I’ve been going back and forth about posting this review for months. This was my first time getting my hair done in Durham since moving to NC. The salon is very nice, trendy and progressive. The staff was very welcoming, professional and friendly. Unfortunately the haircut I had received wasn’t what I had expected and ended up going back to get it fixed.....after trying to make it work for about a week I ended up driving back to my old hair dresser almost 4 hours away so she could work her magic.

If you have curly/frizzy hair go see Laurie!! She took my hair game to a new level after listening to me complain about my frizzy hair for 5 minutes. She came up with some great solutions and I ended up trying something different with the cut. She explained how I should style it and I wish I had a picture of her level of attention to my hair as she was showing me how to scrunch it into place. I told her I mostly wear it up and now I can actually wear my bangs curly and they look amaaaaazzziiiiing! THANK YOU!

The salon is clean, beautiful, full of friendly staff and COVID safe measures. Liz is my stylist there and she is spectacular. Not only is she able to understand what her client wants (without requiring inspo photos like other salons), but she also really understands how to make that style work on your hair type. I recently did a big chop and it looks even better than I imagined. If Liz is any indication, you can expect nothing but top notch service from this salon.

Curly girls, read this review!The salon returned my call promptly and set up an appointment for me with Kale for the next day. Kale was delightful. I felt very comfortable with her. She was enthusiastic about what she was doing, and knew all sorts of tricks to make my metric f***-ton of hair behave the way I want it to. And she fulfilled my dream of curly bangs! Seriously, she knows curly witchcraft or something.The salon itself was spacious and bright and clean. The prices were very reasonable.Great people, great place.

Liz is the BEST for curly hair! She is so friendly and really knows how to cut natural hair in the most flattering way. I would 100% recommend her. Liz is amazing!The salon itself is super clean, friendly, and the customer service is excellent. Great salon!

When my hairdresser moved I was crushed. A friend suggested RPS and was right. This place is great! Covid protocols on point, friendly staff and Kara is fantastic.

Allie is so great! Not only did she fix my self inflicted quarantine hair cut but went above and beyond to discuss all my current hair aspirations . I love my current cut and I can’t wait to go back!

I moved here two years ago I have been to a couple salons in the area. But I have found my new salon. They are consistently giving me wonderful hair and color. Love this salon and everyone here I would recommend this to anyone who is new and looking for a salon!!

Emma was so accommodating. She’s like my hair therapist! I wanted to be wild with my color and pushed hard for bright red. Well, I got home and freaked out. She stayed late so that I could come back in to “tone it down.” She nailed it!

Liz is amazing! The salon is doing everything possible to keep their clients safe!!

I was so reluctant on trying a new hair salon but I am so happy I found RPS ! Staff is friendly , Covid measures practiced & Alex was great!

Rock Paper Scissors is amazing and has helped me to improve the health of my hair. I’ve been going here for about two years now and I absolutely love it. Highly recommend!

Nikko is amazing. I feel safe with their COVID precautions and would highly recommend to anyone

I highly recommend this salon for their outstanding hair designers and colorists, in particular Suzanne. I have worked with her for years and trust her aesthetic and skills implicitly.

Ive been here several times for haircuts and once for an updo. I always have a great experience. My most recent visit was my first since Covid. Theyre doing a great job of keeping a clean, open, and safe space for customers and stylists. Allie cut my hair and did a great job. She also gave me some tips to try at home as well.

