diPietro Todd Academy Salon

WHY I WENT HERE:
— I was asked to be a hair model (for Navid)
THE LOOK (FROM THE OUTSIDE):
— easy to get here from BART
THE LOOK (FROM THE INSIDE):
— at first I was confused because going into the building there’s a stairway and an elevator immediately by the entrance
— when reading the sign for what company is in what suite you realize it’s on the 2^nd floor
— once you get onto the right floor you see a huge open space with a waiting area, receptionist area, a hallway to the bathrooms/​changing rooms, and hair stylist stations
— what you don’t see immediately stepping out of the elevator is the hair washing area
CUSTOMER SERVICE:
— Navid was great! checked me in, cut my hair for my hair donation to Children With Hair Loss (12 inches), washed my hair/​massaged my head, cut my hair for a bob

I did my research and showed up early on a Monday morning to secure an appointment to cut and color my hair. Every single stylist was friendly and they quickly steered me in the direction of the stylist best suited for me. I was paired with Anthony and I think it was a match made in hair heaven. We consulted, I loved how he explained everything and really seemed to understand my hair. We set to meet the following Monday at 10am. I showed up early and sat in the lobby while I waited with no problem. Anthony greeted me promptly at 10 and we went over the style we had previously consulted about. I Would like to note that all of the salon luxuries (coffee, tea, water, etc) were offered multiple times. We took some polaroids (bc I brought my camera) and then he got to snipping. I love how personable and professional he is while working. Anthony took hair that was half way down my back (with about 3 inches of that being very dry) and gave my an amazing a-​line bob with so much bounce and life. I have gotten so many compliments! Wherever he chooses to take his career after this, I will follow. He even text me to check up on if I found a necklace I thought I’d lost. Luckily, I found it.
I am also getting my hair colored by Danielle (Daniella?) tomorrow morning and she was just as friendly when we first consulted two weeks ago. The only reason it took this long to secure an appointment is because we wanted to get my hair cut before it was colored. Very eager for this and will post photos of the final result.
I’m already in the process of setting up anther cut with Anthony before my trip to Thailand.
Lastly, the best advice I have, is stylists/​colorists always tell you they’re going to text you the day before your appointment to confirm. Both of mine did this and I made sure to reply. It’s REALLY important that you do this. They already have their licenses and choose to go to this academy to refine their skill in hair artistry and are paying out of pocket to do so. it’s very nice to have a place that offers such high quality hair care at such a low cost and all they ask is very little on your part. If you don’t respond, you can’t blame a stylist for finding another person to work with for the day. I’ve seen many people scrambling in Union Square bc models didn’t show up to appointments and that’s not very nice.
In closing, I love this place!

Danielle Parliament is the best colorist ever. Her attention to details and friendly attitude makes for a great experience. She has such a passion for color and art and her concentration level was amazing. I don’t know how she does such amazing work, but I will be watching for when she’s graduates! She’s fantastic, passionate and a lovely girl. Big things are coming for Danielle! Love her passion!

Got a fabulous blow dry style from Jade, I was her first model she’s worked on here but from the initial consultation I could tell I was in great, capable hands. Her instructor helped with product recommendations and styling products to use. She knew what to do with my hair, what shampoo to use (I have bright blue shortish hair — Mohawk style but really long in the middle. Think bob but without hair on the sides) and it looks fuller and looks like I have more hair than I actually do! So impressed! It’s soft and shiny. I left happy and satisfied with my experience. Wouldn’t hesitate to say that if you’re in her chair, you’re in good hands. Even though the service was free, she deserved a tip. She was professional and confident. Thanks Jade for a great experience!

I got balayage highlights done by Manase yesterday, and they are absolutely amazing! I couldn’t be happier with the results. Manase gave ma a great consultation and was able to make recommendations for my hair based on what he could tell I was looking for. Those recommendations were spot on and the highlights he gave me were just what I wanted. I had a very enjoyable experience and would go back to get my hair done by him in a second. Thank you Manase!

Don’t be scared by the student hairstylists here! Remember that you can always have it recolored, and your hair grows out pretty quickly.
I came in on Monday to see if I could get my highlights done again and get a haircut. You have to be here at 9am or 1pm and you let the receptionist know. Then they’ll come and find you and make sure to match you up with the right person. After I had a consultation with a colorist and we locked down a time the following week, the receptionist told me that she had availability for a free blow dry! Well, since I’d already gone through the hassle of parking and everything… Then, Andrea came up to me and asked if I wanted to get my hair cut. I looked down at my split ends and thought «yeah, this needs to happen today.» Andrea was awesome! She was super communicative and fun, and I got a great, rather complex cut. She checked in with her teacher frequently, so I never felt like I was in danger of getting a crazy bad cut. If you come here, ask for Andrea! BTW — you can’t beat the price of $ 15, but just remember to leave a nice tip for all their hard work!

Learning leaders here are great! Love Anthony P.

I have been a blow dry model and got a great blow dry from a student here I love the productions they sell here .
I also got to be a hair cut /​color model and had a wonderful time

After reading the reviews on Unilocal I was a little nervous about my upcoming cut, with a student. The reviews I read about the academy were less than stellar. But I was desperate for a cut and figured my hair was hard to really mess up.
I have hair modeled most of my life, so I know what to expect. It’s at least 2 hours, lots of consulting with teacher and a the payoff an inexpensive cut. Have to say Ching rocked it! I have curly hair and she took care of every curl. Ali (I think that was his name) was her teacher. He really knows curly hair too. This is the best cuts I have had! It looks great just out of the shower and amazing when I diffuse it! If you have extra time, it is worth it to go to the academy. See Ching if you can!

