haired girls, finding a good salon with good hairstylists is HARD. I’ve never really had a hair salon I could settle with in the Bay Area and so I decided to try this place for the first time based on the good reviews I saw on Unilocal.When I was living in SD, I had my own salon to go to that was cheap, great service, and great cuts, especially for my hair type, thus, I had much to compare to.
I had a hair appointment at 3pm on a weekday, so the volume of clients was busy. My stylist that day was Ken. I got a full cut (hair was down to my waist, frayed like a broken wire at the ends!) and a deep condition. Shampoo and conditioning is separate ($ 25), though the deep condition is (29, 40, 45). Trim/​haircut is $ 25. The styling assistant gave $ 5 off their $ 45 just to give it a try since it was their best and I wanted the $ 40. My hair felt AMAZING afterwards. She was super nice and friendly, she definitely made me feel right at home. AND, she is the most thorough when washing your hair! Felt like I was getting a head massage all the way down to my baby hair! Best I’ve had.
Ken was awesome. He really listened to me. I showed him what I wanted for a cut and how long. He would cut little at a time and ask me if this was an OK length and it turned out I needed it shorter than I wanted initially. He also asked me about my side part and bangs before he went for the slice. I really liked how he made sure that I was OK with it and checked with me first. At the end, he did an amazing job. Because my hair was special, wavy and all, it was just easier to style as straight. If you got curly ass hair… i think you just let the person know how you want it styled at the end before they work on you. Help them out first so they can help you. Overall, Ken is amazing and I would love to have him again!

Okay so I went to this salon after being referred to by people of Unilocal.I got an ombré done by Irene and I’m not sure if I’m 100% satisfy with it. I’m giving it a two for many reasons. I was debating between 2 or 3 but after thinking about it, it’s a 2.
I came in with an idea for a red to blonde ombré and was shut down because she thought it wouldn’t look good a few weeks later since the red will fade and I was like that make sense. So we decided to choose a different color. And for the first 15 minutes, she basically kept saying my hair was damaged and ruined. Honestly, I knew my hair was damaged and I came to a salon so I can get it fixed. No need to keep reminding me that.
After all that, we decided on a brown-​blonde ombré that we saw on this Unilocal page. I was like excited. She told me that she would have to do a treatment on my hair because it was damaged and that would have to cut my hair a little and get rid of the orange. I was like that’s fine. Do whatever it takes to help my hair and get the color. We agreed on a price.
Here’s one thing that made me angry or a little skeptical. She said it’ll be $ 210. And I was like that’s fine. She says cash only. Keep in mind I will never carry that much cash on me so I would make sure that salon takes credit card before I go. And so I asked why cash only? She didn’t answer me. She was like fine $ 245 with card. I didn’t understand it. Why charge more? Like other salons I’ve been at never do that. I should’ve walked out at that point. But I didn’t. And that was probably my fault.
So we started our hair. Everything is going well and smoothly. Nothing going on until we got to the point where she was washing my hair. Going to a salon is suppose to be relaxing and soothing. Nope. I felt as if she was pulling and tugging on my hair the whole time as she washed my hair. I also felt as if I loss a lot of my hair. Oh, she also had a helper so basically, both of them were pulling my hair. I kept telling myself, no pain no gain. And I’ve been to multiple salons, at no other salon, have I felt that way before.
Now, it’s time for the big reveal. Honestly, I was not satisfy with It. There were rarely any blonde or brown part. It looked ashy-​gray. And here I was, asking her why it looked like that and she kept telling me that’s the lightest it’ll go. I’m here like, it’s not even blonde or brown like you said it would. And she was like it’ll turn that color after 3 – 5 shampoo wash. I’ll update if it turns out that way. But I’m angry and disappointed at this point. Because I’ve gotten my hair ombré to brown blonde color from the same original color I had before. So I expected it to turn out similar to that or the way she says it would turn out when we talked. No where in the beginning, she said it might look ashy gray. If she had said that before, I probably would’ve not done it at this salon and wait until I return to San Diego.
Aside from the color, which is the big part, I guess my hair looks better because of the treatment and the cut. BUT I went for color soooo yes, I am disappointed. I was clear with what I wanted. They weren’t clear with what can happen. They should’ve said ashy-​gray color might come out. She kept blaming my hair and saying young girls like you like the ashy color. And I’m like WELL I DONT LIKE ASHY COLOR. Oh and the color began very low or near the end of the hair instead of the middle or top. I expected my hair to be different layers of color as well from brown to blonde. Slow gradual change but nope. AND the hair looks green in the dimmed light areas or under yellow lights. Lastly, she left of my top of my hair black after i specially said I want it brown. Or dark brown. I haven’t had black roots in years now. so definitely NOT WORTH THE PRICE AND TIME. did not meet my expectation.
Maybe, Eason would’ve been better. Idk. I would never go back to this salon.

