140 Salon and Blow Dry Bar

I have the perfect haircut thanks to Alex and I couldn’t be happier. A young and hip stylist is exactly what I needed and for once I didn’t leave the salon looking like an old lady! I will definitely return to Alex for all my haircuts.

After three bad experiences at this salon (I kept thinking that things would get better and I’ve never liked a stylist as much as I’ve liked the one I saw at 140), it felt like it was time to write a review. I will never go back and would not recommend this salon to anyone.
: I had an appointment for a haircut, but decided that I also wanted to get my eyebrows done so I called the salon day-​of to see if they could work it in (no expectations since I was calling with very little notice). The girl I spoke with said that it was absolutely doable, so I asked if it would be better for me to schedule the brow appointment before or after my haircut. She replied, «Um, you don’t need an appointment for that, someone will be here to do it.» So I said, «okay, I’ll just stay later after my hair appointment.» (Wanted to make sure I let her know of my plan since she insisted I didn’t need an appointment for my brows, which I thought was weird.)
Long story short (and needless to say if you’ve ever been to a salon), after my haircut, no one was available to do my brows… I’m guessing because the receptionist wouldn’t let me make an appointment.
: I have to leave work an hour early to work with my stylist’s schedule… she only works a few days a week and her last appointment is at 5 (that’s fine because I really like her). However, at a scheduled, confirmed appointment this February, I called the salon at 4:40 to let them know that I might be about 5 minutes late to my appointment with my stylist (gave them her name and my name). They said no worries and hung up. I pulled into the salon right at 5 and received a call from them when I was sitting in the parking lot. They said, «(stylist’s name) had an emergency and isn’t here today.» I replied, «Okay, I’m sitting in the parking lot, no one called me to tell me this, and I called you 20 minutes ago as a courtesy to let you know that I might be running late, and no one told me then.» The receptionist was extremely rude, defensive and didn’t even acknowledge that they had really screwed up… she just said, «Well I’m sorry. Would you like to schedule another appointment?» I did not.
After this snafu, I called back and asked to speak with a manager (she said that she was getting ready to call me, and I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt, but I called first). She apologized and was much less defensive than the receptionist. However, she did tell me that my stylist had been gone on that emergency for 3 days at that point (so not only was it not a day-​of my appointment emergency, but someone at the salon had 3 days to call me and no one did). The manager offered to reschedule my appointment with my stylist and said that my next haircut would be on them. This was the right thing to do, so I rescheduled and let go of my previous bad experiences.
: My most recent appointment was this week. I again left work an hour early and drove to the salon. When I got there and told the receptionist that I had an appointment with my stylist, they looked at me like I was crazy and said, «She’s not at this salon anymore… she works at our new building. Did someone not call to tell you?» Would I be at this salon if someone had called to tell me? Of course no one did. At this point I’m very fed up, but willing to give it one more try (again, I’ve never liked a stylist so much and none of this so far had been her fault). I drive to the other salon that is 10 minutes away.
When I get there, the receptionists there tell me that my stylist is running late and got stuck in traffic but will be there shortly. I wait for 20 minutes (so it’s now about 5:30 and my appointment was at 5 and I left work an hour early) and decide to leave because my stylist still wasn’t there. I’m not sure how late she was because I left after 20 minutes, but the entire experience was unacceptable.
No call from a manager this time and I didn’t bother to call them again. I’m done.

Once again, I found myself out of town with no blow dryer. (The last time this happened, my visit to a blow dry bar was terrible.) I found this place on Unilocal and was thrilled to see some decent reviews so called to make an appointment.
Sharing that I needed to get in ASAP, the salon was able to get me in that morning. Even better, they called back and got me in even sooner due to a cancellation. Great customer service!
The young lady (sorry…can’t recall her name) did a fantastic job and my hair felt so amazing afterwards and was shiny, shiny, shiny! Thanks for saving the day!

