Lava Salon

Great experience! Melissa gives great head massages and the cut was quick and efficient. Super happy and I’d go back.

The best way to find a great salon is to ask someone with a great haircut, «Who cuts your hair?»
That’s exactly how I found Geoff Richardson of Lava Salon in West Ashley.
When I arrived for my appointment, I was greeted warmly, offered a beverage and given a cute satin wrap to slip on in this cool, laid back and decidedly hip salon. Geoff made me feel welcome and immediately comfortable as we chatted about my style, my Pet Care business, and the best color options for my skin tone. He then mixed up a batch of color and got to work.
Geoff worked effortlessly and created a fun, fresh and modern cut that is in a word… wonderful!
I can honestly say that this is what makes a great stylist! He used his wealth of knowledge, vast talent and imaginative vision to create an look ideally suited to me and my lifestyle.
I’ll tell everyone I meet about Lava Salon, and I can’t wait to go back.
BTW…The Shampoo Bed is the bomb!

$ 45 for my 11 year old daughter to get maybe an inch and a half cut off of her hair is rediculous! Even more so because another stylist had to come over and fix errors that had been made. I have had haircuts in other high end Charleston salons that cost less and I’m an adult with long thick hair. I was told over the phone that it could be anywhere between 25 – 45 for her to have her hair cut so I was under the impression that it would be more if she had more of a style done to it… she had a little cut off and some layers put in (which were what had to be fixed) and it doesn’t even look like it had any of the bulk taken out like I asked… and I paid more that I have ever paid for even my own haircuts that had way more style done. I never usually post negative reviews but $ 45!!! For an 11 year old… I will go down the street to another high end salon next time and I guarantee pay less to have better service and quality.
Updated: Your response is by far the rudest most unprofessional thing I have ever had a business owner say to me… my daughter’s hair was in no way «DIRTY» as I informed your stylist my daughter had just showered prior to our appointment and she was having trouble styling it on her own. So was it tangled, yes, dirty and unkempt, no… as a mother I am highly offended you would refer to my daughter in that way. Wow is all I can say. I will gladly take my business to someone who doesn’t say such disrespectful things about customers. A simple we’re sorry you weren’t happy would have gone over much better. Funny you didn’t apologize for the stylist having to have her mistakes corrected…

Fantastic service & trendy salon! Love the set up and décor. Allyson did a fantastic cut and balayage on my hair. She took her time and did exactly what I asked for. Jackie is great there too! I will definitely be back here and will be recommending Lava to all my friends. Thank you!

Because of an unexpected trip to Charleston on an family emergency, I missed my badly needed color appointment back home. What to do? I turned to Unilocal,and they TOTALLY steered me right. Lava is awesome. They are professional enough to feel comfortable being exactly who they are in terms of décor – isn’t that awesome? Their level of comfort is contagious; other posters are right about the homey atmosphere. I explained my predicament and my needs (blond but not too blond with partial highlights) to Allyson Gretton, a new stylist there, and she did an AWESOME job. Not only that, but she was also nice, real, and fun. I’d go there again in a heartbeat. Too bad Allyson and Lava Salon are over 700 miles from where I live in Brooklyn, NY. :)

Spencer was amazing and the owner Jeff was fantastic! Finally someone who understands my hair! I am booking my follow up with Spencer right … NOW!

Lava Salon is the best in Charleston. Katie rocks as do all the stylist. Location is great in Avondale close to everything. Very clean and professional yet laid back and funky! You will love this place!

Ashley is the S**T!!! She did such an amazing job with my pixie cut! I have weird cowlicks and fine hair that make cutting and styling my hair pretty tough, but she has me looking like a rockstar! I love my new cut! Thank you! I will be back!

I needed to find a salon in Charleston for my son’s wedding. I found Lava though Unilocal,along with several others. I was impressed with the salon from the beginning. They were the only ones who asked questions about my hair (long, thick, fine) and what I was looking for, so I made an appointment.
They paired me with Jackie, who gave me a beautiful retro French roll up-​do that stood up beautifully to 14 hours of Charleston heat and humidity, family photos and a night of dancing. She also managed to do the work in about 90 minutes! She gave me exactly what I was looking for!
If you actually live in Charleston, I suggest you find Lava Salon. They are reasonably priced, do beautiful work and everyone that was in the salon seemed very happy with their own stylists!

I chose to visit Lava after reading the reviews here on Unilocal,and I was not disappointed! My husband and I just moved to West Ashley from Flint, MI a few months ago and I was feeling lost about finding a stylist because I never know what to do with my hair. Not only did Jackie help me figure out and give me the exact cut and color I was looking for, she made the experience fun as well. The entire place and everyone there just make it a comfortable environment! I hadn’t seen Jackie’s name here on Unilocal,so I was nervous to be scheduled with someone who was possibly new, but I am glad to say I look forward to many future appointments with Jackie.

