Capella Salon

After drooling over their Instagram page for some months, I finally made an appointment at Capella salon. I received a haircut about a week ago from Lena (spelling?). I’ve been suffering from an awful cut from a few years ago but in attempt to hang on to my length I haven’t been willing to really allow someone to correct it. After subsequent cuts that didn’t really meet my expectations I decided to give the deva cut a chance. I must say this is the best cut I’ve received since my beloved hair stylist since childhood moved to Spain. I have a ton of hair and it’s pretty long too. Lena knew exactly what to do with it and it looked amazing when she was done. I sent a picture to a curlfriend and she too was surprised by how great my curls looked. They felt so healthy and looked so shiny and defined. More importantly my layers finally made sense and I no longer had the shelf look. She even gave me some tips to use at home to keep it looking great. I’ve finally found a stylist I can truly trust with my hair again!
Moreover, everyone in the salon is super sweet and friendly. Even though Shai works with celebrities he’s still down to earth and that’s important too. Though he wasn’t working on me, he still took the time to make sure I was surviving the dryer. :) All the other stylists were sweet too!
Overall great place. ESPECIALLY if you have curly hair. They definitely know what they’re doing when it comes to our seemingly untamable manes. So happy to have found them!

So I went back a week later to fix the color… Another waste of time. And all that process damaged my hair VERY much. We are now 6 months post color and I decided to cut all my hair because it is such a disaster. My hair was all fried and broke everywhere. The only solution is to cut it all :(
I NEVER had such terrible hair in my life. I do not recommend this place at all.

I don’t live anywhere near the salon but braved the 405 because this was the salon belonging to the «curl doctor». I wanted to go somewhere where my curls would be treated with care, consideration and handled by an experienced capable stylist. I came in the day before for a consultation and booked an appt on the spot. Upon arrival I felt like I was in capable hands and really surrendered myself to the experience after having showed Marley pictures of what I wanted.
I arrived at 1 pm and left around 5:20 and what I left with were unblended chunky-​ish 90’s esque scary spice highlights. One side of my head was lighter than the other. The highlights on bottom brighter than the top ones. Not to mention I had highlights with bright blonde roots and brown ends. I came in immediately to get it fixed but obviously had some apprehensions about letting a person who just messed up my hair go in and try to fix it again. Though she was up for the challenge she kept denying that she had done anything wrong and kept saying she thought it was a good job, not even an apology for messing up so royally.
There’s a reason I go to professionals and don’t sit at home doing my hair myself because this is how it tends to come out. We were obviously living in two different worlds, agreed to disagree and, at least I got my full refund plus tip back. Moral of the story being don’t trust the hype. Though Capella prides itself on being a curly hair salon they messed up and just as bad as anyone else if not worse. Spend your $ 200 elsewhere honey!

I love love love this salon! I first met the Curl Doctor (Shai) back in November of 2015 when I had a Curl-​emergency!
In September of 2015, I wanted to «jazz» up my hair a bit with some color and I wanted cut off my dead ends. So I had ombré done to my hair and I straighten it after so that I could trim it. As most curly hair people are taught, we never cut our hair when it is curly only when it’s straight… Boy was I wrong.
After I washed my hair from it being straight for 3 weeks (yes I pushed it to its max)… My curls were GONE!!! Like seriously GONE GONE! I panicked and washed my hair a few more times in hopes of my curls coming back but NOTHING worked. So I decided to do some research and I stumbled across Shai, the Curl Dr.
I made an appointment and that’s when my curl journey started.
Let’s just talk about to salon first…
Capella Salon is a beautiful and well kept salon with a super professional, talented and nice group of people as its staff … I mean as soon as you walk in they offer you a beverage :)
After I checked in, I was immediately greeted by one of Shai’s assistants and then introduced to the Doctor… Shai.
Shai is super sweet, down to earth and completely understanding. I explained my curl emergency to him and he unfortunately gave me the diagnosis that I wanted to avoid… «You need to have all the dead hair cut» he said to me. I freak out because I’ve always had long hair and I had no idea how I would look with a short hair cut. He (being the super nice guy he is) assured me that a short cut would look good on me but he also told me that if I wanted my curl pattern back to normal, all the dead hair would have to go…
After holding back tears, I told him «OK! I trust you! Let’s cut it… «and then he began to cut… But this was no ordinary cut… He cut every «curl» individually… I was so impressed with the precision and to the detail that went into this hair cut.
After the cut was complete, Shai’s assistant took me to the back to wash and style my hair… After I was done all I could say was «WOW!!!» Not only did he get rid of all the dead hair that was weighing down my curls, he brought my curly hair back to life!
Although my curls weren’t completely back to their original state yet, I knew I was on the right path and I knew that my curls were in GREAT HANDS!
This is just the beginning of my curl journey … I am going to be visiting Shai every 3 months for a hair cut and I am staying away from heat and bad hair products… I can’t wait to see where my hair is a year from now :)
Shai… Thank you my friend! It feels so good to hair healthy curls again :)

Great place very professional
Go see Erica. Cuz she’s the best!!!
Fast and knows what’s she’s going! Awesome. Because of her I will return.
Oh and btw the whole staff is great.

