Nanaimo’s Top 10 Hair Salons & Hairdressers

The Profile

Salon Muse specialises in luxury colour and a wide range of hair extension methods, offering hand-tied extensions, micro wefts and keratin bonds alongside precision colour work. The team lists training in Natural Beaded Rows, Invisible Bead Extensions, The Muse Method, The Mane Method and Mesh Integration, which informs technical choices for each client.

Salon Muse operates with a laid-back luxury aesthetic in a Nanaimo studio at 104-2205 Northfield Road and runs a retail boutique stocking professional brands such as Kérastase, L'Oréal and K18. Stylists are organised by experience level so clients can choose the stylist whose training and demand best match their extension or colour goals.

Salon Muse places emphasis on extension aftercare and education: the website offers new-client consult forms and an extension pre-consultation form, and the team provides tailored aftercare guidance so fitted lengths and colour blends maintain smooth, wearable results between salon visits and follow-up appointments.

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

Salon Muse tops the list for Nanaimo because its combined focus on certified, multi-method extension application and luxury colour services delivers both technical breadth and consistent results; the salon’s structured consultations, extension pre-forms and boutique product range make it particularly well suited to clients seeking long-length transformations with professional aftercare.

Good to Know

Salon Muse requires consultation forms for extension bookings and offers both a general new-client consult and a specific extension pre-consultation, so book ahead and complete the online forms to ensure your appointment time accounts for consultation and fitting procedures.

The Profile

Violet Hair Lounge promotes an eco-elegant approach and identifies as a Green Circle salon, pairing progressive, earth-conscious product lines with salon practices that aim to reduce environmental impact. The team emphasises cruelty-free, sustainable brands and sustainable operational choices as part of their core service offering and client promise.

Violet Hair Lounge operates from #5 - 4515 Uplands Drive in Nanaimo and publishes extended weekday hours with later evenings midweek, encouraging appointments by booking online or by phone. The salon stresses a considered guest experience and ongoing team education so technical services are delivered with both care and contemporary technique.

Why It Made the List

Violet Hair Lounge stands out for combining professional, detail-focused colour and styling work with visible sustainability practices and partnerships; clients who prioritise low-impact product choices and an experienced team working under extended weekday hours will find Violet a strong option in Nanaimo.

Good to Know

Violet Hair Lounge strongly encourages appointments and keeps a cancellation list; check their listed salon hours before booking since hours may change and holiday times can differ from regular schedules.

The Profile

Aura Hair Boutique operates from a bright North Nanaimo location and was founded by local stylists who grew the business from a home salon into a dedicated boutique space. The salon highlights custom hair extensions, full colour services and precision cutting within a studio designed to feel welcoming and energetic.

Aura Hair Boutique emphasises client connection and professional growth: the team presents itself as committed to cleanliness, kindness and continual education while recycling as a Green Circle Salon and offering a schedule that includes later weekday evening hours for clients needing after-work appointments.

Why It Made the List

Aura Hair Boutique is notable for its locally grown team and bespoke extension and colour work; clients who want a personable consultation in a bright, studio-style setting and who appreciate a salon that commits to recycling and ongoing stylist education will find Aura’s approach well suited to repeat appointments.

Good to Know

Aura Hair Boutique lists specific hours for each weekday and keeps Saturdays shorter or closed depending on the date; call or email ahead to confirm your preferred appointment time, especially if you need an evening slot.

The Profile

Ivory and Brass Studio operates as an intimate, by-appointment salon located on Commercial Street in Nanaimo, intentionally keeping a small-team format to create a relaxed, personalised experience for each guest. The space emphasises welcome, kindness and a west-coast modern vibe that aims to help clients relax and recharge during appointments.

Ivory and Brass Studio identifies as Green Circle Certified and invests in sustainable products while prioritising client care and ongoing stylist education. The studio notes that hours can vary by week and season, and it asks clients to be flexible as the small team balances life and work while maintaining by-appointment service.

Why It Made the List

Ivory and Brass Studio is distinguished by its appointment-only model and small-team focus, which translates into longer, more personalised consultations and a quiet studio atmosphere; clients seeking a calm, private salon visit with an emphasis on sustainability and one-on-one attention will appreciate this setup.

Good to Know

Ivory and Brass Studio operates by appointment only and currently accepts new clients; check availability and confirm booking in advance because their hours can shift week to week due to the small-team scheduling approach.

The Profile

Cutting Room Creative has been operating in the Nanaimo community since 1984 and positions itself as a full-service salon with a long local history. The salon promotes teamwork, continuous education and a broad range of services including cuts, colour, texture treatments, extensions and personalized scalp and hair treatments.

Cutting Room Creative publishes transparent scheduling guidance and gender-neutral pricing structured around appointment length and stylist level; the salon recommends a 60-minute booking for first-time clients to allow for a full consultation and proper care, then tailors future appointment lengths to each guest’s needs.

Why It Made the List

Cutting Room Creative’s longevity and service breadth make it a dependable community choice: with clear time-based pricing tiers, complimentary consultations, and a strong emphasis on education, the salon is well suited to clients who value experience, detailed consultations and a full-service approach in one familiar local salon.

