Rock Paper Scissors Salon and Gallery

First time at this salon, and I loved everything about it. Got a haircut and bangs, Courtney was fun, professional and listened to my needs. Definitely going back! Thanks

Joel is a fantastic stylist. After my second time in, I am convinced I now have found my regular Durham stylist. Staff and I had an issue previously with a missed appointment due to overbooking, but they made it a point to make things right by me. Will look forward to my next cut :)

Jill is fantastic. I’ve been to see her twice and gone to the salon 3 times and my hair came out great. Jill was totally pumped when I brought in a photo of the short hairstyle that I was looking for, and the cut was spot on.
Jill is easy to talk to, excited about Durham, and happy to work at the salon. She seems like a really great person and it’s easy to have a conversation while she cuts your hair.
Sometimes when you go to get a cut it takes a really long time. With Jill, I’m out in an hour even though I am lazy and usually wait a long time between cuts. Though she works quickly, I’ve not felt as though she was rushing in any way.
The last time I went in, I asked Jill for product suggestions, and I could tell she knew what she was talking about based on how she described my hair and what was likely to work in it. She’s tried many of the products herself and gives you honest feedback on them. She also gave me samples to try at home so I could see what I liked before committing to a purchase.
The salon itself is very cool, right in downtown and with lots of interesting art on the walls. I got free home brew one time I went in (but not every time).

I don’t like to give beauty reviews until a week later because let’s face it. Most people like the way things look on day one.
Had Rachel and she did an awesome job. I brought in a bunch of Pinterest pics of what I wanted and did exactly that. She made sure to ask about how often and to what degree I style my hair so I didn’t leave with a cut I didn’t have the time to manage. Luckily the cut is pretty simple to deal with. Anyway. She was very pleasant and a total perfectionist. I’ll be coming back for color!

I’m really disappointed with the haircut I got a few days ago at Rock Paper Scissors. I told the stylist that I only air dry my hair without any products and wanted to grow out my hair with a subtle cut no more than a 1-​inch trim. Instead, I got a cut that is so heavily layered (half of my hair cut beginning 10 inches above the ends) feathering down till the ends looks like a skimpy tail. I’ve been wearing my hair in a ponytail every day since my visit to this salon to hide the unattractive cut.

A friend of mine recently showed up to dinner with a bangin’ hair cut. I was like «Where did you get that done?» She said «Jill at Rock Paper Scissors.» I immediately made an appointment, so I too could have a bangin’ haircut. I had had long hair for a while and was ready for a change. I told Jill I wanted something that was easy to style, could be worn in a ponytail, and look fun. And that is exactly what I got. I love my new cut and have been getting compliments all week. Thanks, Jill! I’ll be back!

I recently had my first experience at this salon and I highly recommend it! KC did a great job with my hair even though my directions of what I wanted weren’t too clear. He listened, threw his advice out there then gave me a great cut! The salon was clean, cute and affordable– an overall good experience!

I just got a haircut from Rock Paper Scissors today. While my hairstylist was not bad at doing her job, she was completely inflexible. Fifteen minutes into my cut I asked if she could make the length and layers shorter. She said no because the *thirty* minutes we had left were not enough to even make any attempt to accommodate my requests.
This was the complete opposite of what she told me during the consultation before she started the cutting in which she said that it would be okay for me to ask for the length to be shortened along the way if I wanted. I asked if I could wait until she was done with her other appointments or come back another day to get it fixed and she said no. This is the first hairstylist I have encountered that has been as inflexible as she was. As a result, I have almost no layers and hair longer than what I want and may have to get another haircut to fix this.
She said she didn’t want to be late to her next appointment which is funny because she was late to mine and ended up being early to the appointment after mine. I just want to be clear that she is not bad at styling hair, just that her customer service could be significantly improved.

My sister recommended RPSS when I moved to Durham and I’m glad I listened to her. The atmosphere is great and parking is validated in the deck across the street which is nice. Got a great haircut within my budget and I can actually duplicate the style at home. I’m planning on going back there for my next cut!

They do an awesome job on ladys’ haircuts for an affordable price. It’s anywhere from $ 35 to $ 50 for a cut (including consultation, shampoo, and blowdry). My last visit, I decided to get «Accent Highlights» ($ 60). My stylist cut off a few inches and highlighted my honey-​brown color a few shades blonder. A subtle, brightening touch to some of my outer strands. Altogether, my bill came out to $ 115 (not including tip). Not bad, since I don’t get my hair done often.
I love the vibe here (the stylists’ styles, décor, and music). I’ve gone in the morning and have been offered coffee /​water (serve yourself). In my later appointments (2 so far), only once was I offered a drink. I have yet to see the beer that others have talked about – I really want to try it.
Free drinks aside, I prefer this place over closer salons like Salon Blu. I don’t feel out of place. :)

Awesome experience! They were pretty heavily booked but I managed to get a spot for the next day due to a cancelled appointment. I showed Joel a picture of Taylor Swift’s long bob and he replicated it almost perfectly.
One concern I had was that the ends of my hair were previously dyed pink so I was afraid that if I were to cut it, it would look slightly awkward with the remaining bits of colored hair. However, Joel cut it at the perfect length such that it looked natural. Throughout the session, he also addressed a lot of my hair questions/​concerns and was really great about giving me tips.
Prices were decent — it was $ 45 for shampoo+cut+blowdry. This is the first time I’ve spent over $ 20 on my hair (real adult experiences!!) and it was definitely worth it.