*** If you want to be valued as a customer dont go to Rock Paper Scissors Salon ***I enjoyed going to RPS Salon for haircuts and decided to try out color for the first time ever - when it didnt come out good (neither my husband nor myself or any of my friends or family saw any color difference), my stylist said to come back for a FREE touch up but that she wouldnt be able to see me in over a weeks time. When I called the salon they told me I would have to pay again because of a policy that said I had to return within 7 days of service.During my consultation and all the while sitting with my stylist for 3 hours in the salon I was never told about this policy once. Despite explaining the situation to the front desk representative they continued to require me to pay if I wanted to return because of, again, the policy I was never made aware of.Decent customer service would be gracious and choose to not lose a loyal customer for the mistake they made by never mentioning this policy and the fact that their employee told me it would be free without mentioning a time stipulation, but because of their unwillingness and attitude towards the situation theyve lost my business!*** The owner proceeded to reach out to me after seeing my review online and instead of trying to make amends she continued to blame me for not following the policy that no one ever told me about. Her persistence to prove me wrong and not take the time to apologize for their mistake of forgetting to provide vital information is another demonstration of unprofessional behavior that cares more about getting the final word in and their policies than the customer. ***

Excellent salon with conscientious owner, good covid precautions. Kales is my favorite stylist.

Beautiful shop with amazing talent! LOVE the way I look and feel when I leave this salon!!!

I attend duke and honestly this place is great if you want something close

Going elsewhere to have this disaster fixed. So upset I wasted my money there.

Love this salon. The people are always friendly, the servis great, and the styles nicely done. Would definitely recommend it. My daughter and I have visited a few times and worked with different stylists, based on availability, and have had great results every time. They also have a great online scheduling system, which makes managing appointments easy.

Been an year since I have been looking for a decent place to get a hair cut in the triangle and finally landed here. Had a hair cut Alison and she was great! Nothing over the top but just a decent hair cut. The ambiance is great as well, you can have a beer while getting a hair cut.

Best haircut since moving to Durham! Everyone there is friendly, does a great job with hair (seriously, my curly/wavy hair has never been happier), and as a nice bonus you get free parking validation in the nearby ramps!

Awesome experience. Even though I was late for my appointment I was not made to wait, had a great time and got a fantastic cut. Thanks Alex!

Allie gives the best blonde highlights and the greatest haircut I’ve ever had. I’ve never gotten so many compliments 12 weeks after a cut/highlight! got a refresh today and it’s just as amazing!!!

Ive always had an excellent experience at RPS and love the smell of their products. I have pretty thick hair and Abby is great with layering my hair and taking some of the weight out of it.

I really like the chill atmosphere here and the eclectic artwork on the walls. They are welcoming and offer a variety of services. The salon is clean and has great lighting. They offer complimentary beverages and have a quaint seating area to relax in while you wait. They are now going green by diverting a majority of their waste from the landfill. The location is great and you can walk to the area bars, restaurants, and shops after you get your hair done. They also offer parking validation for the parking garage across the street.

I was visiting from out of town and needed a haircut. KC was my stylist. He talked to me at length about my hair and what I wanted. He worked with me an hour cutting and styling. He did a great job and I would return when visiting without question.

I was so scared to get my hair cut. I love my hair and hate to cut it off. I wanted something very specific. I have long and thick hair, and I wanted a cut that would make it lighter but not too short to put in a ponytail without any fallout.My stylist listened and did not pressure me to get a different style. I was very happy with the cut I got, and I will be back.

Allie is amazing! Gives great haircuts and advice on hair care and styling. She really listens to what your hair goals are and is there to help!

I have been visiting Alison here for years - I wouldnt trust anyone else with my hair. Simply the best salon in town.

After receiving the worst cut and color I have ever had, I took the recommendation of a friend and made an appointment with Kales. The other salon gave me warm orangey tones in my hair when I asked for cool ash. Kales met with me for a consultation and listened to what I asked for, looked at the pictures of what I was going for, and gave recommendations as well. She followed up after the consultation to make sure we were on the same page and was easy to communicate with. I came in a week later for the new cut and color and could not be happier. She was able to mute out the warm orange tones and give me the cool ash I was hoping for along with fun blue peekaboo highlights. She was honest about the process by letting me know it may take a couple of times to lift out the orange and was very professional, making sure I was comfortable and answering any and all questions I had. The atmosphere in the salon was very laid back and welcoming and the receptionists were wonderful to interact with on both occasions. I would definitely recommend giving Kales and this salon a chance.