Honesty one of the worst salons I have ever been to. Ive had my hair cut at this salon multiple times and have had horrible experiences almost every time. My only reason for going back this past time was purely out of convenience since I live next door. The first time I went I had my haircut with Brooke, which was horrible. Not only did I have water running down my face the entire time, she also clearly doesn’t know how to cut men’s hair. I walked out of the salon looking worse, with an uneven cut on the sides and stray long hairs everywhere. The moment I got home I ended up just shaving my entire head. Truly a disgrace.

I came here from out of town for a wedding. I have really thick curly hair that usually frizzes up about a half hour after i leave the salon, so i was really nervous about being matched with the right stylist. I wound up seeing Miranda and I am SO glad I did! Not only is she a sweetheart but my hair looked amazing all night and probably will for the next couple of days. I strongly recommend her and the salon. Great overall experience!

Amanda is amazing! She does a fantastic job with blond highlights — it looks so natural. I have hair that is difficult to cut and have had many hair disasters in the past. Amanda always does a great cut. My friend who originally referred me went to someone else (in a moment of bad judgement) and came right back.

Nice people. Good service. I took my teen aged granddaughter there and they did a great job on her long, long hair, while her mom and I had a glass of wine at an outdoor fire place a few doors down. What could be better?

Love coming here! It’s super convenient, and Mandy (Amanda) has done a great job on my hair every time I come in, whether it’s for a blowout, haircut, or color. I highly recommend! You know a salon is doing the job well when you walk out feeling absolutely great.

I wasn’t going to write a review because I just wanted to be done with this place and never go back. However, 4 weeks later after wearing a pony tail everyday, I sit in another salon for a lengthy and expensive color correction process. When I called Salon 140 back a few days after the initial process, they let me know their policy is to have the stylist who did it fix it. I understand that policy, but why would I want someone to fix my hair who ruined it? I asked for balyage and a lob. I got racing stripes/​chunky highlights and a choppy little girl cut.
$ 500+ later and my hair is PERFECT. $ 180 for a botched job and $ 323 for a fix.

I was visiting Durham while in town for my brother in law’s wedding Thanksgiving weekend and stumbled upon salon 140 thanks to some very amazing Unilocal reviews. (Thanks for not letting me down Unilocalers!) I made an appointment same day for myself for a blow out and for my seven year old daughter for some curls. The whole experience was amazing! When we checked in I was offered a mimosa and a Krispy Kreme donut which was an awesome touch. My stylist was Amanda and she blew my hair out exactly as I wanted. I have pretty curly, frizz prone hair and you never would have guessed it from the way Amanda blew it out. I also have a problem with thinness in the front of my hair but thanks to Amanda’s skill and a magical volumizing powder they carry I felt glamorous, had amazing volume, and looked fabulous that evening. People were complimenting me all night. Amanda was even nice enough to touch up my daughters curls and set them in pins after her stylist was done so it would remain curly all day for the wedding she was a part of that evening. She even gave me a goody bag and a sample size hair spray to keep in my purse when I checked out. Thanks for a fabulous experience and I would absolutely come back next time I’m visiting the Durham area. If you’re in the area, check this place out!

I am updating from the former. Today I had a pleasant conversation with the owner, Mary. She was apologetic and worked to correct the original problem. While it took 3 months to receive this phone call, I am thankful for the help in this. I believe looking forward I would use this salon again.

I got my wedding hair done here with some of my bridesmaids. We all looked and felt fabulous all day! They do awesome work for a reasonable price. I also love the cool, clean, hospitable atmosphere. Reminds me of the upscale urban salon experience. Definitely will recommend and come back for when I want to have a great blowout!