When I tell you that I’m OCD and extremely particular about my hair– that’s an understatement!
Marlee at Capella Salon exceeded my expectations. I went in to get some fun color in and she made me into a beautiful mermaid! I’ve never been the one to do unnatural colors, but she made me feel so comfortable through the whole process! She is a perfectionist! I wholeheartedly suggest you go visit her at Capella and let her make you look like a million bucks!

This review comes almost 2 months after I got my hair cut and colored at Capella. My hope was that the cut would grow on me. I was very excited to come to this salon, after hearing all about the Deva cut and Shai of course. I came prepared with pictures of color and cut inspiration — I’ve never done all over color… The first round the color looked horrible. Very streaky and chunky highlights all over. I expressed I wasn’t satisfied and the stylist said I could come back later in the week to add more color. Unfortunately the color just isn’t right, still. The layers for big curly hair have to be LAYERED… Whereas a lot of my hair is all one length. I’ve probably worn my hair down 5 times since getting it cut. Such a bummer after spending almost $ 400! I am now going to a friend to help me — which I should have done from the beginning! Proceed with caution.

Well where do I start… Yes 7a on a Sunday morning up to wash my hair for my appt @12 with Jody. After driving 1.5hr to get to the salon I begin to have major anxiety. Since moving to Cali, from Atlanta, I have noticed that being natural and trying to find a salon has been a nightmare. I went from seeing a natural stylist whenever I wanted, to nonexistent! Anyway I researched online and i found this particular salon, Capella. I figured I would treat myself to a nice hair cut and style, since i just had a baby. I get to the salon and meet Jody, then it hit me i was nervous and had so much anxiety. I then felt like i may had picked the wrong salon but jody reassured me that everything would be OK. One thing i am sure of is i should have just gotten the hair cut and left. The devacurl products applied to my hair left my hair nasty and white. The worst is that by the time i got home my hair was getting hard and dry just like when i walked in to the salon. i would have given a 2 star if when i asked the stylist how to wear my hair at night she looked puzzled and looked as if «oh no i have to actually teach her something about her hair outside of the products». My husband wanted to know what i paid my money for and what she did. Like I told myself before i will not be visiting another salon for styling because she did none of that to my hair. I am sure Jody i good but my curl pattern is tight and coily. As an african-​american woman i have had up and down experiences at salons and that day it was not what i expected. I feel that if my appt is not with Shai then I am out of luck. Educating clients about there hair is a must, take a note of this. There is a kinky natural hair salon in atlanta and at the end of your appt. the stylist goes over what she did and writes down when and how to apply hair products that were used on your hair. They understand that you can’t always get to a salon so while at home you can care and love your hair the same way. So Mr. Shai i pain $ 75 to hold my appt and i feel that is what i should have paid for this appt. So now i am back at square one i am rewashing my hair as if i didn’t drive 1.5hrs, 4days ago on my mommy day out to end up with dry hair (the gel) with nasty white residue (devacurl products): (When i read other ppls comments i felt as if they had a stylist who was informative because i came prepared to purchase whatever i needed and i can say nothing was explained i didn’t get a massage chair none of this i mean what i have read it sounds like a different salon. I know more about jody homeschooling her kids than how to care for my hair. the blank stare she gave me spoke volumes and solidified why i must always go with my gut feeling. I guess i needed a stylist who would walk me through this visit and i can say the wash was like any other i have had. I am sad, mad and out of money!
Pro: Cut
Con: everything above.

