Hair Cut in Paris
 

I will be in Paris mid-February and would love to get a hair cut while there.Any suggestions as to where and who. thanks

My hairdresser here in San Diego told me to go to any Jacques Dassange salon?..she said they are very good. No address.

I can't remember where it was that I had my hair done on Paris once years ago, but let me just tell you it's best to make sure you speak really good French or you go to someplace where they speak really good English. I had a great experience, but my girlfriend who spoke no French ended up looking amazingly horrible.

Also bring a photo if you can ; ) Enjoy your stay.

I had my haircut in Paris, and got a great cut. Jacques Dessange salons are all over the place (NY, too) and I don't think it is what you're after: why go to Paris for a hair cut in a chain salon?

My cut was on rue de Bourgogne, very near the Musee Rodin. I will try pagesjuane.fr for a name (either the salon or the hair dresser was named Laurent)... Ok, I think I found it:

JV7 Coiffure
58 r Bourgogne 75007 PARIS
01 47 05 49 05
fax : 01 47 05 51 66

Activité : • coiffeurs
The hair dresser was obviously Laurent, and not the shop.

Anyway, it was a great hair cut. Now I'm looking for a salon in the Marais, if anyone has a rec.

I'll be there mid February, too!

Peter Gadge
23 rue du Bourg-Tibourg
Paris 4ème
Telephone: 01 42 78 79 72
From the states: 011 33 1 42 78 79 72

God you all are brave to get a hair cut at a new salon when you are on vacation!!! On the other hand, if its a horrible, botched job you may have time for it to grow out before you get home.

I had a shoulder length bob nearly all my life and during one visit to Paris decided to get it chopped really short like Sharon Stone's. I brought a picture of her, walked into a hair salon off Montgoreuil and the woman was from Wales so obviously spoke perfect English. It looked stunning, everyone said so but when I got home (Switzerland) I couldn't find anyone to do it the same edgy way and it ended up looking matronly so I am back to the bob. Also my sister pointed out that while I had the same color hair as Sharon, I didn't have her face! Only a sister can say these things.

Usually Salons situated in department stores are reasonably 'safe' and their stylists used to being able to cope with many and varied customers.

The risk/reward ratio doesn't look too darn good for this situation.

Here is a website with the Jacques Dessange salons that loisco mentioned listed:

http://www.dessange.com/

Sandy

tuscan,
That's great for me, as we're staying on the rue de bourgogne. I've also been wanting to get a haircut in Paris, and that couldn't be more convenient.
kleroux,
It'll be an adventure :-) Well, if it doesn't turn out, it'll grow out eventually.
Sandy

"After having recommended Peter in a piece in Town & Country (June 1999), I am amazed but not surprised that some clients from Boston, San Francisco, Atlanta, etc., keep coming back. He's still the king of zee best cut in town -- a true artist. A great gift to give oneself . . . you'll be a true Parisienne after la transformation. Trust him . . . and be prepared for a slow cut." quote of Mireille Guiliano on Peter Gadge.

Hi Cigale Chanta,
Just curious, do you remember how much a cut by Peter Gadge costs? I'm guessing it's above my budget if he was cited in a Town & Country article.
Sandy

No. I don't, sorry.

cigalechanta,
No problem :-) I'll just guess that it's more of a gift to myself than I can afford. Ah well...I'll be in Paris, and that's enough.
Sandy

I haven't found a great hairdresser yet in Paris, but go to Carita, which is a relatively expensive but safe bet in terms of quality.

Keep in mind that salons often charge for various aspects of the service that are wrapped up in a package price in North America. To have your hair washed usually costs extra (if you already washed your hair in the morning, tell them you don't need a shampooing). A blow-dry costs extra on top of the cut. That cup of coffee they offer to bring you costs extra. Fine if you want to pay for it, but the little extras add up.

Sandy

Where are you staying? We have stayed at both the Hotel de Varenne and Bourdonais. That is how I ended up with getting the cut on the Rue de Bourgogne.

I have had many, many haircuts in foreign cities. If you live, as I do, in a rather style-starved place, I don't think the risk of getting a hair cut in a stylish big city is that daunting.

I got my hair cut in NY two weeks ago, and it is great. I had the best haircut of my life in Toronto, and I chose the shop because it was next to our hotel. I had the tied-for-best cut in London, and I walked into the shop because it was cool looking. I am big on foreign or strange-city cuts. I just get blah cuts here at home, no matter where I go, so how bad can it get? Besides, hair grows!

