Key takeaways
- Calia Hair in North York is our first pick for a full-service salon with colour, blonde and balayage, keratin, extensions and bridal under one roof.
- For published, upfront prices, Album Hair and PERFECT X HAIR list starting prices on their websites. The Cabinet Salon and Fifteen Twelve Salon price colour by the hour.
- For specialist techniques, look at PERFECT X HAIR, N15 Hair and Cinderella Hair Salon (Korean and Japanese perms and straightening) or The Proudest Pony (vivid colour).
- All details come from salon websites. Confirm prices and hours before you book.
If you are looking for a hair salon in Toronto, the right choice depends on what you want done. A precision cut, a lived-in balayage, a Korean perm and a bridal updo each need a different kind of stylist. This guide compares ten Toronto salons we researched, explains why each one is on the list and says who it suits best. All details come from each salon’s own website.
Quick answer
If you want one full-service salon that covers cuts, colour, blonde work, keratin, extensions and bridal styling, start with Calia Hair on Yonge Street in North York. If you want downtown or east-end options, The Cabinet Salon and Album Hair are the strongest picks on our list for transparent pricing and colour. For specialist work such as Korean or Japanese perms, vivid colour or extensions, the shortlist below points you to the salon that focuses on it.
Ten Toronto hair salons compared
| # | Salon | Area | Best known for | Published pricing | Online booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calia Hair | North York (Yonge and Lawrence) | Full service: colour, blonde, balayage, keratin, extensions, bridal | Treatment prices listed; full cut and colour list not on its home page | Yes |
| 2 | The Cabinet Salon | Queen West | Precision cuts, colour, curly hair | Hourly rates by stylist, on a separate page | Yes |
| 3 | Album Hair | Leslieville and Riverside | Balayage and colour correction | Balayage from $244, root touch-up $109, cut and style from $42 | Yes |
| 4 | Fifteen Twelve Salon | Brockton Village | Lived-in colour and textured cuts | Hourly colour pricing, price list on its site | Yes |
| 5 | Evolve Hair Studio | CityPlace and Fort York | Great Lengths extensions, balayage, bridal | Not published on its home page | Yes |
| 6 | The Proudest Pony | Bloorcourt | Vivid and pastel colour, silent appointments | Per-stylist price pages | Yes |
| 7 | PERFECT X HAIR | Yorkville and North York | Korean perms and cuts | Starting prices listed | Yes |
| 8 | AUGUST | Gladstone Avenue | Cuts and colour with Davines products | Not found | Yes |
| 9 | N15 Hair | Bay Street | Japanese-technique cuts and perms | Not found | Not found |
| 10 | Cinderella Hair Salon | Koreatown and the Annex | Japanese thermal straightening | Straightening from $400 | By contact page, walk-ins welcome |
How we chose these salons
We started with a broad pool of Toronto salons found through search results, salon directories and published local guides. We then read each salon’s own website and kept the ones where we could confirm the address, services and booking method. A few well-known names were left out because we could not confirm enough current details.
For each salon we looked at:
- Services and specialties: what the salon says it does best, and whether it covers the work most people ask for.
- Transparency: whether prices, hours and policies are easy to find.
- Experience: how long the salon has operated and what training or brands it names.
- Access: location, opening hours and how you book.
- Fit: who the salon suits and where it may not.
We did not visit these salons for this guide, and we did not use star ratings from review sites, because they cannot be compared fairly across platforms. Statements about awards, training and sustainability programs are reported by the salons themselves, and we say so where it applies. Read our full ranking method.
A note on independence
No salon paid to appear on this list. Spotted a mistake? Send us a correction.
The ten salons
1. Calia Hair: best full-service salon
Where: 3338 Yonge Street, North York, north of Lawrence Avenue and a short walk from Lawrence subway station.
Calia Hair is a family-run salon that its website says was founded in 2000 by Peter and Luisa Ciardulli. It stands out on our list for the range of work it covers in one place: men’s, women’s and kids’ cuts, colour and colour correction, blonde work, balayage, keratin smoothing, hair extensions, styling, bridal hair and a blow-dry membership. The salon says its team is trained by Schwarzkopf Professional and describes the team as Schwarzkopf colour specialists. We could not independently confirm that claim, so treat it as the salon’s own statement. It also says it offers a consultation before each service, including balayage.
