Winston Salem’s Top 10 Hair Salons & Hairdressers

The Profile

Alkali is Winston-Salem’s premier luxury destination for custom hair colour, precision cutting, extensions and full-service spa and esthetics treatments. The salon presents an editorial sensibility while prioritizing how results will age and wear in everyday light, combining high-end finishes with practical maintenance planning for long-term outcomes.

The service menu at Alkali ranges from bespoke hair colour and precision haircuts to 100 percent human hair extensions, texture and scalp-focused treatments such as Keravive, and a full medical-skin offering that includes injectables, microneedling and VirtureRF. The spa side adds YUME Japanese head spa rituals, HydraFacial, DiamondGlow and body therapies alongside massage and nail services.

Beyond in-chair work Alkali operates as an integrated salon and retail experience, stocking brands such as Oribe, Davines, Environ and SkinMedica while offering online ordering with in-store pickup and U.S. shipping. The business promotes memberships, has a sizeable multi-disciplinary team and advertises careers for stylists, injectors and therapists, underlining its scale and service breadth.

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

Alkali stands out as the city’s top pick because it blends full-spectrum, medically oriented skin treatments and luxury spa therapies with technically advanced hair services and a large experienced team. That combination of clinical skin options, specialised extension work and luxury salon rituals creates a singular destination-level offering in Winston-Salem.

Good to Know

Alkali runs a membership programme and accepts Cherry payments; the website also includes a stylist-match quiz to help choose the right practitioner. Book ahead for combined spa and medical-skin appointments, which often require longer sessions and specific practitioner availability.

The Profile

Hair Bomb Salon has been part of the Winston-Salem scene for two decades under owner Susie Disher-Bennett, cultivating a client base that prizes creativity and a personal, hands-on approach. The salon projects a small-team, owner-led atmosphere where long-term relationships with stylists and repeat clients are central to how work is scheduled and delivered.

Colour and cut work are emphasised, with several stylists advertising colour as their specialty and the salon promoting forward-looking, cutting-edge styles. Hair Bomb also operates flexible workspace options for professionals, offering day chair rentals that support independent contractors alongside its bench of established stylists and part-time talent.

Why It Made the List

Hair Bomb’s distinguishing strength is its longevity and community focus: twenty years in operation under owner-led leadership has created a stable, collaborative environment where experienced stylists and local clients build trust and an enduring, practical approach to colour and styling.

Good to Know

Sign up for the salon newsletter to receive the advertised 10% first-purchase offer and mention it at checkout for verification; the business also lists day-of chair rentals for independent stylists, so check availability if you prefer a specific stylist or independent contractor.

The Profile

Lusso Hair Studio and Spa positions itself as a boutique salon where luxury lives in the details, offering dimensional colour, bold colour changes, and precision cutting alongside extensions. The team also provides esthetic services such as custom facials, brows and lashes, and the space is presented as bright, clean and carefully appointed for a luxury client experience.

Founder Jennifer DePaulis is highlighted as an experienced stylist and extension specialist with decades of experience; the salon also integrates massage, nail services and a suite of skin treatments to offer a broad beauty proposition. Client feedback referenced on the site praises individual stylists and warns that some popular stylists have limited availability, suggesting demand for specific talent.

Why It Made the List

Lusso’s defining quality is the leadership of a long-practising extension specialist combined with a compact, full-service boutique environment; that mix allows the salon to handle complex colour and extension work while delivering spa-style finishing services and an attentive atmosphere.

Good to Know

Several reviews and site notes mention limited availability for certain stylists, book early for in-demand colourists or extension specialists, and confirm whether a specific practitioner is accepting new clients before scheduling complex colour or extension appointments.

The Profile

The Refinery Salon was created by co-owner Chelsey Atkins with a downtown Winston-Salem focus and describes itself as a space where anyone and everyone should feel welcome. The salon emphasises a friendly, personal culture and a client experience that aims to leave guests feeling like the best version of themselves after each visit.

The business operates as a collective of self-employed stylists who keep independent schedules; each stylist is described as extensively trained across hair colouring, cutting, styling and product knowledge. In January 2024 the salon formalised a business partnership between Chelsey and long-time stylist Tika Rae, reinforcing the collaborative leadership behind the studio.

Why It Made the List

The Refinery’s distinctive merit lies in its collective model: independent, highly trained stylists working in a single downtown studio provide variety in technique and scheduling while maintaining consistent service standards, making the salon a dependable choice for many different hair needs.

Good to Know

Stylists at The Refinery keep individual calendars and availability, so check each stylist’s schedule before booking; appointments with specific team members may require earlier lead times because of their independent scheduling patterns.

The Profile

Pink Rhino Beauty Parlor is run as a collective of independent artists who share collaborative values and a mission to look after clients and each other. The salon invites guests into a relaxed environment designed for unwinding, where stylists present themselves as a team focused on connection, care and creative service.

The salon interior was completed using aged tobacco barn elements and upcycled materials to preserve a local Winston-Salem feel, filled with plants and earthy touches to create a cosy atmosphere. The business publishes specific opening hours and a street address, indicating a stable, walkable neighbourhood presence in central Winston-Salem.

Why It Made the List

Pink Rhino’s standout feature is its deliberately reclaimed, cosy interior and a collaborative artist collective that emphasises atmosphere and client care; that handcrafted setting pairs with a team-centred approach to produce a relaxed, homey salon experience.