I have been an admirer of Shai for a very long time and finally made an appointment with the Curl Doctor. I had to book my appointment in advance but Shai is well worth the wait. I will not go on and on about my haircut because it was amazing and nothing less than what I expected from Shai. Shai is a professional with many years of experience. You can find photos of his work on his Instagram page if you have any doubts.
My review is SOLELY based on the customer service I received. The service at Capella salon is exceptional, and is a very clean salon. I arrived early in order for one of his assistants to dry my hair. Shai requests your hair be completely dry before cutting and his staff will accommodate you if your hair is somewhat damp like mine was. He prefers that you freshly wash your hair before your visit. This was very helpful because my hair is very long and thick and takes a couple of hours to completely air dry.
Shai introduced himself and immediately began to tell me what was wrong with my hair. He did not do it in a shaming or embarrassing kind of way but more informative. I’ve gotten my curly hair cut wet in the past and he explained why I should NEVER EVER do that. He even showed me a picture of how uneven my hair was and what he planned to do in order to fix it to the best of his capabilities. He did ask what products I used and told me in detail why they do not work best for my hair. Shai began to work his magic, which took about an hour. Shai did have to step away for a few moments but was very apologetic which I did not mind at all. He was away for a very short time might I add.
After the cut his wonderful assistant Janaye took me to the wash bowl to wash my hair. The massage chair was a plus :). Janaye is very kind and passionate about natural curly hair and walked me step by step on which products she was using and how to apply them properly. I learned so much from her and she even shared some of her personal tips. Curly girl to curly girl I was thankful for the advice. Her hair is beautiful by the way.
What I appreciate most about my visit is how informative it was. I’ve been natural for 3 years and to realize I have been caring for my hair improperly by listening to so called YouTube gurus was eye opening. I left Capella salon more educated about my hair care. The hair care tips I received from Shai and Janaye will be beneficial to me for years to come. I feel like my natural hair journey has begun all over again.
I purchased my Deva Curl products right from the salon which was very convenient.
I highly recommend going to Shai and his team. They are licensed professionals and you will learn how to properly care for your hair from the absolute best.
Shai your work is nothing short of amazing and you are awesome.
Thank you Capella Salon! :)

I have had three friends get haircuts by Shai and in all three ladies he has given their curls life it has never had before!!! The quality of his work in evident. Capella Salon is a great deva cut salon in the Los Angeles area!!! I have both my daughter & my own hair that need regular cuts so we had to find a more cost effective deva stylist but I don’t hesitate sending curly friends to Capella!!!

GO TO NATALI!
As a mixed female (black and white) who wears my curly frizzy hair straight — finding a hair stylist who can handle my mane has always been a long and tedious process. Nope not anymore. My friend referred me to Natali saying she’s the best and it’s true. By far the best color and best keratin treatment I’ve ever had! I’m so relieved because I am newer to the LA area and finally have my go-​to hair stylist. Yay.

I was given this hair cut as a graduation present and waited 3 months to get it done. I was disappointed with my hair cut not because it looked bad, because it was nothing that I wanted, and I was shamed the entire time I was in Shai’s chair.
It started off with him getting upset with me because I washed my hair the night before, since my hair takes an upwards of 5 hours to dry I couldn’t take it in the morning and show up with dry hair, and I do not own a hair dryer. He listed off other professions that do not get ‘such disrespect’. He said you wouldn’t show up to your gynecologist without taking a shower right before right? I understand that he may come across a lot of people that he thinks are being rude by not ‘respecting his profession’, but as a girl who has never had her hair professionally cut, ever, it’s an honest mistake to think that your hair being dry for a dry cut is more important than the amount of hours ago it was washed. I told him multiple times that it was my first time in a hair salon. He also accused me of ignoring multiple phone calls to tell me how to care for my hair before coming in, and I told him it was a surprise from my dad, so I didn’t get any calls. He proceeded to yell at his receptionist from behind me about how they need to do better at what he asked. So great, now I’m in the middle of the salon, everyone can hear him yelling at people and it’s all my fault that they’re getting in trouble… Then he went on to asking me what I did to take care of my hair and I let him know that I didn’t have anyone to teach me how to take care of my hair because no one in my family had hair like mine. He went on shaming me for my hair choices, even after I said well I’m trying to take better care of my hair. Then when he asked me for reference photos I said I want to go short, like above the ear, but I don’t know what will be flattering on my face. I showed him some photos, said I just wanted to emphasize my cheek bones, and he just flat out said ‘no, show me some long ones’. I showed him the 2 long hair photos I had and then he said ‘ok’ and started cutting my hair. I understand that maybe I didn’t sound so confident so maybe he didn’t want to hack off my curls that take forever to grow. But maybe instead of just saying no, he could have explained I’m not comfortable doing that, and I could have defended my view. But when a professional who is giving you short unamused answers tells you flat out no and moves on to something else it’s very intimidating to argue. I mean, this guy is going to have his scissors in my hair. The entire time I felt uncomfortable because he worked with a frown and I tried a few times to have some light hearted chit chat but he didn’t converse very much.
The ladies who washed and dried my were extremely nice. They taught me about my hair, what I should look for in products, signs of damage, how to properly massage my scalp, got me tea, conversed and asked me questions, etc. If it wasn’t for that part I think I would have left in a rage. These hair cuts are NOT cheap.
After drying Shai fluffed my hair and had another frown because it was curlier than he expected because of course, I didn’t have my hair properly dried. I didn’t mind it because I wanted shorter hair, but he intended it to be longer.
After leaving the salon my hair was great and stayed curled for days longer than usual. I told myself, I guess I can deal with it and it just gives me 3 more months to find better reference photos because apparently non of those sufficed. Of course salon magic does not last and after washing it and not having a professional hooded drier my hair was only a fraction of an inch shorter. Sure, it looked fine and it was a better shape, which I did want, but it left me very bitter.
Now I’m looking for other salons that will actually listen to what I want.