I was always the Great Clips/ hair cuts are a necessity type of person. I even had a $40 ish hair cut in this salon and was ok with it. Not too impressed.Then a couple of months ago I had a appointment with LAURIE by random chance, and it changed my life. Her haircuts are worth the cost. She is a wizard with hair ( like she works magic with it, not just that she has hair). I gave her the main details I liked about my hair and she elevated it. I explained to her that have curly hair which can get frizzy and hard to manage. I can just wake up, brush and be on my way.The way she cut it I can wear it curly or straight and both work! Which is super rare!!I can never go back to other haircuts. Its a new way of life

I’ve done a review on Yelp, and I am so impressed, I’ll post this anywhere I can. Liz. Is. Amazing. I am “blessed” with curly hair. Meaning I’ve been equally blessed with questionable haircuts. She gets me! Even better, she gets my hair! I’ve never had a better haircut. She took the time to get to know me, and my hair. And she made me look fabulous!!! I will never go elsewhere. I adore her, and RPS!!!

A great & easy experience...and really love my haircut, Alex! Thanks....I’ll schedule my next for sure!

Fantastic experience. Liz was amazing. Highly, highly recommend!!!

I received a wonderful haircut from Nikko. Im still admiring it over two weeks later. Thank you!

Allie is wonderful!! She fixed a very bad partial highlight I had done at a different salon. She was so fun to work with, and really knew what she was doing! Thanks, Allie!!

I had a 15 minute consultation appointment during which I discussed the details of what I wanted/should get for my hair. I set this up mainly to get a quote and was told everything could be done for $170, so I arranged a follow-up for the service. Two days later, I received a phone call that the quote was incorrect, the price went up to $230, and if I didnt put a deposit down for half of that amount by the following day, my appointment would be cancelled. Im disappointed about this lack of professionalism in changing price quotes; furthermore, no other salon Ive been to has ever requested a deposit. I cancelled the service and will not be returning.

Im actually.... still in shock. I paid $45+tip for a blowout and curls (listed online for 60 min) and it lasted 35 minutes and i have close to no volume (in previous blowouts, Ive had them tease my hair/go over it more) and that didnt happen.Im not a hairdresser, and Ive only had 2 blowouts before, so I didnt want to say anything. But when she started curling my hair ALL the same direction (see pics) and it was literally falling out in the studio. She basically blow dried my hair curled it. Did I misunderstand blowout in this context?? Maybe they should call it something else because I assumed it was for volume/special events. I really wish I said something in person... but its too late!The worst part is my event is tonight and I dont have the time or money to want to fix it. My hair dresser as a person was great, but I would never go back. I hope the haircuts are better than styling! Just go to drybar for blowouts! Im so sad!

Ive been getting my haircut here for years and Im never disappointed. Kales and Nikko are both wonderful to work with and cut my hair exactly how I ask while giving helpful advice. If youre looking for a new salon, give this one a try - youll love it!

The salon and the reception lady are nice. But I would not come back and get my hair cut there again. I feel like she thin out my right-side too much and left side not enough. And the back is too heavy. It’s already too short so I can’t really do anything about it. Just have to let it grow out. It kinda feels like a mullet haircut. Which I really don’t like at all!

Liz was professional and recognized my vision right away! Will definitely be coming back!

Talented hair stylists, comfortable, laid back environment. No catty gossip. Natural products but no high pressure sales pitch. Leave looking good and feeling good.

A lovely little salon! Laurie worked with me to figure out exactly what I wanted when I had no clue and it turned out perfect. Ive never had a stylist spend a solid hour cutting my hair. Laurie was very thorough and precise. The shop has a cool and comfortable vibe. Will definitely return!

Best haircut Ive ever had.