Very pleased with this salon! Great location, lots of parking, urban feel and décor.
The fact that it’s open on Sunday is a great plus, as are early morning walk ins for blow outs. Had several of these, and all except one, were excellent. I called to let manager know about the one I was not happy with and she rescheduled me free of charge, which I appreciated.
Recently saw Kayla for multi dimensional highlights and she did a really nice job, with balayage rather than foils. I usually have highlights done in France, where they haven’t used foils for 20 years, so I’m pleased balayage is available here. Kayla was very attentive as to where I wanted the highlights placed, and was a good listener when we talked about which color should go where. I also appreciated that she took up my suggestion of placing me under the dryer to make the colors take faster and show up more intensely. The result was perfect and I look forward to seeing her again. This salon is a great addition to the Durham hair scene!

Salon 140 is by far my favorite place for hair in Durham. I originally went for blowouts only and Miranda and Kayla both do fantastic ones… They are all round great people and consider them good friends!!! I was hesitant to try a place for color in Durham; but Miranda does an amazing job and really listens and creates the look you want to achieve. I have her turn me blonde and it looks spectacular every time! On top of that she always styles my hair perfectly and has no problem if you’re like me and hate hairspray! All in all salon 140 is so warm and friendly and genuinely care about their clients. I recognize all the stylists and know the owners & managers well at this point (and it’s only been 3 months)! Highly recommend it for anyone looking for great color or a great blowout.

Came in with 6 girls before a wedding, the staff was super nice and accommodating. We all had blowouts and everyone’s hair came out beautiful. They were very patient and took the time to make everyone’s hair look gorgeous no matter how long it took. Bonus they serve wine and mimosas!

First time at the salon and it was fantastic. I had initially gone in just to check the place out and ask some questions. I was curious about coloring. (Been using color out of a box for years and needed a change). First, I was greeted by Nina. She was extremely friendly. And when I told her what I was looking for, she immediately gave some great suggestions.
She put me in touch with Kayla. Who took time out of her day to give a quick consult. I was immediately sold, and was about to make an appointment. When Mary, the owner, informed me that I could be seen right then and there.
Kayla took me to her station and really took the time in listening to my wants/​needs. She then provided some recommendations. We decided on a balayage. (Never heard of this before). She then worked her magic. I have to say this… I LOVE MY HAIR! Haven’t said that in over a decade.
I have become a complete fan of Kayla and the crew at 140 Salon. They are professional, friendly, knowledgeable… Without at doubt, I will be returning.

I never write reviews but my experience here was so great I had to! I was able to get a same day last minute appointment with Kayla.
I am mixed and have SUPER curly hair. Kayla was able to straighten my hair in less than an hour with minimal use of a flat iron. She checked in periodically to make sure I was pleased with my hair and again at the end of the service. Prices are great too!

Finally, a blowdry bar in Durham! I booked online for a same day appointment, and the blowout looks fabulous. (I can’t get my hair this smooth on my own!)
The salon feels warm and welcoming, and the staff went out of their way to make sure I was comfortable and happy with the service.
I look forward to coming back! Thanks!

I am a regular with Kristina and decided that 2015 was a year for change, so I decided to go for an ombré look. I wanted subtle but at the same time wanted the color to stand out. I am IN LOVE with my hair! Not only did she give me a great brown ombré but she also gave me a little balayage in my front layers. And I had read about color causing breakage and all that, but Kristina has maintained my hair so well so I haven’t had any at all. Def 5 stars!

I have now gotten my hair cut twice with Ashley S., and I can’t say enough positive things about her. The entire staff here was friendly, and Ashley took the time to consult with me before my haircut and communicates what she’s doing throughout the cut and always asks what you think. This past visit I asked her to cut my bangs cut much shorter than I’ve ever had them before, and she made it SO easy and comfortable. She cut a little bit at a time and let me see them at different heights until I was happy, and I think they look great. I’ve been to other salons in the area including the highly rated Salon 135 in Chapel Hill, where the hairdresser didn’t wash my hair before cutting it and didn’t communicate with me at all or ask if I liked it. I suspect that was because I’m young (22), but this certainly wasn’t an issue here. Ashley S. is so kind, professional, and most importantly talented. She took time to make sure I loved the cut and I definitely do… She’s great! My hair has never looked better.