I am so glad I went to Capella Salon!!! For weeks after Nicole cut my hair I would get compliments!!! I don’t «do» high maintenance hair. I’m not kidding you– I have no idea what I am doing. I leave that to the professionals! I shower, brush it, maybe put it in a ponytail. During the day things might get really exciting and I will take it out of the ponytail, leave it down for an hour, and then put it back in a bun!
But no matter what I did with my hair after Nicole cut it I got compliments! For weeks people would «accuse» me of having just gotten my haircut all over again.
The staff are professional, Shai’s smile and attitude is infectious, and Nicole is the most laid back, and far too humble person I know. The woman has mad talent!!!
See you guys soon!!!
xoxoxo,
Amy

*This review is for the professionalism and credibility of the salon not the haircut itself.
After being a loyal costumer for 2 years and referring friends to the salon, it was unfortunate to be faced with unprofessionalism from both the owner and the staff.
I waited 3 months to get my haircut. My appointment was postponed to a week after due to a family emergency which was understandable. I noticed my second appointment was on Sunday at 2:45 pm (the salon regular hours is only to 2pm). I live in San Diego and as I am driving towards studio City, I receive a call at 10:45 am from the salon saying that there is a power outage in the area and they have to re-​schedule my appointment to a month after. It was ironic that there was truly a power outage when you call all the other businesses in that shopping center, and they all have up and running electricity. Moreover, I noticed many other reviews that had similar experiences of getting their appointments canceled.
After talking to Shai and hearing many conflicting stories, I decided to end my business with the salon despite getting charged $ 75 in advance for a haircut that I would hope to receive by the end of the year.

I am writing this review of the owner, Shai, for his excellent customer service.
I went in last Friday to see one of the stylists at the salon and wasn’t happy with the outcome. It was my second time seeing her but it didn’t work out well. I raised my concerns to the salon and Shai stepped in to handle my complaint. He showed genuine concern and handled the matter promptly.
I am rating his salon five stars for great customer service. Thank you, Shai.

Marlee is UH-​MAZING!!! I’ve been going to her for a curly hair trim for a while, but today I was feeling adventurous. I had her highlight my hair (for the first time in four years), and it is GORGEOUS! I brought in some photos of what I wanted and she asked me questions to make sure I got exactly what I wanted. She took special care to detail and I even have her some liberty to have fun with it. She gave me EXACTLY what I wanted plus. I haven’t felt more beautiful in years. She is my favorite hair dresser! Go to Marlee! You won’t be disappointed!

I traveled across country just to make sure that my first Deva cut experience was done right and Andrea at Capella Salon achieved all my hair expectations.
I was tempted to make an appointment with Shai but couldn’t make myself spend close to $ 300. After some research I found out a lot of the staff is trained for this cutting style & I was booked with Andrea.
She was super sweet and worked through my THICK, curly hair like a pro!!! I’ve never worn my hair curly but now I can’t see myself not. Everyone there was kind and knows what they’re doing. Every 4 – 5 months I’ll be here to see Andrea. I’m hooked.
PS — please follow ALL instructions the receptionist gives you before you come to your appointment they will tell you to leave if your hair is not ready to cut.
PSS — Try the iced tea!!! It’s EVERYTHING!
Hope this review helps

Dear Curly Heads,
There come a time in everyones life that they have an «aha» moment. Walking into Capella Salon, was that moment for me. Because as girl, and now as a woman; to find a place that honors, respects and loves curls is oh-​so special. This salon meets your curly thick hair with smiles of joy and high fives for keeping the curly hair dream alive. Even for the most diverse cities, open arms towards a fluffy, frizzy, kinky mane tend to be quite rare. Heads turn, faces look blank and people pick through your hair as if they are sorting through a basket of a hundred mismatched socks trying to make a complete pair.
Shai Amiel has taken it upon himself to become the hair guru to all curly heads that have the opportunity to sit in his chair. He has set the tone for the salon. He has made it a place to feel proud of your locks. No funny looks or blanks stares at this place, and definitely no odd sock sorting. Just pure love. He educates while taking his time to work with your hair needs and expectations. After the cut I received a detangling, conditioning treatment by his lovely assistant. I sat in a chair with gentle pulsations massaging my back. The scalp massage while having my hair washed was pretty darn nice as well. I was diffused and then it was time to go.
Yours Truly,
The girl whose mother didn’t know what to o do with her hair.
The girl who finally figured it out when she was 16, because her aunt stepped in.
The girl who many years after that, felt prettier with barrel curled of flat ironed hair.
The girl who finally completely embraced her curls.