Abby gave me a great haircut. She was funny, talented, and knowledgeable. The atmosphere was fun and laid back. Everyone there- clients and staff seemed genuinely comfortable and happy to be there. So glad to have found this great place! I’ll be a regular there for all my hair styling needs.

Allie cut my hair and also gave my 3 year old her first hair cut! She was super sweet and did a great job! Will definitely go back to her!

They did an amazing job!

Emma was absolutely great! She made me feel welcome as soon as I arrived. She took her time and cut my hair with care. The salon is very cute and they have complimentary beverages to choose from. Happy to say I’ve finally found my salon in downtown Durham without having luck for the past year.

This was my first time coming to Rock paper scissors salon. I had the pleasure of getting my hair cut and dyed by Emma. I enjoyed talking with her throughout the session. She called me Queen and literally made me feel like a queen the whole time!! She knows her stuff and I’m looking forward to continuing to work with her and get my hair back to the color I want it to be. I would definitely recommend Emma!

Ask for Allie. I am new in town, so jumped on Google, and because of reviews, called for appointement.Chic spot, with 2 separate levels. Everyone was super chill, and friendly.Allie did my hair, and a great job!#HIDDENGEM

I booked a trim, last minute, on a whim. I just needed to remove some dead ends, so I was okay with deviating from my regular salon. However, after today, Rock Paper Scissors will be my new salon! KC was my stylist, and he was superb. He took the time to understand my hair and routine. His trim exceeded my expectations. He cleaned up my cut and put me on a path to achieve the style I want moving forward. His cut was very precise; the blowout achieved the volume and movement that I love; and his pro-tips were realistic and smart. I never felt rushed, and KC was willing to work with me every step along the way to ensure that I left happy! Overall, I highly recommend KC as a stylist! Cant wait for my next cut!

Laurie is a hair genius! Friendly helpful people overall. This was our first visit but well be back!

Hands down best haircut Ive ever had. Ive always kind of bounced around; now Ill never go to another salon. No one ever really knows what to do with curly hair or they treat it just like straight hair, but Sara and Laura are knowledgeable, skilled, and also do a fantastic job giving me tips and tricks. The salon is comfortable, fresh and funky. Im absolutely in love with my hair. Check this place out!

Love this place! Suzanne is the best.

First time client - made an appointment that was confirmed multiple times by phone and email and the stylist cancelled the day of. Fine. Rescheduled for the following week - I was running 10 minutes late - I called and told them and said they didn’t need to blow dry, but they said not to bother coming and didn’t even offer to reschedule. I thought that was a bit harsh considering I was so accommodating in rescheduling the first time. Client lost.

Emma cut my hair and she did an amazing job. Im very picky about who cuts my hair because one wrong snip and the partys off. She saw the lines immediately and had my input the whole time in our appointment. She was a joy to talk to, and I will definitely go back to see her.

I went to Kara a few days ago for my cut, and ironically we were talking about how I always read reviews but never write them, but I’m just SO happy with how she cut my hair! I like to keep my style pretty simple, but often leave salons not totally satisfied with the end result. I didn’t even show Kara a picture of what I wanted and she totally knocked it out of the park :) it feels and looks great! Thanks girl!

I have notoriously difficult hair to work with, straight, coarse and very thick. I have burned by some awful cuts since I moved to this area, so I was a bit nervous going to yet another salon. But Nikko gave me an absolutely fabulous cut, and made me feel at ease. I left with exactly what I wanted, she is very skilled!! I have finally found my new hair goddess!! Thank you!!

Emma gave me a great haircut! She listened to what I wanted and was willing to do with my hair and gave me something easy that wouldnt take much time at all. Shes fun an d easy to talk to and Im looking forward to the next cut already!

I have been coming here for over an year. Love this salon. Kc is amazing. He recommends good treatments for your hair. Gives great hair cuts. I get lot of compliments for my hair and its all because of KC. My hair health is better now than it was 2 years ago.