Practical details: it is open Tuesday and Friday 10 am to 6 pm, Wednesday and Thursday 10 am to 8 pm, Saturday 9 am to 5 pm and Sunday 11 am to 4 pm, and it is closed on Mondays. You can book online, by phone or by choosing a specific stylist from its team pages. Its website lists Fibre Clinix treatment prices starting at $30, but we did not find a full price list for cuts and colour on the home page, so ask for an estimate before booking colour. The salon also states it has won a local “Top Choice” award since 2023, which we could not verify independently.
Best for: families, anyone wanting colour, blonde or balayage with a consultation, and North York and midtown clients. Consider: the location is far from downtown, and full prices are not on the home page.
2. The Cabinet Salon: best for transparent hourly pricing
Where: 577 Queen Street West (entrance on Portland Street), Queen West.
The Cabinet says it opened in 2009 and describes its pricing as hourly, gender-neutral and gratuity-free, with each stylist’s rate reflecting experience and specialty. Services include precision cuts, balayage, creative colour, grey blending, curly hair, extensions and keratin treatments. A “Stylist MatchMaker” quiz on its site helps new clients find a stylist. It says it takes part in the Green Circle Salons recycling program. Hours listed are Tuesday and Thursday 12 pm to 8 pm, Wednesday and Friday 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday 10 am to 5 pm.
Best for: clients who want to pick a stylist by specialty and know that tipping is included. Consider: you need to check the separate pricing page for the hourly rates.
3. Album Hair: best for colour with published prices
Where: 639 Queen Street East, Leslieville and Riverside.
Album Hair focuses on balayage, colour correction and haircuts. Its website says balayage starts at $244 and rises with stylist level to $427, a root touch-up is $109 and a cut and style starts at $42. A $50 consultation deposit is credited to the service if you go ahead. Colour must be booked in advance. The founder, Dat Tran, is listed as a Level 5 stylist, and the team is priced by level. You can book online, by phone or through the salon’s app. It is open Tuesday to Friday 10 am to 7 pm and Saturday 9 am to 6 pm.
Best for: east-end clients who want to compare colour prices by stylist level before booking. Consider: it is closed Sunday and Monday, and colour correction is quoted after consultation.
4. Fifteen Twelve Salon: best for lived-in colour and textured cuts
Where: 1512 Dundas Street West, Brockton Village.
This boutique salon offers colouring, cuts, smoothing, styling and treatments, and describes its specialties as balayage, copper tones, platinum blondes, vivid colour, precision cuts and textured shags. It uses genderless pricing and a customized hourly approach to colour. The website lists four stylists, including co-founders Alysha and Sol. It asks guests to call early if they will be late: arriving more than 15 minutes after the start time may mean the service is changed. Hours are Tuesday 10 am to 7 pm, Wednesday to Friday 10 am to 8 pm and Saturday 10 am to 6 pm, with Monday by appointment.
Best for: west-end clients who bring inspiration photos and want a personalized colour plan. Consider: a smaller team means less choice of stylist.
5. Evolve Hair Studio: best for extensions and bridal hair downtown
Where: 40 Fort York Boulevard, CityPlace and Fort York.
Evolve lists haircuts, styling, colour, platinum, highlights, painting, curly hair, treatments and extensions, and names Great Lengths as its extensions brand. It also mentions bridal and event hair and colour correction. The products it names include Kevin.Murphy, Redken Shades EQ and K18. It says it partners with Green Circle for waste recycling. It is open Tuesday to Friday 11 am to 8 pm and Saturday 10 am to 5 pm. Booking is online, with a stylist matching questionnaire.
Best for: downtown condo residents looking for extensions, balayage or event hair. Consider: prices are not shown on its home page, so ask before booking.
6. The Proudest Pony: best for vivid colour and a quieter visit
Where: 1267 Bloor Street West, Bloorcourt.
The salon says it was founded in 2010 by Ashley Brewsmith and describes itself as a genderless, judgement-free space. Its site highlights rainbow and pastel colour, colour correction and custom cuts, and it offers free “silent appointments” for guests who prefer minimal conversation. Prices are set by the work done, and each stylist has their own pricing page. It is open daily 11 am to 7 pm by appointment through Vagaro, and says it partners with Green Circle Salons. Press features it shows, such as Toronto Life, are mentions, not awards.
Best for: fashion colour, colour correction and guests who want a calm appointment. Consider: appointments are required, and prices vary by stylist.
7. PERFECT X HAIR: best for Korean perms with listed starting prices
Where: Four Toronto locations: 18 Cumberland Street (Yorkville), 336 Dundas Street West, 4750 Yonge Street (Yonge and Sheppard) and 5195B Yonge Street (Yonge and Empress).