Good to Know

Pink Rhino publishes weekday opening times on its site: Monday 10: 00–17: 00, Tuesday and Thursday 12: 00–19: 00 and Wednesday and Friday 10: 00–17: 00; confirm hours and book ahead since the collective model can mean staggered stylist availability.

The Profile

Corey Paul’s Hair Studio promotes itself as a full-service modern salon and training-focused studio, presenting an expansive menu that covers contemporary trend cuts, hair colouring, healthy hair treatments and a variety of textured-hair services. The brand emphasises continuous education for its team and a legacy of stylist expertise serving the Winston-Salem Triad area.

The salon explicitly lists specialist offerings for locs, microlocs, loc extensions, maintenance and repairs, alongside braiding, chemical services, and extension work. The site notes many services carry variable durations and base prices, and it highlights that certain signature services are only performed by the founder or designated master stylists.

Why It Made the List

Corey Paul’s primary distinction is technical depth for textured hair: dedicated loc and braiding experiences, extension services and a studio culture built on ongoing stylist education mean clients seeking specialist textured-hair care and long-form services will find targeted expertise here.

Good to Know

All chemical colour services at Corey Paul’s require a consultation before scheduling; many specialist bookings such as loc work and extensions list variable durations and should be reserved with extra time to accommodate service complexity.

The Profile

Spirals Salon Spa maintains a presence on Vagaro, offering online booking and business details through that platform; the Vagaro listing highlights the salon’s use of online scheduling, calendar management and digital appointment confirmations to streamline client bookings. The listing also points to standard salon features such as gift cards and memberships managed through the platform.

Locally, Spirals is described as delivering creative yet wearable hair design with a professional, welcoming atmosphere. The salon’s approach emphasises considered, consistent appointments intended to produce polished, natural-looking results that suit clients’ lifestyles and remain easy to maintain beyond the appointment.

Why It Made the List

Spirals’ main practical advantage is its integration with online booking tools and membership options, which makes scheduling straightforward and reduces friction for clients who prefer digital appointment management and automated confirmations rather than phone-first booking methods.

Good to Know

Book via the Vagaro listing to see real-time availability, service durations and stylist calendars; using the platform also exposes any membership or gift-card options the salon runs, so check Vagaro before calling to confirm appointments.

The Profile

Aeracura Aveda Salon operates with a clear Aveda product focus and two area locations, Reynolda Village and Clemmons, promoting naturally derived plant-and-flower ingredient formulations and a calming salon ambience free from harsh chemical fumes. The brand identity stresses personalized attention, creativity and a sanctuary-like atmosphere where stylists are chosen for skill and team-oriented care.

The business also promotes distinctive wellbeing features including a Himalayan salt cave and Himalayan head spa at its Clemmons facility alongside standard salon services. Opening hours are listed for Reynolda Village: Tuesday through Friday 10: 00–20: 00 and Saturday 9: 00–17: 00, with Monday and Sunday closed, indicating specific booking windows at the primary location.

Why It Made the List

Aeracura’s notable strength is the Aveda-aligned product programme combined with two local salon footprints and wellness-focused add-ons such as the Himalayan head spa and Salt Cave, giving clients a salon experience that blends hair, skin and relaxation-based treatments.

Good to Know

Aeracura lists two separate booking sites for Reynolda Village and Clemmons; check the correct location when booking and note that the Salt Cave and Himalayan head-spa offerings typically require separate reservations at the Clemmons site.

The Profile

Socialite Studio operates from Robinhood Village Drive as a stylist-led boutique and promotes Bumble and bumble among its product partners. The site lists a roster of individual stylists with dedicated social links, signalling a salon structure where clients choose and book directly with named practitioners rather than a purely desk-managed scheduling system.

Each stylist at Socialite provides a personal booking link, often through their Instagram or the salon booking page, so prospective clients can view individual portfolios and secure appointments directly. The salon’s model suits clients who want precise stylist selection and clear lines to the practitioner’s schedule and work examples.

Why It Made the List

Socialite’s defining characteristic is its emphasis on direct stylist-client relationships: the salon makes it easy to book individual stylists via their personal booking links, which supports transparent availability and allows clients to choose talent based on specific portfolios and product preferences.

Good to Know

To book with a preferred team member at Socialite, follow the stylist’s booking link listed on the salon page or their Instagram profile; this direct method reveals that stylist’s calendar and ensures you reserve the correct chair for your service.

The Profile

The Escape Salon is presented as a neighbourhood destination for wearable, polished hair where appointments are handled with thoughtful attention to suitability and finish. The emphasis is on looks that are flattering, manageable and built to fit a client’s everyday life rather than purely editorial statements, producing relaxed, professional results.

Across visits the salon aims for a considered and consistent appointment experience that combines professional technique with a welcoming atmosphere. Attention to detail and dependable finishing are central, so clients often leave with styles that hold shape and require realistic at-home maintenance aligned with their routines.

Why It Made the List

The Escape’s notable quality is a neighbourhood-minded focus on reliable, wearable hair, clients seeking straightforward, low-maintenance results benefit from a salon culture prioritising longevity and practical styling over flash, giving a consistently polished final result.

Good to Know

Because online details can be limited, contact The Escape Salon directly to confirm current hours and stylist availability before booking; calling or checking the salon’s social pages will ensure you choose the correct service length and practitioner.