Hair Salons in Plainfield

Within Niche Hair Design, located in the former building of Hairem Hair Salon, 30-year styling veteran Clyde Hale—who boasts cross-country salon experience everywhere from Las Vegas to Chicago—works alongside a quintet of talented stylists. The team feverishly snips strands and enhances locks with multidimensional highlights or Great Lengths hair extensions. Meanwhile, in the privacy of a backroom, licensed electrologist Marilyn Griffith calls upon her 30 years of hair-zapping experience to gently eradicate stubble from limbs, faces, and pet porcupines.

The stylists at Cranford Hair Company rarely come across a curl they can’t straighten or a strand they can’t lengthen. Though their skills are potentially intimidating—the staff includes a Redken-certified colorist and specialists in keratin straightening treatments—they go out of their way to make clients feel at ease. This combination of upscale styling and a relaxed atmosphere has won the salon many fans, as has a service menu that caters to both genders with precision haircuts, multidimensional coloring, and 100% human-hair extensions. The staff balances these scalp-oriented services with beauty treatments that focus on the rest of the body. Waxes remove hair entirely, and precise applications of airbrush makeup help skin glow brighter than a light bulb filled with plutonium.

At Elegant Image Salon, styling veteran Claudia Cruz and her staff sculpt hair for men, women, and children with a variety of haircare services. In addition to standard haircuts, they perform keratin treatments to make hair smoother and add hair extensions to add volume and offer clients a shortcut into the world of '80s hard-rock superstardom. Cruz sees that her staff stays apprised of the latest industry trends and techniques to maintain a standard of quality cuts.

Hairdressing runs in his blood. As a third-generation stylist, Jeff—the owner and director of Gemmette Hair Studios—not only loved hair from a young age but acted on his passion and began working in the industry at the age of 15. He then went on to attend the Vidal Sassoon school in London before garnering enough skills to become a color specialist and educator for Paul Mitchell. Now Jeff shares his endless love for hair not only with his clients but with his team of stylists at both Gemmette Hair Studio locations. Under Jeff's tutelage, each stylist much complete the salon's training program before working their way through the ranks of junior, senior, and designer stylist. And, even after all that training, the group still shows offs their hunger to learn by mastering the latest hair trends and techniques through continuing-education courses.

Along with precision cuts for adults and kids, Japanese hair-straightening treatments, and corrective coloring, Gemmette's crew is skilled in eyelash extensions and makeup applications. Hair can also be restored with the salon's reviving blow-dry treatments, which help brighten locks, protect against breakage with argan- and olive-oil-infused products, and boost volume.

Though the focus in each Gemmette Hair Studio is the client, the owner did not skimp on decor. Both locations offer elegance—one with baroque decor and the other inspired by zen—as well as fully stocked color bars boasting every shade of the rainbow, including pot of gold.

High End Barbershop & Salon opened as a modest 390-square-foot shop in 2003 and has since expanded to nearly three times the size. Hoping to expand their expertise and attention to detail as well, owner Richie Garcia and his scissor-wielding staff sculpt new 'dos for men, women, and children. Highlights, extensions, and keratin treatments beautify women's hairstyles and hot-towel shaves prevent overgrown beards from violating city-zoning regulations.

After the salon where stylist Donna Tomaso worked was shut down, she teamed up with her sister Tracey Basilico to launch Salon 171 on their own. With five members of the old salon staff onboard, Salon 171 opened its doors with an already cohesive team of experienced stylists who had worked together for years.

Today, the stylists at Salon 171 beautify hair through cutting and styling or straightening and smoothing. With both English- and Spanish-speaking stylists, the staff can help mediate between English-speaking clients and their Spanish-speaking hairdos. In a cozy waiting area, clients can lean back on black couches with light-blue pillows that match the salon walls.