Head Designs Salon

Sheila is a WONDERFUL stylist. She is incredibly knowledgable and a master cutter! From the time I booked my appointment she was in touch with me. She ensured she knew what I wanted, and she delivered! Sheila did a fantastic job, she’s so personable, kind and respectful of your needs and wants. I will definitely be going back! I loved my experience!!!

When I unraveled the twist, it didn’t look good at all. I loved the customer service and knowledge about hair, but I have achieved much better twist out results following people on YouTube :(

After doing tons of research and then finally saying F-it…I got my first cut back in August, I LOVE IT!!! I still get compliments to this day. Sheila knows what’s she’s doing when she has the scissors in her hands. I give her that. I’m just still taken aback with my last services done. Trim & highlights. Considering the time and amount I paid, I shouldn’t be feeling this way. My issue are the highlights, that weren’t highlighted at all. Yeah I knew this when I left but after being there for almost 3 hrs, I was done.
But again, the amount paid, I had to say something. I emailed my concerns, and she offered to correct the problem, and did, kinda. But I was over it at this point.
Had I not reached out about my concerns, would she have contacted me, considering she had seen me out and about and «didn’t see» any highlights either?! You know good customer service. Makes me wonder…

I totally love this hair salon! I needed a haircut in the worst way! Ms. Sheila tamed my tresses. If you have an «awkward» hair texture, come here! Ms. Sheila will take care of you!

Ms. Sheila is amazing. I was initially going to her shop for my consultation however I had already made my decision that I was ready for my BC. When I arrived, she asked me to fill out a confidentiality form that ask me questions about myself, my hair journey, and what things I value during my hair experience (for example, the amount of time I spend in a shop, the type of music played, etc.). After filling out the form, she met with me for my consultation. She felt through my hair and talked about how healthy it was despite what I thought. She asked me what products I was using and why I wanted to cut my hair. I brought her pictures of what I was interested in and she asked me to point out the differences between the styles I picked. She asked me to tell her what I liked about one more than the other. She really made me think about the hairstyles I picked. After having that discussion, I told her that if she had time right now, I was ready to go through with it. She looked at her schedule and said I can do it. Before even touching my hair she told me what type of conditioning I needed, how long it will take to complete my style and how much it would cost. Throughout my haircut, she talked to me and told me what she was doing. Not once did I feel out of the loop or unconfident in her abilities. As a college student, I appreciated her telling me how much I would be paying and most importantly I appreciated her walking me through the tough process of cutting my hair. She did a beautiful job on my hair. As a plus, Ms. Sheila is very tech savvy. She sends you an online receipt and even an online survey to get feedback on your experience. She was very grateful that I decided to choose her as my stylist and I was very grateful that she did my hair justice.

I had a good experience with the cut. The was knowledgeable and knew what she was doing. I give 3 stars because I had to wait over an hour to get in the chair. When mentioned this she said that because I’m a first time client she didn’t know what I wanted done, even though I had spoke with her on the phone and given her detailed description of my hair and the cut I wanted. Even though I felt my time was not respected, I’ll probably go back since there are very few stylists in East Bay who know how to cut natural hair.

I’ve always had long hair and for the past few months I’ve been thinking about going through with the big chop. I found Head Designs and made an appointment for a consultation. During the consultation Sheila gave me lots of ideas to think about before actually chopping off all my hair. I was grateful for this conversation because I feel that many salons would just cut without really taking the time to get to know you or what you’re hoping to get out of a new style. A week later I was in Sheilas chair. I must admit that I was nervous but confident in her skills. She’s been in the business for a while and shared that Head Designs is 31 years old. An hour or so later, I was washed, conditioned, cut, and dried. I was totally amazed at my cut and I’m in LOVE with it. I will definitely go back to Sheila when I want a touch up or when I’m looking to change my style again.

I made a great decision going to see Sheila after 2 years of not having a professional touch my natural kinky hair. She took her time getting to know my hair and what my ultimate goal was.
I got a trim which really gave my hair a nice shape and my hair feels so soft and hydrated with the deep conditioning treatment and herbal tea rinse.
Do I recommend Sheila? Of course! She is really professional and understands the art and science of hair after 37 years in the business.