$ 30 for a wash and haircut. If you don’t have an appointment I would suggest coming in early in the morning.
Wayne is an amazing hair stylist! I’ve gotten my hair cut by him at least three or four times and each time was perfect.
I showed him a picture of a cut I wanted and he made sure that we were both on the same page about the length. He really took his time on cutting and styling my hair which I really appreciated.
Highly recommend this salon! Everyone is super friendly and the place is clean. There’s tons of parking near by which is a plus.

I’ve never had a better hair salon experience with any other place but here. If you want the ombré, you go to two people: Irene or Eason. And I’ll tell you the difference among these queens and kings.
Irene does dramatic ombres where she’d start your coloring about the middle to bottom of your hair.
Eason does natural and subtle ombres where he’d start some from the middle top and then bottom.
I had Eason for two times and I’m serious when I say I drive all the way from Sacramento to get my hair done by him. He knows when you last dyed your hair, if it was box or professional, and how it was cut just by looking at it. He recommended me hair treatment cause my hair was so dead and now I come in everytime for hair treatments cause it makes my hair so healthy and silky again. Came in for my birthday and then he gave me a sweet discount and a free silky hair serum bottle.
Just make sure you book him 2 weeks in advance cause he sure is a popular guy who works really hard. Kudos!

The last time I got my hair done by this hair salon was around June for a festival and I LOVED it. My hair stylist was Eason and he did an amazing job. I guess he recognized me from the previous hair appointment I booked with them, so I wasn’t that much of a stranger to him.
I booked my appointment ahead of time and told them that I wanted a purple ombré and that’s what they delivered. I showed him what i wanted originally, but he said he couldn’t make my hair exactly the same. Eason said because my hair was so discolored, it would be better to do my hair from dark to light. The process took around 5 – 6 hours, but it was all worth it in the end. He made sure that he reduced the amount of breakage I would get, plus he put some sort of hair product onto my hair to preserve the color.
My total came out to be around $ 175−200+ with tip, which is pretty great for the work he does. If you’re planning on getting an ombré or a balayage, PLEASE go with Eason!

I had my second hair cut appointment at Expression yesterday. The first time at Expression I went to Eason. I remember the hair cut being mediocre and felt like Eason totally rushed through my hair cut. Hence, why I never went back for a very long time. This time I decided to give Expression another try and booked Irene. I honestly just needed a trim and wasn’t feeling like spending 60 dollars on a full hair cut, so I figure maybe Expression will do the trick. WRONG. I booked an appointment with Irene at 6:30pm on the day of. I was going about my black Friday shopping and got a call from Expression around 5pm saying that Irene is available now. That was a bit strange to me because when I called in the morning they told me Irene was all booked and can only do 6:30pm. So I planned my day according to the hair cut appointment. The lady then told me saying that Irene has an emergency and it would be great if I came in now. I told the lady, look I don’t want her to rush through my haircut (my hair means a lot to me, obviously) and that I would take anyone that’s available at the time that I come in for the hair cut. So I went in a bit early at 5:30pm and Irene was still there. I thought, PERFECT! She can still cut my hair. SO she did, but HOLY CRAP she rushed through my whole hair cut. She was NOT ONLY booking appointments while cutting my hair, she went straight to another person after cutting my hair. She didn’t even consult with me that my hair was okay, if I like the bangs, or if the length was good with me… she just dipped.
I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND COMING TO EXPRESSION IF YOU WANT A GOOD HAIRCUT. Irene cut my bangs way too short and there was absolutely no shape to my hair. Even my mom commented saying «why did you get such a plain haircut, your aunt could do a better job at cutting your hair.»
I’m sorry expression. You fooled me once, blame on you. You fooled me twice, blame on me. I have learned my lesson. I will not be a returning customer.

Irene is my go to! I’m really picky with my hair, but she never disappoints me. She always cuts my hair exactly how I want it and super fast too! Just show her some pics, explain to her what you want, and BAM! She works her magic and exceeds expectations.
I feel like a new woman with this hair! Irene is a hair GENIUS!
Expect to wait a while for your turn though, even if you make an appointment. This place is always super busy!