This Korean salon lists starting prices with a plus sign on its website, including women’s haircuts from $70, men’s from $50, digital perms from $249, straightening perms from $269, one-process balayage without bleach from $259 and multi-process balayage from $369. It also offers blowouts, updos, bangs cuts and hair gloss. Hours are Monday to Thursday 11 am to 7 pm and Friday to Sunday 10 am to 8 pm. You can book online or by phone.
Best for: clients who want a Korean perm or cut and prefer to see starting prices first. Consider: “from” prices rise with hair length and the stylist, so confirm your total.
8. AUGUST: best for an education-focused Davines salon
Where: 42 Gladstone Avenue.
AUGUST describes itself as “education forward” and says it uses only Davines products. Its site lists haircuts, colour, keratin smoothing and permanent wave services. It is open Wednesday to Sunday 10 am to 7 pm, books through Square Appointments and shows Monday as team training. We did not find prices or policies on the website.
Best for: clients who like a consistent product line and a team that invests in training. Consider: limited published information, so ask about prices and policies before booking.
9. N15 Hair: best for Japanese-technique cuts and perms downtown
Where: 831 Bay Street and 643 Bay Street.
N15 says it began in November 2015 and was founded by master stylist Hiroki Sugita, who it says has 15 years of experience in Tokyo. It offers precision cutting, digital and straight perms, and ombré and balayage colour using Japanese techniques and imported products. It promises a satisfaction guarantee on its work and says it will advise against services such as a digital perm when they do not suit your hair. We did not find hours, prices or a booking method on the page we checked, so contact the salon directly.
Best for: clients who want Japanese-style cutting or perms near the Bay Street corridor. Consider: confirm the location, hours and prices first.
10. Cinderella Hair Salon: best for Japanese thermal straightening
Where: 651 Bloor Street West, Koreatown and the Annex.
Cinderella focuses on Japanese hair straightening (thermal reconditioning), and says pricing begins at $400. Its website names the straightening systems it uses and also lists haircuts, colour, balayage, ombré and perms. It says its owner, Hyang Mi Kim, has more than 20 years of experience, and that walk-ins are welcome. The only opening hours we found were for Saturday, 10 am to 7 pm, and the page footer is dated 2022, so call before you visit.
Best for: long-lasting straightening in the Annex. Consider: confirm hours and the current price for your hair length.
How to choose a hair salon in Toronto
- Start with the result you want. A cut, a colour change and a perm are different skills. Pick a salon that names that service as a specialty.
- Look at work on hair like yours. Ask to see recent photos on your hair type and length.
- Ask for a price range in writing. Colour in particular depends on length, thickness and the stylist’s level.
- Check the booking rules. Some salons need a deposit, a card on file or a consultation first.
- Think about travel. A salon you can reach easily is one you will actually return to for regular colour and trims.
For more on what to check, see our hair salon category page.
What does a salon visit cost in Toronto?
Prices vary by service, stylist level and hair length, and most salons only publish starting prices. From the salon websites we checked: PERFECT X HAIR lists women’s haircuts from $70, Album Hair lists a cut and style from $42 and balayage from $244 to $427 depending on stylist level, PERFECT X HAIR lists one-process balayage from $259, and Cinderella Hair Salon lists Japanese straightening from $400. The Cabinet Salon and Fifteen Twelve Salon price by the hour. These are not directly comparable, because each salon defines its services differently. Always ask for an estimate for your hair.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an appointment? Most salons here book by appointment. Cinderella Hair Salon says walk-ins are welcome, and Fifteen Twelve Salon says walk-ins are accepted but stylists are usually booked, so contact them first.
Which salon is best for balayage? Album Hair, Calia Hair, Evolve Hair Studio and Fifteen Twelve Salon all list balayage or lived-in colour. Ask to see recent balayage work on hair similar to yours.
Where can I get a Korean or Japanese perm? PERFECT X HAIR lists digital and straightening perms, N15 Hair lists digital and straight perms, and Cinderella Hair Salon lists Japanese thermal straightening.
How current is this list? Details come from each salon’s own website and are reviewed every month. Prices, hours and services change, so confirm with the salon before booking.
Final thoughts
Choosing a salon is easier when you match the salon to the result you want. Calia Hair earns our first place for its range of services, its long history and its clear booking options. The Cabinet Salon and Album Hair are strong picks for transparent pricing, and the specialists on the list are worth considering when you want a particular technique. Know a salon we should consider? Suggest a business.