I have been to the academy a few times. Two of my all time favorite hair cuts have been given to me by students. I haven’t been there in a while but i think i’m going back. It is a little bit of a hastle to go on the Monday to be assigned a stylist, but in the end it was worth it. Your not gonna find this quality of haircut for under $ 30

To be or not to be a model at the Academy…
Pros: you get a haircut for $ 20
Cons: you have to get there 8:45 or 12:45 to secure an appointment with the trainee stylist
Pros: you’re helping a student learn and build their career
Cons: you’re their guinea pig for a few hours
Pros: supervisors are there to watch over your cut
Cons: they usually pop round at the beginning and at the end
Pros: you could get someone super fabulous like Amy:)
Cons: you could not:(
I’ve been here numerous times and I’ve never left any more dissatisfied than at some salons where I’m paying $$$. Waiting for an appointment that may not happen is irritating, and the allocation process always seems disorganized and haphazard, no-​one seems to be in charge to get it all together. I’ve had Gilbert do my color for $ 30 and he was great. Amy was a great stylist and gave me an outstanding cut, but she’s now left the store to be at the Fillmore branch.
Just because they are students, don’t forget to tell them what it is you want or don’t want. If you don’t want to go from long luscious locks to a bouncy bob then tell them and tell the supervisor at the beginning too. Be assertive in what you want and that’ll be what you get.
I will keep recommending the DiPietro Todd Academy until I have an experience or haircut that sucks!

I’ve been coming here for years and for guys this us a great deal. If you have time to spend to get your hair cut it’s pretty swank since it’s a high end salon regularly. The students that cut men’s hair are almost done with the program so by then they are pretty skilled. I pretty much let them do what they like since I am not super fashionable and have had all sorts of hair styles as a result. The best part is getting your hair washed and scalp massaged but the cuts are solid and there’s free wifi!

Others have written pretty much what I experienced. It is worth it; I got a very good cut from a student who was watched over by several superisors. They tweeked her technique which was good to begin with; what she lacked was confidence not much else.
Only thing to realize; it can take awhile. I was there for 3 hours but she took great care to cut my hair well and the same care to dry it.

Don’t go! Was approached in Trader Joes from a student that thought I would be a good hair model. She told me to be there Monday morning at 11 and that it wouldn’t take more than an hour/​hour and 15. I also expressed the importance of keeping my hair length and she said it would not be a problem.
The student (saving her shame by not naming) called me on Sunday and left a voicemail and text. My phone was dead so I didn’t receive them right away. I awoke on Monday morning with a semi– threatening text saying I better be there or she would be in a lot of trouble. I was never going to back out after giving my word at Trader Joes so I text her back to reassure her.
I arrive at 11 to a swarm of people in the salons lobby. I have had a cut previously at Avedas academy where it was much more professional. I waited 20 minutes and my student finally showed up. We discussed my desired haircut at her chair– keep the length as much as possible, keep layers and don’t touch the front. I stressed the whole keep my hair as long as possible multiple times. She quickly shampooed my hair and ushered me back to get my hair cut. She proceeded with parting my hair in a million different ways and asked me to stand up for a cut. I have had long hair my whole life and have never been asked to stand. I stood for at least 30 – 45 minutes while she SLOWLY butchered my hair. Her director kept coming by and yanking the scissors out of her hands to fix her mistakes and making these «wow, this is bad» looks that I could see in the mirror. After cutting my hair for over an hour (which meant continuously spraying me with water that ended up all over me), she began to blowdry my hair. This is when I began seeing how bad the situation was. my hair was all one length– this is not cool for someone with thick hair. I then start to see that my hair is brushing below my shoulders. barely! I start to tear up a little at my mistake of coming in the first place but held it in to save face. My student said a quick goodbye along the lines of «have a nice life. thanks for letting me use you» and that was it.
I tried calling the salon and left a msg for Dawn (in charge of the students) to discuss… a week later, still no call back…

I just had my hair cut at the diPietro Todd Salon. I went in on Monday to try out the model call and they set me up with an appointment immediately for the upcoming Wednesday with Amy. I was offered a beverage and then had my consultation and after 2 plus hours I left extremely satisfied. Throughout the cut my stylist referred to her instructor for suggestions and to look over her work. I felt confident because of the constant review by the instructor and Amy is in her final months of training, which is why I paid $ 30 instead of $ 15. I definitely recommend trying it out, what you need is flexibility, time and confidence in the entire process. If you don’t like something they will definitely fix it!

I love this place! The stylists and haircolorists are talented and friendly. I have had two highlights there, both with Kallie/​Callie? and she is amazing. She takes her time with my hair and her teachers are some of the best in the Bay Area. I left on Monday with golden locks and got compliments within steps of the salon. Can’t wait to get my haircut next week with Amy!

2.75 stars
I’ve been to the model call at the diPietro Todd school twice, with okay results. Cuts are supercheap– $ 15, plus tip. Cuts take about 2 hrs, 15 minutes for the instructor to look over your hair, service and then review the haircut.
Arrive on Mondays between either 9 – 9:30 or 1 – 1:30 and sit on the grey couch. The hairstylist coordinator will ask you what kind of service you’d like (razor cut, scissor cut, color, blow out) and match you up with a stylist who is working on that technique.
1^st visit– got a very nervous student who did a razor cut but started the triangle on the back side of my head higher than the instructor had told her to. It’s never good when the instructor shakes their head at your cut.
I went to Aveda’s school, then a salon, then back to DPT for another cut about 4 months later.
2^nd cut– Stylist was ok except for 1-​not testing the water temp before shampooing, which was very cold, and 2– after the instructor checked the cut and told her she didn’t thin out the right top enough and it looked uneven, the stylist told me I was done. I asked her if she would fix it and THEN she did.
So– you can get an okay haircut and blowout for $ 15, but you have to make sure the student does everything they’re supposed to.