I have not been able to find time to get a hair cut in Months, probably almost 9 months.
My split ends were horrible, I found this place after looking for hair salons in Daly City, they had some descent reviews, so i decided to try it out.
I did not specify to have anyone, so I made an appt. for after work, 4:45 I got in at 4:35 and they took me back right away. I am a little spoiled at home because my hair dresser lets me wash my hair and come with it wet so I do not have to pay for a shampoo «wash»
After the girl, who I assume does most of the washes finsihed, she told me I should do a «hot oil» treatment, and I knew my hair was bad so I decided to, they gave me… a little bit of a deal, $ 65.00 for wash, treatment and cut, I would agree thats a pretty good deal.
The girl told me after that I need to come back soon to do another oil treatment, but I can wait till my next cut, I will just make sure (as the guy who cut my hair said…) to come back in 3 months to get my hair cut again.
I gave –1 start because they told me it would take 20 min with the oil in my hair, I know the longer it sits the more it soaks in and is good for your hair… I sat there for 35 min and had to ask them to take it off because I had other things to get to after the salon appt. I mean 5 min more would be understandable but when you say 20 min thats not 35 min. (yes, I did time the treatment, because I had a lot of things to get done that day and make it to soccer practice)
I will be back to get my hair cut again, so I am glad that I found a place I can trust!

Made a 10am appointment on a Saturday but waited another 2o mins before the appointment actually started.
I requested Ken and he was great! He suggested a new hairstyle, showed me pictures and I was convinced.
The final hairstyle turned out really nice and I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a simple wash and cut.
Total amount was only $ 30. This is my new go to hair stylist!

Previously got ombré done by Eason and just recently got it retouched and toned by Eason as well. He achieved the color i was looking for which was a medium ash blonde. 100% satisfied and will definitely be back!

Avoid at all costs!
I contemplated on getting balayage highlights for months and researched many hair stylists in the Bay Area. Since I was leaving for vacation and wanted to show off my new hair, I had limited time to find a quality stylist at an affordable price. Unfortunately, the hair stylists that I wanted were either fully booked or they were charging $ 300 and up for highlights, which, to me was totally impractical. I Unilocaled around my area and found eXpression Hair Design, read reviews and saw that Eason and Irene had rave reviews, so I called and made an appointment for a Sunday at 3pm, but had to cancel and reschedule for the next Sunday at the same time with Irene.
On the day of the appointment, I received a call from one the receptionists asking if I could come in earlier because Irene was finished with the previous client before me. Since I didn’t have anything to do that day, I agreed and came in at 1pm. When I arrived at the salon, I was warmly greeted by the receptionists, told them I had an appointment, and they told Irene, who was sitting in one of the waiting chairs. I’m not sure if she was having a bad day, but I didn’t feel welcomed nor did I get a proper greeting by Irene. Frankly, she looked rather annoyed and rushed my haircut, asked me what color I wanted (ashy blonde), and never made suggestions on what suit me best. After the haircut, she then disappeared without saying a word and worked on another client. Wait, but didn’t I get a call to come in early because she was finished with the client before me?! 10 minutes pass and she finally tells me to sit in one of the seats in the back where I found handheld mirrors leaning and hair dye splattered all over the wall. Again, she disappears for about 15 minutes, but this time, she apologized for the wait.
The whole balayage process took about 1 – 2 hours of putting foils in my hair, but 5 hours in total, so if you don’t have the time or patience to wait, then I would not suggest getting balayage highlights. I noticed that she used the back combing method, which is fine, but she used the rat tail side of the comb to scratch her own head then proceeded to use it on my hair. Wthell? After sitting for about 30 – 45 minutes, Irene was again, nowhere to be found and two of the receptionists washed the bleach out of my hair. I’d like to mention that the receptionists also blow dried my hair, attempted to style my hair, and pretty much did everything Irene was supposed to do but didn’t do because she was nowhere to be found. Irene only spoke to me about 3 times in 5 hours and had the nerve to charge me $ 205 minus tip because of «treatment» I tipped 15% and hope that the tip went to the receptionists because they did an awesome job of keeping me company and making sure that I felt like an actual customer.
The end result was terrible as my hair had suffered so much damage from the bleach that I am still using hair masks to treat the damage. If you look closely at my photos, the balayage starts very low and is not more towards the crown of the head, so it looks like the balayage had already grown out. Also, the «ashy blonde» that I wanted does not show up very well on dark hair, which is something that Irene could’ve told me in the first place, but I’m sure she doesn’t care because she is making money off of me anyways. Irene did not even tell me what shampoos/​conditioners to use to protect the hair and keep the hair color from getting brassy and looking vibrant. If you must go to this salon, definitely go to Eason and avoid Irene. Oh, and did I mention that I was there for 5 hours?! Yes, FIVE hours and my hair isn’t even that long. My friend, who has longer hair than me, said she was only at her salon for 3 hours! I’m sorry, but Irene is not personable and wasn’t helpful at all! $ 205 + tip down the drain and a whole lot of damage to prove it.
Never again!