Good to Know

Cutting Room Creative recommends first-time clients book a 60-minute appointment so the team can consult properly and deliver the highest standard of care; express cuts are available for returning clients and separate timing and pricing information applies to corrective colour and textured services.

The Profile

Serenity Salon is run by a group of women who aim to provide a welcoming, low-stress environment while delivering professional cutting, colour and styling services; the salon’s communal approach prioritises a fun atmosphere alongside calm, attentive service in each appointment.

Serenity Salon maintains a clear weekly schedule with closed days on Monday and Sunday and differing weekday hours; clients are asked to call or book online, and the salon highlights flexibility because hours may change without notice, reflecting the team’s desire to balance work and life while serving guests.

Why It Made the List

Serenity Salon’s approachable team and relaxed atmosphere make it a strong fit for clients who prefer a friendly, informal salon experience; the staff focus on creating a stress-free visit, and the salon’s clearly published weekday hours assist clients in planning regular maintenance and styling appointments.

Good to Know

Serenity Salon posts weekday opening hours but notes they can vary; telephone booking is encouraged and clients should confirm times in case of short-term schedule changes or holiday adjustments.

The Profile

Banged Hair Salon operates from a central Nanaimo location and presents itself as a boutique salon with an owner who is also an experienced stylist and educator; the team offers colour, cuts, styling and an in-house focus on extensions and dimensional blondes led by certified stylists within the salon.

Banged Hair Salon runs a retail punch-pass rewards scheme for styling products, stocks professional lines including L’Oreal Professional, milk_shake and R+Co, and identifies an extension lead who offers complimentary consultations; the salon also publishes weekday and weekend hours that include late evenings on some weekdays to accommodate working clients.

Why It Made the List

Banged Hair Salon is notable for combining an owner-led culture with formal extension expertise and a retail loyalty program; clients looking for a boutique feel, approachable staff, and the possibility of working with a certified extension specialist will find this salon tailored to those needs.

Good to Know

Banged Hair Salon offers complimentary extension consultations with its extension lead and operates a product punch-pass scheme, collect nine punches on product purchases to receive a discount on a tenth styling product, so bring any product questions to your appointment.

The Profile

Sonu Haircut offers a broad barbershop-style menu that includes haircuts, fades, hair tattoos, beard designs and straight-razor services; the listing highlights expertise across men’s grooming and also provides services for women and children, with a comprehensive menu that covers colouring, perming and specialty hair treatments.

Sonu Haircut notes a larger team of barbers and calls out two specialists in traditional Indian barbering techniques who provide scissors beard shaping, moustache services and threading; the shop emphasises technical barber skills alongside longer cosmetic services such as balayage, ombre and keratin smoothing treatments.

Why It Made the List

Sonu Haircut stands out for its hybrid offering of classic barber services and extended salon options plus specific expertise in traditional Indian barbering; clients seeking precise fades, beard shaping or cultural barber techniques alongside broader colour and smoothing services will find this shop uniquely equipped.

Good to Know

Sonu Haircut lists an extensive service menu with many time-based bookings; check the specific service durations and book accordingly, since services range from short lineups to multi-hour colour or smoothing treatments.

The Profile

Kiyo Salon & Day Spa operates as a combined salon, day spa and boutique with locations in Nanaimo and Parksville, offering both hair and spa treatments under one roof; the business emphasises a full-service guest experience that extends beyond cutting and colouring to include spa services and retail.

Kiyo runs a stylist level system tied to ongoing training, ranging from new talent to creative and advanced stylists, and provides a menu that lists specific timing for service types such as a 90-minute Style Change Haircut; the salon also applies a 2% eco fee to support its Green Circles Salon partnership.

Why It Made the List

Kiyo’s combination of a day-spa environment, a graduated stylist level system and clear time-based service descriptions makes it a practical choice for clients who want coordinated hair and spa services from a trained team; the salon’s booking structure and eco-fee policy reflect a formalised, full-service approach.

Good to Know

Kiyo requires new guests to book a Classic 60-minute or 90-minute Style Change appointment for first visits rather than shorter maintenance cuts, so reserve the correct appointment length when booking online to ensure adequate consultation and service time.

The Profile

Thrive Eco Salon is located in Lantzville and frames itself as a seaside, clean-beauty salon that partners with Aveda and Innersense to prioritise non-toxic, plant-based products and sustainable practices; the salon highlights ocean views and a minimalist studio atmosphere as part of its guest experience.

Thrive Eco Salon provides a streamlined service menu with packaged pricing that includes required products and colours, promotes a stylist matchmaking survey to pair clients with recommended stylists, and emphasises inclusive, down-to-earth service in a space rooted in environmental stewardship and equality.

Why It Made the List

Thrive Eco Salon’s clear focus on clean beauty and Aveda/Innersense product partnerships, combined with a stylist matchmaking quiz and packaged pricing that includes products, makes it a strong pick for clients prioritising sustainability, product transparency and an ocean-adjacent studio setting.

Good to Know

Thrive asks guests to use its online matchmaking survey to find stylist recommendations and notes its packaged pricing includes products and colour; confirm stylist availability and book through the online portal to secure the recommended stylist for your chosen package.