Sydney’s Top 10 Hair Salons & Hairdressers

The Profile

Susan Hair & Beauty Salon operates from Shop 3, in Surry Hills and keeps extended seven day opening hours from 9am to 7pm which suits commuters and anyone needing flexible weekday or weekend appointments and publishes a public services menu covering hair, beauty and body treatments.

Susan Hair & Beauty Salon combines hair cutting, colouring and styling with beauty services such as facials, therapeutic massage and cosmetic tattooing and the team uses before-and-after galleries on social feeds to show typical transformations and set realistic expectations for clients.

Susan Hair & Beauty Salon highlights a founder-led Signature Service under Susan Mo and maintains a structured consultation process so clients can combine multiple services in one visit which is particularly useful when booking maintenance cuts alongside more involved colour or beauty treatments.

Why It Made the List and Why It’s Our Top Pick

The salon's seven-day accessibility and combined hair-and-beauty menu make it the most flexible option in Surry Hills, allowing clients to book cuts, colour and facial or body treatments in a single appointment while relying on the visible Signature Service and consultation structure.

Good to Know

Pricing: confirm final costs before you arrive because combined hair and beauty bookings or promotional offers can change the estimate and Susan's site shows before-and-after work but published prices may be indicative rather than definitive.

The Profile

DK Hairstudio began in 2019 and operates multiple Sydney locations including Haymarket and Broadway, with a studio model that stresses staff training, technical consistency and trend-led Korean techniques adapted for local clients plus clear online booking links and staff profiles to help you choose a stylist.

DK Hairstudio focusses on precision colour, balayage, bleaching and perm services delivered with Korean techniques; staff profiles highlight specialists in design and hippie perms, platinum blondes and repair perms, and the salon recommends pictures and staged appointments for complex lightening work.

Why It Made the List

DK Hairstudio's tailored Korean techniques and staff-led consultations make it a practical choice for anyone seeking trend-aware perm or specialist lightening; its team training and service consistency help manage staged bleaching safely, though popular stylists can book weeks in advance.

Good to Know

Reference photos and a clear target tone are essential: confirm whether lightening will be staged, book consultations early, and expect technicians to advise on timing and maintenance for bleached or corrective colour work.

The Profile

Kawada Hair Studio sits on May Street in St Peters in an open-plan lounge-like space where every stylist operates a single, personalised station; clients can relax, use the salon Wi-Fi and flip a Talk No Talk card to request minimal conversation during processing.

Kawada Hair Studio balances technical skill with sustainability by recycling salon waste and offering clients a choice of two partnered charities when donating hair, and its varied opening hours include late evenings Tuesday to Thursday and Sunday appointments by request.

Why It Made the List

Kawada's low-pressure Talk No Talk approach and personalised stations make it an excellent fit for clients who want focused technical work without forced conversation; combined with donation partnerships and late opening hours, the salon suits privacy-seeking city professionals seeking discreet services.

Good to Know

For donation appointments bring the required length and notify the salon in advance so they can prepare donation packaging, and ask which charity will receive your hair to meet their collection rules.

The Profile

Salon HER operates from Darlinghurst under Creative Director Michael Kelly, offering a boutique, calm salon environment where precision cutting, bespoke colour and indulgent restorative rituals are delivered with deliberate attention to detail and the team also provides dry-style finishing and natural-looking extensions as part of the full-service experience.

Salon HER is known for colour correction and restorative work, including keratin rituals and extension services; the team runs methodical consultations and often prepares multi-stage plans when hair requires measured timelines for safe correction and maintenance and bespoke aftercare advice.

Why It Made the List

Led by Michael Kelly, Salon HER combines careful technical colour correction, natural looking extensions and indulgent keratin rituals to manage challenging colour or textured hair cases; their methodical consultations and staged planning help clients set realistic timelines and expectations for corrective journeys.

Good to Know

Complex correction bookings should be scheduled with a consultation first and you may be asked to allow additional time or return visits; request a written estimate and aftercare plan before confirming any multi-stage colour work.

The Profile

Manipulate Hair Studio occupies The Strand Arcade in the Sydney CBD near Wynyard Station and is run by Giovanna and Paul Lee, who work alongside a team of stylists to provide both contemporary editorial looks and everyday precision cutting and detailed colour services including balayage.

Manipulate Hair Studio uses a tiered stylist structure with Director, Master and Stylist bands so clients can choose experience levels and price points; the salon is well known for corrective colour work, keratin smoothing and event styling in a focused, client-collaboration environment.

Why It Made the List

Its transparent seniority pricing and longevity make Manipulate Hair a practical choice for staged corrective jobs, because clients can select an appropriately senior technician and discuss whether rescue work needs follow-up appointments to reach the target result safely.