I will start by saying that it has taken me a long time to decide to write this review. I really kinda felt bad but every day I look at my hair and it’s just a reminder of what a horrible haircut Sheila gave me. It makes me want to cry. It absolutely by far the worse hair cut I have ever gotten in my life. I have gone to Sheila twice which is one too many times.
In January of this year, I had long curly hair down to the middle of my back. I decided for my birthday I wanted to do something completely different, cut my hair short. I had been thinking about this for a while and did a lot of research on stylist in Oakland & SF. I was pleased when I read Sheila’s reviews and decided to take a leap of faith on her. The 1^st haircut she gave me was great. I ranted and raved about her to everyone. I even posted on her FB pages about the great experience.
Now fast forward to May of this year, my hair had grown out and it didn’t have the same look. My partner wanted to get a haircut and I convinced her to go to Sheila. I again praised her work and told her she could trust her. She set up appointments for both of us on a Saturday back-​to-​back.
We spent almost 4 hours in her salon that Saturday and we both walked out of there hating out haircuts. Sheila was running late and was overbooked that day. My partner was very adamant that she did not want bangs on any kind. Unfortunately, that was exactly what Sheila gave her. BANGS! Sheila told my partner that she listen to her clients and make sure she gives them what they want. This was not the case for my partner. Her haircut was supposed to be asymmetrical: where one side is longer than the other, but her hair was completely uneven and it wasn’t done right. When she styled it you can see the line of the cut was uneven. My partner even went back a couple of days later to have Sheila try and fix her hair but it was worse. Sheila was completely condescending to my partner which made her very upset and she just left. Needless to say, my partner will never step foot in that salon again.
When it was my turn I told her I just want a trim, same style as last time. Sheila said oh yeah the side look heavy so I will just lighten them up for you. I said ok Sheila I trust you. I just need a trim. She began cutting and before I knew she had cut off all my hair… all of it! She only stopped because she needed to do a consultation! Really… in the middle of my cut?!? That’s when I saw myself in the mirror, I must have had a horrified look on my face. My partner immediately come over to me and said what is she doing? She just cut your hair hella short! When she returned I confronted her and said this haircut looks like a boys haircut. She said to me that she can’t help how a haircut makes me feel. I told her this is not what I wanted. I simply wanted a trim. I told her this hair cut reminded me of one I got in the 7^th grade and I hated it. She then said well I can’t control what memories come up for you. By this time I am pissed, she did not even say she was sorry. She just kept justifying her actions and negating how I was feeling. I was so angry I just wanted to leave. By this time she was trying to save face and she wanted me to stay so she can dry my hair. I never blow dry my hair or sit under a dry so there was no point to this. But my partner convinced me to so I could see how it would look when it dry. OMG, it got even worse! After that seeing that I just wanted to cry. Are you kidding me! My hair was a big puff ball and I had bangs… BANGS with curly hair! WTH!
$ 160 later and 2 bad haircuts, we left… shocked, depressed and angry! What the hella just happened to us! The most ironic part was that a customer from the day before had come back to get a refund because she too felt like she got a short boy cut and her husband did not like it. Maybe we should have taken this as a sign.
Why write this review now? It has been 2 long and embarrassing months of growing my hair out, and it still looks awful. I look like I have a curly hair mullet with bangs!!! My hair is long in the back, cut in layers on top and have bangs in the front UGH! I keep thinking it will look better when it grows… but no… not the case at all. Now I have to find a stylist who can fix my hair but I need to wait a little longer until it grows more so I don’t ended with the same disaster I have now. If you have ever gotten a bad haircut, you know the pain I am going through.
Trusting someone with your hair is a big deal and if they take your trust for granted and think that they can multi-​task but can’t, don’t listen to you or don’t hear you on what you want, give you a lecture because they think their right and then blame you for the bad haircut… is most definitely NOT a place to go or a place to back to and give them your hard earn money. This was absolutely my worse experience ever in a salon! I would never go there again… EVER!!!

If you are a naturally curly girl, I would NOT suggest going to this salon. Based on the many 4 and 5 star (obviously written by the owner) reviews on Unilocal,I trekked to Oakland for a new cut and color and was so hype the whole way there. I got a wash, cut and cinnamon brown highlights (which I’m still looking for-​see pics). The owner Sheila did my hair and she is very nice and a great conversationalist, but my hair looked ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE. She charged me $ 200 for a ratchet, retched mess. I was so embarrassed on my train ride home that I stopped in Walgreens to buy a scrunchy for my hair. It took 3 weeks to get my hair back conditioned so that it looked decent again after all the hot blow drying, comb dragging and comb snapping she did– sheer curl abuse! My hair was a dry, shrunken, puffy, crunchy, drab, unshapely, old fashioned, ugly mess when I left there. I took a pic as soon as I got home and then I took another pic 3 weeks in after LOTS of deep conditioning and TLC. You be the judge: She actually charged $ 200 for this when she should have deeply discounted the price based on this bad final result (pic #1)!!! Pic #2 is my hair after I deep conditioned for 3 weeks (what my hair normally looks like). If you’re looking to make a generous donation to a for-​profit business, be embarrassed on the way home and get some damage done to your hair, then by all means, check ‘em out!