**3 months later, still loving my balayage highlights by Eason!**
Went here to dye my virgin black asian hair, and had been recommended by a very good friend to this place. She herself has been and has told many of her friends to come and I have seen the results — fantastic! So I came here myself for a Balayage… Made an appt with Eason, about a week before I was supposed to go in.
Day of :
When I got there, about 15 minutes before my appt, the place was super busy and crowded, so I went to get lunch and come back. I showed Eason a few pics of what I liked, and when he saw this one pic, he knew right away that that was the color for me. So he recommended that I do a base color change, and then he will do the balayage highlights, and cut. Eason also told me that the balayage will continue to look quite natural when my hair starts to grow out. His assistant did the base color change. Then Eason came to do the balayage. Eason is a very busy man, and seems to be in a rush all the time and is called to different areas of the salon to work on different people, but when he was with me, or any other client I saw him interact with, he was very engaged and made sure you felt comfortable with the choices made.
When it came time to do the toner, and how blonde I should go since it was my first time dying me hair, Eason asked me for a preference, but because I had no idea, he went ahead and chose it for me. He chose one that he told me was a medium blonde, not too blonde that it would scare me, and 3 months later, I still LOVE the color. When he finished wiht the balayage and cut and blew dry my hair, I thought my hair was super dark still and thought «dang, i didnt pay this money and time to get brown hair!» BUT Eason assured me that as time goes on, I will become more blonde and my hair will definitely get lighter. I was scared it was oging to turn orange, but he basically said nope, not going to happen on my watch!!! So that was a sigh of relief. I walked out of there excited and refreshed!
3 months later, and my hair is growing out, but it has been a natural flow. My hair has gotten lighter, and is still looking beautiful. I love this place and will definitely come back for any cut, or color in the future!!!

Eason is awesome and very patient. It probably also helped that I speak Mandarin Chinese fluently. He seemed more comfortable when I spoke in Chinese, but he can understand English and knew exactly what I was asking for when I told him I wanted my hair to be a natural dark brown with ash blonde highlights. I also emphasized that I wanted something low maintenance because I didn’t want to have to dye my hair for at least another 6 months. Bringing a picture of what I wanted for reference also helped.
A cut, dye (I didn’t ask for balayage but Eason hand painted my whole head anyways), wash, hair mask and style was only $ 140!!! Yes, he gave me a blowout on top of everything else for free after I told him that I was going to a wedding right after my appointment!

I have been coming here for the past 3 years and am never disappointed with the outcome.
Eason is amazing at what he does! He is very patient with you during the consultation and always provides recommendations if you’re not too sure about the color, style, cut, etc. He is GREAT with color and cut! Oh my gosh, he knows how to style it so well! He is also very outgoing so he’ll definitely keep you company by chatting with you throughout the whole process. He also lets you know every step of the way what he is doing so you’re not out of the loop.
I always come here for a color and cut and have always tried something new each time and Eason always surprises me with how pretty the outcome is! He is a very talented stylist who knows how to style a girl’s hair!
Highly recommend coming here, they are so friendly here and parking is superrr convenient with all day parking available all over!

Eason is seriously a hair god, if you’re thinking about getting an ombré (or any color) I would recommend coming here for him to anyone. He takes the time to understand what you want and will tell you what he thinks will look best with your style. Plus, prices here are very reasonable compared to other salons. Make sure to make an appointment as he gets booked up quickly.

I got color and spa treatment $ 100!
Best decision of my life. Eason picked the color for me and it came out a gorgeous color.
In Eason, we must trust!

Despite all the good reviews, I’m sad to say I did not have a good experience here. I had high hopes for this place. My friend recommended this salon to me and I was pretty excited to move on from my $ 45 haircuts to a $ 25 quality haircut.
I made an appointment with Irene on a Sunday at 9:30 am. I arrived on time, but she didn’t. I waited for about 30 minutes. The lady at the front decided to wash my hair. After she was done, there was still no sign of Irene. To stall time, the lady started blowdrying my hair. Okay… I guess they blow-​dry hair first before haircuts? You know how salons usually style and blow-​dry at the same time? Nope not this time. I might as well have blow-​dried my hair on my own. By the time my hair was dry, Irene shows up and starts cutting my hair. That was it. She cut it, showed me my hair and walked me towards the cash register. I have horrendous asian frizzy hair that needs to be tamed, straightened, or at least styled. She didn’t even attempt to style it. I walked out of the salon with my untamed hair, and trust me it was not a pretty sight.
I talked to my friend and apparently I just had a bad experience. Usually you wash your hair, then Irene cuts it, blow-​drys it, and then straightens it.
I’m definitely going back to my $ 45 haircuts. I’m never coming back. Seriously.