I am blessed (?) with thick and curly hair, so even a bad cut doesn't kill me, but I have to say that I've had wonderful luck getting cuts in cities that are more stylish than my home town.

I wouldn't get my hair cut Smolensk, but Paris? For sure!

Tuscanifeedit, you are indeed blessed with thick, curly hair!
Have you tried Izzazu or Dean of Shadyside here in the 'Burgh?

How nifty that you are going to Paris next month--lucky you!

S

Hi tuscanlifeedit,
We're staying a the Hotel de Varenne. It's the first time we've stayed anywhere other than the 6th, and I'm looking forward to it.

Sandy

We passed a trendy upmarket salon whilst walking down Rue Duquesne on the way to Metro Ecole Militaire.
My friend stopped in and asked about having her hair blow-dryed(blow-waved) and changed her mind when they wanted 100 euros. Thats just a plain wash and dry - no cut.

Ooh... 100 euros for a wash and blow dry? I think I'd change my mind too :-)
Sandy

Sandy: the cut on rue de Bourgogne was well priced, and no extra charges. Just down the street from the Varenne, a block or less as I remember.

Cigalechanta: I'd love to try Peter Gadge. IMO, a slow cut is a good cut. I think they have a website, so I can check for the prices and appointment.

Granmere: Hi! Did you catch the itinerary I posted on the Ballet in Paris thread? I have tried Izzazu and Dean of Shadyside, lots of times actually. Dean of Shadyside didn't give me my money's worth at all, and Izzazu just has too many hair dressers, and I haven't found one among them that did me justice.

I think it is hard to find someone who is willing to put in the time and effort to cut coarse, curly, unruly thick hair and turn it into a fashionable, stylish look. Your hair is so pretty and smooth... sometimes I wish mine was too.

One thing I've noticed: I have had some great cuts from people in countries or from nationalities that are experienced with coarse and copius curly hair. I don't think I'd try Sweden for hair cut, but I'm good to go in Western Europe.

I have extremely thick and wavy hair. I always wait when I go to Italy to have my hair cut there as I always get such better haircuts there then here in N CA..no doubt because the stylist are use to my type of hair.

Thank you to all for info on a great hair cut in Paris. I certainly will let everyone know how it come out, not the hair, the cut!!!!!

I'm with you, LoveItaly. The only people I've found in the US that gave me a decent enough cut were from nationalities where thick, curly hair was the norm. I have a lot of hair and the strands are not fine, and they are loaded with waves, curls and even cowlicks!

tuscanlifeedit,
Thanks! That sounds perfect :-)
Sandy

tuscanlifeedit,

I, too, have very thick, wavy/curly hair. The major difference I've found when getting my hair done in Paris (as compared to the States)is in the attitude. In the States, it's always some variation of, "God, you've got a lot of hair!" I always have the feeling they're thinking of all the other heads they could do in the time it takes to do mine. In Paris, it's "Magnifique," and I'm always told how lucky I am. Little things mean a lot.

Toupray, Exactly!

Sandypaws: are you my Sandy from the midwest, of serial killer fame in Paris?

"God you've got a lot of hair!" Toupary I have heard that from the time I was just a little girl and my mother would take me to the beauty salon for a haircut. I still hear it. Very tiresome actually. But personally I am glad I have a lot of hair!

tuscanlefeedit, LoveItaly -

I guess it beats the alternative. Judging from your screen names and my ancestry (1/2), maybe I could go to Italy and find someone who's used to dealing with hair like mine?? ;-)

On the practical side, I've found someone who does a great "brushing" (I can have straight, silky hair for days, which is fun sometimes) for a very reasonable price (€15). A conditioner, however, is €8, and I prefer my own conditioners. I think next time I'll wash and condition my hair before I go.

LoveItaly and Toupary --

As an unrelated side-note, Korean hairdressers are really used to working with very thick, coarse, and wavy hair. I've noticed more white and Latino women in the salons in Koreatown in Los Angeles. This is very ethnic specific --- Chinese stylists seem quite perplexed by how much hair I have.

Great question, especially after reading the posts about "How to Live like a Local." I had my hair cut in Bergamo, Italy a few years ago. I just walked up to what looked like a cool salon (yes, I know...not always a good indication of quality) and asked, in my broken Italian, if I could get a haircut. My stylist did not speak English. If you're looking for a local experience, you can't get any closer than this. The haircut was not the greatest, but still pretty good. Regardless, I still felt fabulous! I spent the rest of the day (alone) wandering Bergamo, going to lunch & drinking wine, and feeling completely local with my newly coiffed hair. I'm thinking of doing the same thing in Paris. What the heck!