I decided to trust other reviews and went to get a cut with Sheila today. The best haircut I have ever had! Sheila really knows her stuff. Like she says, cutting hair is about geometry and about listening to your needs. She takes into account your entire being to give you a cut that enhances your natural beauty! I didn’t have to say much, she knew the style I needed from the mintue I walked through the door. She used a product that she created on my hair that is amazing: my hair looks shinny and feels so soft. Thanks so much Sheila, you are the best! See you in 8 weeks!

Do you ever imagine a hairstyle in your head, but when you try and have someone create it for you it is either completely wrong or you are told it was impossible. Walk do not run to see the magician SHEILA. For 15 years I have been trying to get my hair to look long and filled with ringlets. Well, she did it with just a few snips here and there. Plus I got this AMAZING conditioning treatment. Shelia, you deserve an award and serious recognition for the skill you have. All I can say is if you want to look better. See Sheila.

My My My Sheila. What a diamond in the rough. Going to you today for my big chop was scary and frightening enough. Once I step foot in the salon and et Sheila I was so relaxed and willing to let her have it cutting off my permed ends. Sheila was very attentive to what I wanted as well as DIDN’T want. Thirty minutes or so later I now had a (twa-​teenie weenie afro).
Sheila did a great job. It’s going to get some getting used to. Drastic change but was in good hands.
Sheila I will forever be a client of yours.

Oh, oh Sheila! With you is where I got to be!!!
(Ready For The World, anyone??)
There are so many wonderful things I have to say about Sheila and Head Designs, my god. I’m getting kind of notorious for writing incredibly long reviews (TL;DR? scroll to the bottom), so here I go:
I’m from L.A. and in all my 24 years of life I had never found a hair stylist that worked with natural hair (well, I found one on Unilocal.ONE. WITH A 3 MONTH WAITING LIST). Needless to say, the times I DID go to salons, the stylists were always so tormented by my hair and never really did have nice things to say about it (ex: «Wow… your hair is so thick… too thick *huge sigh*», «I’m so tired! You’ve got so much hair, I’ve never dealt with this before», «WOW, I need a break». Speaking of breaks, once I left a stylist so worn out she had to close her shop for the day after she was done with me: l)
I’ve been in the Bay Area almost 8 months now and one day, after reaching the brink of annoyance with my little bush (I did a BC last June and since then, it had grown into a round, little, topiary-​looking bush), I googled natural hair stylists in the bay and lo and behold! CurlyNikki popped up and along with other places, Head Designs was mentioned.
Now, I’m INCREDIBLY picky about my hair and who gets to work with it (after all my awful experiences I ended up just ‘doing’ my own hair ever since I returned to natural hair). I did my research and when it all boiled down, what REALLY made me take the leap of faith with Head Designs was the fact that Sheila requires a consultation for first time clients and anyone who wants drastic changes…
My mind went:
WHAT??? SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY WANTS TO SEE THE STATE OF MY HAIR TO MAKE SURE ALL THINGS GO SMOOTHLY!!! INSTEAD OF AUTOMATICALLY SAYING, «Oh yeah sure we can do anything you want!!!» ???, THEN RUINING MY HAIR COMPLETELY?!
I was sold. I paid for my consultation online and spoke with Debrena (WHO IS SO SWEET!!) to make my appointment :)
When the day of my consultation arrived, seriously guys, you do NOT know how excited I was when Sheila started saying natural hair terms (I nearly cried when she started talking about curl patterns. Seriously, once before I had to school a hair stylist on what I meant by 3b/​3c curls were and what a curl pattern was: l no me gusta). So! I told Sheila what I wanted done. The conversation went something like this:
Me: I want something completely new! I want it kind of tapered to get rid of my round shape, and I want to lighten it! Almost blonde!
Sheila: Why?
Me: …because I want to look completely different?
Sheila: You know, you don’t have to do something that drastic to have a fresh new look. So no no no, you’re not going blonde, but here’s what I’m going to do!
Then she went on and played around with my hair a little bit, studying my facial features and what would work best for me. It was the first time a stylist had told me «I LOVE YOUR HAIR! I just want your hair!!!». *internal waterworks went off*. She also recommended new hair products (by Joico!) for my hair’s dryness. I picked up the complete line and MAN MY HAIR WAS INCREDIBLE AFTER THE FIRST WASH!!! I’m not going to lie, the naturalista in me was like «Joico??? Shampoo? QUARTER SIZE AMOUNTS?!» But my god my hair was like new after that wash, let me tell you!
Sheila has an amazing eye for what will look good on you. She really did take into account what my facial features were and what would look best on me to accentuate all my best assets. (PS? Im SO glad I did NOT go blonde after all). Sheila was super excited to work with my hair, telling me about the vision she had for it. Now, I dont know about anyone else, but when someone tells me they have an artistic vision, I’m going to let them go with it and do whatever they want. They’re the professional and the artist, not me. So a week later, I went back to get my hair done and let Sheila work her magic (picture posted). (Sidenote: NEVER in my LIFE have I had my hair dyed and had it feel and look BETTER than before it was dyed *swoon*)
Sheila, I can’t thank you enough. You deserve all goodness that comes your way, Ms. Madam CJ Walker Hair Stylist of the Year award holder! Thank you again for everything, you’ve got another loyal customer. And as long as you’re in business, no one else will be touching my hair!
**TL;DR? If want someone who knows what they’re doing with your hair (AND THAT MEANS ANY KIND OF HAIR), go to Sheila at Head Designs. **