This review applies only to a recent haircut I received from Kristina. I’ve had a waxing service done at this salon and it was great.
The good: The staff is very friendly and offer you a beverage when you arrive which is appreciated. The girl who was learning with Kristina (Brittany) spent a lot of time with me and shampooed and blew my hair dry. She was very nice but I was so upset I could barely talk.
The bad: Kristina did not greet me or do a consultation with me before I got shampooed. Weird I thought but who could mess up the haircut I was looking for (I have long hair and blunt bangs)? Oh I was mistaken. After the shampoo with Brittany, I get walked to Kristina’s station. After asking how she’s doing, she tells me that she would prefer to be in bed watching movies. Not instilling confidence at this point but I’m already in her chair. With my hair wet (how can you assess how hair falls naturally at this point?!) she asks what I want. I show her a picture of my preferred bang which is straight across around eyebrow level. Keep in mind my chair was swiveled away from the mirror so I couldn’t see what she was doing. The first cut she makes… the very first snip of her scissors… Was the middle of my forehead. I watched in horror as almost two inches of hair fall to my lap. My bangs were butchered, about an inch or more shorter than the picture I showed her. Not much I could do at this point, the damage was done, so I sat there freaking out while she finished. Not only are they much much too short, they are uneven and are slanted even higher on the right. (Ironically, as she was cutting my hair, she was teaching Brittany how to not cut bangs too short.) I have never cried after a haircut before so that was a first. And from a so called «master stylist».
In fairness, Kristina asked (after the butchering) if that was what I was looking for and when I said they were too short she said sorry. But that was it, «Oh. Sorry.» She spent maybe ten minutes with me in total and then sent me away to have Brittany blow dry my hair.
I know my bangs will grow quickly, as the girls at the front were quick to point out, but will they grow in time for my special event next week? Nope. Time to get creative with hair bands and braids.
NEVER AGAIN.

I had an amazing experience with this salon. The service was spot on and one of the stylists, Alex, did an amazing job with the haircut and styled it with a lot of care and effort afterward. I was really surprised at the price – $ 40 duke students, and this was including a deep conditioning hair treatment.
It was extremely cold outside, and when I mentioned i was about to call a cab to my dorm nearby, they offered to give me a ride (it was near closing time). It was obvious that they genuinely cared about the customers. i highly recommend this salon, it’s everything you’d want in a salon! :)

I was determined to get a haircut last Monday but I got stood up at the salon I was origianlly planning on going to. Still determined, I came on Unilocal and looked up hair salons in the durham area and 140 Salon caught my eyes. I called and they scheduled me for an appointment in an hour. Same day appointment FTW :)
I walked in and the atmosphere was modern, clean, and new. There were a couple hair stylists and each had a client with them. I had the pleasure of getting my haircut by Ashley. She seemed a little young, but I was daring (and was still upset about getting stood up by the other salon) and took my chances. I did not regret that decision WHAT SO EVER! She was great! Deep scalp massage as she washed my hair, explaining to me what kind of shampoo she will use to wash my hair. When I told her I needed a bang trim and a little bit of a haircut she was up for the challenge. She made sure the cut she was going to give me was the style I wanted. She explained step by step of what she was going to do. She took little steps at a time to get exactly to the look I wanted which I greatly appreciated because my last hair stylist had made ONE bold move and had messed it all up. Ashley was great and I got so many compliments about how great my hair looks :) I have already made my next appointment with Salon 140 and will definitely be returning!

I was able to get a same day appointment (major bonus!), and Melissa did a wonderful job of translating what I requested into a great haircut, from wash to blow out.