Good to Know

Fees are shown by Director, Master and Stylist levels on the menu; confirm which band applies for corrective or time-consuming work and whether follow-up appointments are expected to complete the planned result.

The Profile

Shades Of Curls is a Redfern salon specialising in dry cutting for natural curly and wavy hair, applying the Curly Girl approach to respect natural fall and curl pattern so clients receive personalised shapes that sit correctly when dry and retain volume.

Shades Of Curls also handles curly-specific colouring using high-quality products and protective bonders, and the team integrates homecare education and product recommendations into appointments with tailored regimen advice so clients learn hydration, styling and maintenance suited to their curl type.

Why It Made the List

Shades Of Curls' specialist dry-cut method and curl-focused colour protocols reduce the risk of losing natural shape during cutting or lightening, making it particularly suitable for clients who need pattern-aware services and curl-specific maintenance education and consistent aftercare plans.

Good to Know

Appointment preparation: arrive with air-dried, unstyled hair so the curl pattern can be accurately assessed, and discuss the salon's recommended bonders and product kit if you plan any lightening or colour services.

The Profile

Acadèmie Privé is a private one-to-one hair studio in Salon Lane, Surry Hills, offering quiet, appointment-only sessions that prioritise continuity with a single stylist rather than a multi-chair reception model. It sits within a repurposed 1920s building a short walk from Central Station and limited street parking is available nearby.

Acadèmie Privé focuses on luxury, personalised craft with appointments tailored to intention and technique, making it suited to clients who want a single-stylist relationship for long-term colour and cut planning rather than frequent stylist rotation and bespoke aftercare guidance.

Why It Made the List

The studio's private model suits clients who value continuity and discretion: a single-stylist appointment supports long-term colour and cut strategies and reduces the variability that can occur in busier, multi-chair salons and allows extended consultation time and follow-up appointments.

Good to Know

Bookings are handled directly with the studio; check travel options because Acadèmie Privé is walkable from Central Station but nearby street parking is limited and may require extra time to find.

The Profile

Franck Provost Sydney CBD sits and operates as part of an international franchise, offering a consistent service menu that includes French balayage, foils, glosses and professional Kérastase treatments across its network. The salon's opening hours run weekdays with later nights midweek and Saturday services, catering to city professionals.

Franck Provost brings group training, branded product support and an established menu which delivers predictable results for clients who favour a reliable, networked salon; if you want consistency, book a named stylist and confirm the exact service before arrival to avoid variability between technicians.

Why It Made the List

The Macquarie Street branch offers dependable, networked salon standards and a familiar service menu that suits busy city workers who prioritise predictable cutting, colour retention and brand-backed treatments; ask for a named stylist to improve repeatability across visits.

Good to Know

To ensure consistency, book a named stylist and clarify whether Kérastase or another product line will be used, because the franchise model can produce variability between individual technicians and locations.

The Profile

Lily Jackson in Potts Point has been operating since 1998 as a creative collective of master stylists known for precision cutting, contemporary colour and a cultivated salon culture that aligns hair direction with clients' lifestyles and personalities. The team includes certified grey-transition specialists who plan staged changes for mature hair.

Lily Jackson specialises in grey transition work and long-term colour evolution, offering bespoke transition plans, toning strategies and precision cuts that avoid awkward regrowth phases while preserving structure for clients embracing natural silver and provide staged timelines and maintenance recommendations.

Why It Made the List

For clients navigating the shift to natural grey, Lily Jackson's certified transition specialists offer staged plans, tailored toning and precision cutting to manage regrowth gracefully and maintain shape over time, giving a controlled route to silver without abrupt changes.

Good to Know

Potts Point parking is limited; allow extra time or use public transport, and for grey-transition consultations ask which stylist specialises in mature-colour work and how many staged appointments the plan will likely need.

The Profile

Haus Of Aveda Paddington on Oxford Street combines a full-service Aveda hair salon with a dedicated day spa, promoting plant-derived colour formulas and holistic rituals that pair colour, balayage and glosses with spa facials and body treatments. The salon highlights a Hair & Scalp Facial that begins with a high-definition scalp camera assessment and exfoliation.

Haus Of Aveda prioritises scalp health with its signature Hair & Scalp Facial, combining scalp camera diagnosis, exfoliation, balancing masques and a restorative massage to improve scalp condition alongside targeted hair masks and nanoplasty smoothing options and offers tailored product regimes.

Why It Made the List

The salon's integrated approach to hair and wellness, pairing Aveda's plant-derived colour systems with diagnostic scalp camera assessments and restorative spa rituals, makes it well suited to clients who prioritise scalp condition alongside colour and smoothing treatments and long-term maintenance.

Good to Know

For hair bookings select the precise service and stylist because combined spa and salon appointments can extend total time, and the Hair & Scalp Facial uses a scalp camera assessment that may add diagnostic time to the visit.