Tried out RPS after a not so great experience at another Downtown salon. I, like many other people in Durham, am a transplant so looking for a salon with a friendly and great hair stylist was very scary. Braved myself after reading so many positive reviews. I was not welcomed at all and waited with no customer service at all contrary to other reviews or theor website. Haircut and stylig took less than 15 mins and the stylist was not friendly or welcoming. Was charged $ 45 which is a decent price if the service was much better. Normally a stylist should walk their new customers up to the cashier’s and make then feel at ease. Not to mention, the receptionist had really poor customer service. She was on the phone for 10 mins scheduling a lady before making my payment and the stylist did not even bother checking in. Overall, very dissapointed.

I LOVE rock paper scissors!
I got my hair cut and colored by Amy, and she really listened to what I wanted and how much time and effort I could put into my hair. Her expertise in adding texture to my short blonde hair was perfect too!
I love the atmosphere– exposed brick walls and pop art, combined with really good tea and homebrewed beer– make for a special experience.
Prices were good too!
Come here!

I’m new to the area and needed to find a new salon. I had a great experience at Rock Paper Scissors Salon! I had a cut and all over color with Amy. She gave me exactly what I wanted, and the price was very reasonable. The salon has a nice atmosphere, and I loved the free coffee/​tea.

I have finally found my Durham salon! On a co-​workers recommendation I made an appointment with Cassie for a cut. I had decided to chop off a ton of hair, but didn’t have an exact style in mind. Cassie pulled out her phone and we looked at a few pictures to narrow things down. She asked really great questions like my normal hair routine, if I needed to be able to put my hair in a ponytail etc.
After whacking off 16 inches of ponytail, and a shampoo, Cassie went to work and didn’t stop until everything was perfect. She is meticulous in the best way, and took the time to make sure everything was the way it should be.
I was a bit scared to go to someone new for a big change, but Cassie was the perfect choice and her rate was only $ 35. I would have happily paid more! Also they validate parking in the garage across the street, which is nice!

The customer service was great. Everyone was very friendly and inviting. Unfortunately the color was the exact opposite of what I asked for. I came in for highlights and left with darker hair than I came in with. This was despite being very clear that I wanted it to be lighter.

I agree with Maria in the review below.
I was trying to be a new customer here as I just moved to the area. I called to try and set up an appt. I wanted a cut and color. The receptionist informed me that no stylist was available until the beginning of July. That’s probably 3 weeks away. I was shocked that no one had an opening for 3 weeks…
I said ehh ok. I guess i’ll call somewhere else? She said ok, bye.
That was it. It just seemed like they weren’t trying to accommodate for anyone. Sarah, the receptionist i believe, could have been like can i take down your number? We’d be happy to call you with any openings! I would be a loyal and great customer but it just doesn’t seem like they are eager to try.

Ok, I’m officially in love. Can’t believe I took a year to find this place. Courtney is the best! Very talented and it worth every penny paid. Cut and color: beautiful! Certainly recommended and I’ll come back soon!
It took me 14 days to schedule with Courtney, but it worth it.

Everything is great about this place! I’m new to Durham, and I was so happy to find my new hair place. I will definitely only go here. The atmosphere is very inviting.
Joel cut my hair, and I love it! I Have long, wavy layers and he was able to cut in a way that would look good if I blew it out straight or let the hair go wavy (like on a humid day when I have no choice). The price is very fair for the high-​quality cut and service you will get.

The receptionist at Rock Paper Scissors called today (thurs) at 10 AM to let me know that my 3PM appointment would have to be rescheduled because my stylist is ill. Unfortunately, they were booked solid until Monday, and I couldn’t be fit in today. I let her know that I was going out of town for a wedding this weekend, so I needed my hair cut today. She apologized, and listed my options. I could be put on the cancellation list, reschedule for Monday, or try another salon. I was a bit miffed that no effort was made to fit me in for the day my appointment was scheduled, especially considering they gave me only five hours notice. Their website states that they require customers to allow 24 hours for cancellations. It’s too bad they don’t hold themselves to the same standard.
I understand that things happen. People get sick, and schedules fill up. I just think they could be more flexible in accommodating their customers when a stylist can’t make it to an appointment.
I’ve been to RPS a couple of times before. I was pleased enough with my haircuts, but never too impressed. The staff has always been perfectly polite, but my stylists were never exactly friendly. The salon itself is cute and smartly decorated, and the location is very convenient to my house. Based on the number of positive reviews here, they are clearly well liked. They are even busy enough to turn away customers who have scheduled appointments (on a weekday, during work hours, no less). Well, good for them. Bad for me.