I have been to 140 for many blowouts and have always been very satisfied. I have lived in Atlanta, Charlotte, New York and London and have been to salons in all of these locations (ranging from haircuts that cost $ 50 to $ 200; I’ve seen the gamut of salons), 140 is slightly less expensive and better than both the NYC based Drybar chain and many of the great salons I have been to for blowouts. They get really busy on the weekends for Duke undergrad formals and such so I recommend trying to book either earlier than you think you need on Saturday or on another day.
I have keratin-​treated naturally curly hair and both Erin and Brooke have done a great job styling my hair. I like to get my hair blown out about 2x per month. I would 100% recommend booking appointments with Erin whenever she gets back full time from maternity leave (I think she is working on some Saturdays now). I really liked the haircut she gave me because she listened to exactly what I wanted.
I’m giving 140 5 stars because of the way the management handled an absolute hair fiasco. This has prompted my first ever Unilocal review.
I booked an appointment with Brooke with a glaze/​gloss and a blowout before an important event. As a natural strawberry blonde, i wanted to try darker for a temporary time period. Based on the hair sample pieces she showed me, I expected to end up no more than 2 – 3 shades darker than my natural hair color. I also asked for no red tones as I don’t like how my hair turns slightly reddish in the winter. I had done a glaze previously at another Durham salon before 140 opened and had a good experience going a bit darker for a short period of time. I also showed a picture of my cousin, who has the same base hair color as mine but had dyed her hair darker. I said that I liked how her hair color «popped» against her similiar pale skin but never asked Brooke to mimic it. I learned my lesson that I should have explicitly brought in a picture of exactly what I wanted. Brooke never asked me any questions and just left for 10 minutes to mix some concoction. As Brooke applied the hair color, she casually mentioned that it might last a bit longer and had a violet undertone. I was a bit worried but figured it couldn’t be that bad.
Boy, was I wrong.
Unless you want an extreme color, DO NOT go to Brooke for basic hair coloring.
My hair was jet black with purple undertones. It was nowhere close to what I wanted. Brooke didn’t listen to me and instead decided to make me look like a Hot Topic cashier from the 1990’s. Also, turns out she put on a demi color that lasts 2x what I had thought I had booked. Brooke ruined an important formal event that night as I refused to go anywhere. I asked if she could do anything to get rid of the purple and her response was «come back in a week if you don’t like it». Bless your heart but there’s no way you’re touching my hair with any peroxide.
The next day, I washed my hair 3x with Heads & Shoulders to try and strip the color. I then used the crushed vitamin C method I had read about online to try and strip out more color. STILL PURPLE. Finally, I went back to 140 where the manager and head stylish graciously did a cleanser and ultimate treatments for free and had Skyler work on my hair. They thankfully got a lot of the purple out. However, I have now washed my hair 10 times and it is still almost black and the roots are fading to red. I’m going to wash it about 3x per day for the next 3 – 4 days and see what happens. The management at 140 was extremely professional and I am given them 5 stars because i have faith that they will make this situation better.
I still plan for 140 to be my primary salon in Durham because of how they have handled this situation. I will definitely be going back to Erin and Skyler but never again Brooke.

I loved it! Christina did a fantastic job on my hair. They were very nice. It was very clean. They were not at all snobby especially when my 2 year old had to come, he even sat on my lap and was very much welcome. Prices are good. Service is great. If I’m ever back in Durham I will go here!

Got my hair and make up done for a formal event. Loved it. Overall, good experience and friendly, knowledgeable staff. Plus they offer wine or beer while you get your services! Would definitely recommend!

I feel so pretty!!! Well priced and amazing place to come to look grear for your event or night out on the town. MELISSA WAS AMAZING.
Blow out and dry bar services are phenomenal. You can get a formal up-​do or a casual look.
Prices are $ 35-​$ 90 and the hair products available for purchase are amazing too!

I absolutely love the concept of a dry bar (just washing and styling without the haircut) as it saves money and time. I decided to try 140 Salon when I needed a last minute appointment on a Sunday (when my regular salon is closed). I am so glad that I did and I will be back! The place has great parking and is very spacious on the inside. The receptionist was welcoming and even offered me something to drink while I waited. Jules did my hair and make-​up and she listened to what I wanted and did a great job! They have some great deals going on as they are trying to attract more clients so be sure to check their Facebook page before you go.