p. s. Hats off to this man for making woman revel in their natural state blessed unto them. I witnessed several types of curly hair textues walk into Shai that day. He met each twist with what I believe to be his signature style. A grin from ear to ear.

I would like to share both a suggestion and a review. First, I think it would be very considerate for the receptionist to call Shai’s clients two days (as opposed to one) in advance to confirm appointments. I made an appointment with Shai several months in advance and paid the required $ 75 deposit. I had written down the appointment in my calendar as being for next month, but I just received a call that it’s actually for tomorrow. Honestly I made it so long ago that I’m not sure if I screwed up and wrote down the wrong day or the salon did… but either way since I won’t be able to make the appointment I was told that I would have to forfeit my $ 75 deposit because of the 48 hour cancellation policy. Very disappointing. To avoid this problem in the future, I think it would be a win-​win for everyone involved if reception would call to confirm at least two days in advance of Shai’s appointments. I’m sure most of his appointments are booked months in advance, so this would allow for his clients to reschedule if needed without being penalized. In addition, it would leave adequate time for someone else to take advantage of the last minute opening.
Now for the review, which is based on the color and cut I got last year at this salon. I could not see Shai because he was fully booked, but reception referred me to another stylist who they said specialized in curly hair and organic color. The color turned out fine enough, but the haircut and styling were HORRIFIC. It was absolutely the worst I’ve ever had at any salon. This woman had zero expertise with curly hair and truly had no idea what she was doing. It was so shockingly terrible that I just wanted her hands off of my hair, so I paid the obscene amount of money for my services and left quickly. I took a picture when I got home that day which I’ve posted below (my face is blurred for privacy, but also because I was so upset that I was crying).
All that being said, I was really looking forward to seeing Shai and having him work the «magic» on my curls that I’ve read about, but honestly I have been quite discouraged by the whole experience at this salon. Perhaps I’ll try again someday, but for now I’ll be tending to my locks from home using the Curly Girl Handbook as my guide. Good luck to all the fellow curly girls out there!

I am trying to learn how to embrace my curls which includes going to someone who knows how to cut curly hair. This shop, by far, had the best credentials and reviews for the curly girl experience, so I chose them for my very first Devashun cut. (Read the book Curly Girl for an explanation of this cut) I initially tried to book with Shai, the curl guru, but he was booked so far in advance, I agreed to go with Andrea who has also been trained in the Deva cut method.
I knew and had started some practices of the book, but still had stuff I wanted to learn. Andrea was great in taking me thru the steps. I had expected more cutting to be done, but I had asked her to try to keep as much length as possible because I wanted to grow it out, so that may be why not as much cutting was done. Maybe she would have overhauled my entire head had I let her have free rein. After the cut, my hair was all frizzed out and wild. I was a little worried.
Next, came the wash and Andrea walked me thru the wash and after wash product application. Thank you! I really needed that! She talked to me about using clips to get some lift right at the scalp. Thank you again, I was doing it wrong! *lol* And she showed me how to let my hair dry. Sadly, I don’t have a super duper hair dryer at home, so I will never achieve the lovely quick, every hair stays in its place drying that happened at the salon at home… (my hair takes 3.5 hours to dry on its own) But I learned the method and goal to aim for. That’s cool. And I learned a thing or two about when I CAN touch my hair and how to do it. VERY cool!
I LOVE how my curls on the back of my head look. Very healthy, very clean and not wild and frizzy at all. Whew! *lol* I’m not sure about the shaping around my face, but I’ll play with it. I’m still learning. And, I’m still deciding on what I think about the Deva products. They for sure help and work with my curls and styling. But they also make my hair feel different to the touch. While they can make my hair look stiff (sculptured) if I want, they can also be «crunched» into a softer look and feel. My indecision has to do with my being used to feeling my hair as soft and silky, but with using the product, I can tell product is there. Perhaps that’s all a part of having to deal with curly hair.
Overall, I am very pleased with my experience at this salon and with Andrea. Thank you, Andrea!