Love this place and the Davines products... Liz is the best!!

Allie gave me a great haircut! Thanks!

Really love the vibe here and my hair color came out super.

I had been going to one salon that at the end of every appointment they would tell me how next time they would be able to fix this or fix that. Um, why should you need to fix my hair after you ripped me off just now by messing it up??? I finally decided to try someplace new. A friend told me of Rock, Paper, siccors. I will never go to another salon ever again. The staff is very polite and friendly. The interior is very retro and funky. The staff is extremely well trained at their craft and will take their time to get it done right. I didnt think my hair was ever going to get fixed, at least not in one visit, but Abby proved me wrong! She took her time and corrected my color. I feel like a million bucks, and I didnt need to pay a million bucks to get my hair fixed. Hands down, best salon in NC!

Sara is a true hair color magician and a wonderful person. She has given me the most fun hair I’ve ever had, and she’s so fun to talk to!!

Super awesome place with great hairstylists!

Ive been getting my hair cut here for years and I love it. Laura always does an amazing job. I give her an idea of what I want and she always does something even better.

I followed Emma upstairs from Barbarellas and have been OVERJOYED with the magic that she has worked on my hair, and with all the great conversations we have had. Emma has excelled at everything from buzzing my long hair into a mohawk, normal haircuts, beautiful subtle highlights, graciously dealing with trying to get my box-dyed hair back to normal colors, and most recently helping me become the mermaid-unicorn of my dreams! She listened to my ideas for an elaborate colorful hairstyle, gave me several different options of how to go about it, and just made magic happen.

I had a great first experience at RPSS. I am convinced that KC is a hair wizard. He asked questions, made solid suggestions, and gave me a haircut that I genuinely feel defines me. I felt incredibly comfortable during the entire experience and left feeling really good about myself. Most definitely will be returning.

Very hip salon in downtown Durham with like minded stylists! Kales was super friendly and interactive, and knew what she was doing!

Excellent experience! I am very picky and hard to please but have found several stylists here that do a perfect job. Have received nothing but great service for several years now. I also appreciate the comfortable, relaxed environment. Highly recommended.

Loved, Loved, Loved it! Such a cute salon with such nice people. I just moved and this will be my new go-to salon (this is saying a lot considering how picky I am with trusting people with my hair). Kales absolutely worked magic--she gave me the best cut and color I have ever had, hands down. Definitely go visit and ask for Kales!

Love this spot! They validate parking, offer complimentary beverages, allow tipping on a card, and have awesome staff! I always leave feeling great.

Do NOT go see Kales. I left unhappy with my cut and color after she recommended balayage. When I told her I wanted to talk about fixing it, she scheduled a consult but wouldn’t fix my hair until I rescheduled for a week later. The conversation took less than five minutes and wasted 45 minutes of my time. She then told me she would be charging me $60 to fix my hair. Instead of trying to make sure I left happy, she explained that we had “agreed” on something and she was sorry if I didn’t like it but her “time is money.” Now, instead of having a great haircut and a trustworthy/long term stylist in my new city, I’m left trying to save enough money to start over somewhere new.

Suzanne was awesome; she was so nice, and gave me an amazing cut! And my hair felt sooo soft afterwards! Ive always heard great things about the salon, and its no wonder when they have such kind, talented people. Lucky to have this place in Durham!