There is nothing that makes me feel better than a great haircut. I’ve been looking for a good salon for a couple of years since I cut my locs. No luck until I found Head Designs Studio on Unilocal.Sheila is knowledgeable, informative, and fun. She gave me exactly the haircut I’ve been trying to find. That we could have a great conversation at the same time, just made it that much better.

I discovered Head Designs Salon by accident while driving through Emeryville. The exterior of the salon was inviting and so I stopped to inquire about a service that I required. Sheila Head, the owner of Head Designs, was knowledgeable, clearly knew hair techniques, had a history of working with locs (which I have) and made herself available for a consultation that day. Love my cut and color. …I am a new resident, just moving to the Bay Area from Atlanta and needed a new stylist. I think I’ve found her. ;) LisaCampbell (Berkeley)

Graduate school and several years of traveling internationally hadn’t done my hair any favors. I hadn’t had a cut beyond ‘take it all off’ in years and was searching for someone who could do something creative (but manageable). Sheila Head, the owner of Head Designs) is incredibly knowledgeable about black hair and styling. Her staff boasts a locktician, braiding genius and colorist (including Sheila who is inspired in mixing colors that suit a person perfectly — myself included). Most importantly Sheila has more than twenty years experience cutting natural hair. She talks about the movement of the hair, the fall, the desired thickness, your activity level and of course the time it will take to maintain the style she creates. And then there’s the styling and braiding — creative and unique! Lila can create a style unique to you, which means you aren’t likely to see someone else walking around with the same braid pattern.
The atmosphere is relaxed, and you get the sense you’ve arrived in a true ‘salon’ Tea, coffee and cocktails (upon occasion) abound and in the summertime I sat on the patio to chat with Sheila as I waited for my color to set.
Another fun fact — she often has beauty events in her salon! Another reason to check her and the folks at Head Salon out!

I stopped getting relaxers over 5 years ago. For 2 years, I was bouncing between different stylists trying to find someone who can not only manage my natural hair but can cover up my grays without damaging my hair.
Then I found Head Designs through the Mixed Chicks site.
I first started seeing Lesa. But when she left, I started seeing the owner Sheila without skipping a beat. I consistently get great touch ups on my color and beautiful highlights or lowlights depending on the season. My hair has never been healthier when I wear it straight nor has my curls bounced so much when I wear it naturally.
Head Designs have great packages and they will customize them to fit your haircare needs. I pay one price about every other month at a discount for 2 color touch ups, 2 straightenings and 1 haircut.
It’s more pricier than other shops but in my opinion well worth the money.

I recently decided to wear my hair naturally curly and found Head Designs through a blog search for stylists who know how to handle naturally curly hair. My stylist, Sheila Head, is very knowledgeable with natural hair and and told me how to do my hair on my own. She cut my hair to give me shape and did my hair color. Sheila started out with a consultation and we chatted a bit about what I currently do with my hair; most stylists don’t take the time to do that. It was comforting knowing that she knew what she was doing.
My only complaint is that I went in for my appointment at 4:30 and I didn’t leave until 9pm (4 out of 5 stars). Despite the amount of time spent there, I plan to go back.

I wanted to find a salon that could work with my thick, curly, wavy Blasian hair. I ended up finding Head Designs since I was already heading up to Oakland for Memorial Day weekend. Walk in and find a very small, but welcoming & relaxed place. Sheila spent a good amount of time on a thorough consultation which I really appreciated. I felt like all relevant questions about what I was looking for were asked and listened to.
In the past 2 years I stopped straightening my hair, but for me it was too big and unmanageable. It took more time than I was willing to spend to make it look the way I wanted.
Sheila suggested I get a texturizer to keep the curly look I wanted, but also make it more defined and less frizzy. She also gave me a trim. Overall I was very happy with the way my hair turned out. My only complaint is she did show up late and it was pretty pricey, however can’t deny my hair looks good! I’ll be back in 3 – 4 months for a touch-​up!