Hair By Rae Nikole Painted Strands

Hair By Rae Nikole is a haircutting-only business, and it does not offer chemical services. Rae Nikole runs it from three locations: Union Salon South in Pasadena, Painted Strands in West Covina, and quarterly pop-up sessions at Summerland Salon and Spa in Santa Barbara.

Returning clients are booked by the time since their last service, at 3, 6 or 9 months, rather than by length or style. The business says its cuts are made to last an average of 6 to 8 months. A Makeover Haircut is a 2-hour appointment with an extended consultation, offered to new clients and to clients ready for something completely new.

Products are ethically sourced and free of synthetic fragrance. The business also runs a model and trade program that accepts applications for workshops and content projects in exchange for a haircut. Group classes and one-to-one sessions are available for anyone wanting to learn razor cutting.

Pasadena appointments are offered Wednesday through Friday, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with a large free parking lot behind the salon. West Covina appointments are released monthly on select weekends, and the waitlist gets priority when openings come up; parking there is a shared free lot. Santa Barbara pop-ups are a flat $275 per session, and waitlisted clients have 24 hours to respond to opening emails. First-time appointments are booked online through Vagaro with a card on file, and nothing is charged until the service is complete, though cash is also accepted. Clients with a late arrival get a 15-minute grace period, and new clients arriving more than 15 minutes late are asked to reschedule. Cancelling with 48 hours notice costs 25% of the service price, and cancelling with 24 hours notice costs the full price. Tips are not necessary, but referrals and reviews on Yelp, Vagaro or social media are appreciated. Questions about appointments can go to 626-241-2707.

Each haircut begins with a consultation on lifestyle, preferences and goals, and returning-client cuts are timed by the months since the last visit rather than by a set length or style.