Hands down my worst experience as a customer ever. I am still in disbelief and I waited over a month to cool down. Heres the chain of events:-I saw all of the great reviews and heard good things, so I booked my appointment in advance and drove from almost an hour away because of the hype. I left 30 minutes ahead of time to ensure that I was on time.-I was not informed that this was Durhams big festival day or that parking in general was problematic. As a result, the 30 minutes that i left ahead of time was insubstantial. I arrived ten minutes late after moving mountains to make it there through the festival, of which the store was in the center.-Although I profusely apologized for something that was clearly their fault for failing to advertise that they would be in the middle of a festival during that time, I was informed that ten minutes was apparently the cutoff for the day and no one would see me. When I pried regarding the festival surrounding them, the attitude was well, yeah, of course theres a festival going on... a big bands about to take the stage so thats why everythings blocked off and crowded. When can we reschedule you for tomorrow?-I said that I was wide open and rescheduled for the following day at a convenient time for them, then passed back through the festival totaling literally hours of transportation time to and from a haircut that I did not get.-I returned the next day and was informed by a custodian of some sort (some guy fixing their lights) that they were not open that day. He volunteered to call the owner to see what couldve happened with my appointment and she neglected to speak with me, but said I could just come back the following morning if I wanted to sort it out. Another two hours of driving time wasted.I was never even called regarding my rescheduled appointment! I still cannot believe that I was rescheduled on a day that they were not even open. Whether or not they give good haircuts, I could care less at this point. Evidently the desk clerk has a sick sense of humor and will be driving away future clients. To top it off, the owner did not even care -- no effort made to speak with me and see what had happened. The service was absolutely appalling.

Amy Starr is wonderful! After finding the worst places in Durham to go, someone recommended Amy! Im so glad!

Such a good vibe at this salon! Laurie was great, I will come here again:-):-)

Amy gave me the best haircut Ive had in many, many years. I told her about a problem Ive been having with haircuts looking weird, and she diagnosed the issue immediately. Then she worked some serious magic. Amy please cut my hair for the rest of my life? A zillion stars.

Loved the place. I have had my far share of bad cuts, and this salon makes it look GREAT. Nothing wrong with being a dude and having a nice, modern cut!

Love my nails my new favorite shop

Very pleasant environment and talented hair stylists

I had one of the worst haircuts Ive ever received here. When I went back in to have them fix it, another hair stylist told me I was wrong, it was a great haircut. Her way of fixing it was to grab handfuls of my hair and cut chunks out of it. Immature attitudes that cannot handle being told they are not as good at haircutting as they think and tell everyone they are. Stay away if you value your hair.

Trust Abby with everything. Shes a friendly ear who will talk you off a ledge (I usually need this) or give you an adventurous nudge.

Great haircuts. Excellent atmosphere.

First visit to this Awesome salon in the heart of Durham, charming interior with relaxing feel while being pampered. All natural product lines, Great prices too and my stylist Cassie perfected my difficult to work with hair; great color and blowout style.

I have no idea what kind of grumpy crawled up these negative reviewers, or where for that matter... All I can say is these RPS ladies are top notch, but hey, Im just a dumb guy without any axes to grind. Well, actually I have a couple, but theyre for felling trees, not emotional crutches.

I have had nothing but good experiences here. Everyone has done a great job with my hair and is very friendly.

GOT A NICE HAIR CUT AND FACE SHAPE UP... THE ATMOSPHERE WAS NICE AND THE PEOPLE WERE SO WELCOMING....

Friendly service, reasonably priced, and they know how to take care of curly hair!

Nice cut, good service, and they were very nice about me running late to my appointment. Cheaper than other salons in Durham for a cut!

Great vibe cool people. A little expensive thou.

Had my hair done here a few times, I always leave very happy with their expertise and Ive never had a bad hair cut from them, also the prices are moderate/doable for the occasional nice cut. However the service is soso, it always takes multiple attempts to actually have your call answered or returned to make an appointment.

Nice salon-professional

Abby did a phenomenal job with my hair! She listened and helped give me exactly what I wanted!

I got the Worst. Ever. Haircut from Kales at Rock Paper Scissors. Even after she began to cut and I said it was too short, she proceeded, and I am now facing months of time before my hair will grow out so that I can get a real professional to cut it. Salon malpractice in my opinion.

Loved all the hair dressers, will keep coming back!

Great place, but they only know how to cut straight hair.