Exceptional establishment! Laid back but professional atmosphere with highly educated stylists that not only make you feel at home but create quality hair styles you would find in high end boutiques. I highly recommend Spencer and any of the great stylists there!

Katie did an excellent job listening to my preferences and hair history. She had great ideas for my hair and provided a wonderfully flattering haircut. Her knowledge of cosmetology and products was thorough. I’m hooked!

So glad I found Kara! I lost my previous stylist of 8 years and had been on the hunt for someone new for quite a while. I’m pretty particular, but also like to just go for it sometimes. Two cuts in and I’m so hooked! I was living under a sad blanket of hair, in a total rut, and she did a fantastic job shaking things up for me! Took 6 inches off and gave me a full bang. Love love love!

I love Lava Salon and Spencer is the BEST! We started going there because another place botched my husband’s hair so badly it took almost 1 month for it grow out enough to fix. We went to Spencer and she was awesome. I decided to go to her myself as well. I have curly hair and grew up in a family of stylists so tend to be picky but Spencer won me over with her knowledge, ability and personality. I have not went to any of the other stylists there but have interacted with a few and have seen them at work and they all seem to be great at their job. I would highly suggest Lava Salon and of course Spencer.

Amazing team of rock stars, it really is like cheers! This place has quirky eccentric crazy décor and you will see something new every time you go in. If you join their e-​blast, you can stay informed on all the best deals. The more often you go, the more these talented people can help you change your look and guide you with their expertise.
My favorite product in their surface line is the Bosu oil, it does everything they say it does! Their surface products are hair friendly and the product packaging is earth friendly. This salon has beliefs they stick to across the board which include recycling. Whether it’s your left over water bottle or the empty surface product containers, recycling will happen. They will either refill your containers when you run out of a surface product or give you a credit when you bring it in to recycle.
This team wants you to tell them your hair style dreams so they can help make it happen with respect with the way your hair grows or facial structure.
If you go, EVERYONE, needs to try the awaken scalp massage. Incredible, awesome, tingly goodness. See if you spy the hidden tv screens rotating great photos and funny moments…

Love this place! I have been to about 8 different salons since moving here from DC and this is hands down the best in Charleston. Ashley cut my hair and did an amazing job. Great vibe and people in this place, I highly recommend it!

I had a great hair cut from Spencer. She was nice and artistic person. She made sure we were on the same page and guided me through the process. She gave me tips on how to style it and selected products for me from the product line they sell/​advocate. It’s supposed to be good for you, good for earth kinda stuff, but I haven’t tried or read about it yet.
The place is cool and hip. Someone put lots of creativity into designing it. Atmosphere is laid back. Good fit to Avondale :)
I cut my long hair short (incl. shampoo and styling) and paid $ 50+tax&tip + hair products that were recommended to me.
I don’t know if it’s the salon’s deal, but Spencer told me if I referred three friends to her, my haircut would be free. I am not good at referring people, but I thought I’d share my experience with Charleston Unilocal!community. Good work must be heard of.
Stay pretty, ladies and gents!

I just had the most life altering hair cut ever! Geoff, Larry thank you so much for everything! This new look is definitely a confidence booster for my trip to San Francisco. I will see you guys again soon :)

I’m sure that Lava usually does a great job when it comes to hair but I was very disappointed to be one of the clients who had a bad experience at their establishment.
The staff was friendly enough and my hairdresser who shall remain nameless was SUPER sweet. But my hair has been cut better at bargain salons.
Paying $ 60 for a haircut before tip and still walking out looking like a cosmetology student cut my hair is SO not cool in my book. And for the record — I even made the 45 minute drive to Lava a second time to get my hair fixed (benefit of the doubt) but I still left with a cut that was noticeably uneven.
The pain of this experience wouldn’t be so bad if I hadn’t been charged a whopping $ 60 for a supposed senior stylist. That is a premium charge for a cut I’m embarrassed to sport in public.

Not only is the atmosphere fun, quirky, and interesting, the stylists clearly know their stuff. Usually when I go in for a hair cut, anywhere, the experience is nothing to write home about. But at Lava, the décor alone is something that makes the experience fun.
More importantly, my stylist talked me through exactly what she was doing and the products she was using. As someone with extremely curly hair, having a stylist who knows their stuff is CRUCIAL. And I can safely say Spencer understood how to cut my curls to avoid what all curly haired girls fear: triangle syndrome.
Furthermore, she did a color to offset some two-​tone issues I had from some some underlying dye from a long time ago. Again, she knew how to ensure my hair would safely come out even and one color. Plus, due to her knowledge of appropriate product, my curls stayed non-​frizzy and in perfect shape while still feeling soft and silky– even through a nap! No small feat.
I felt safe in her hands, and enjoyed the many screens, wall art and quirky decorations at Lava. It was an all around great experience and I left with better hair.
I think anyone would walk out of Lava not only satisfied with the hair styling, but glad they chose such a fun, unique salon. And for all my fellow curled haired girls especially– be sure to ask for Spencer!