Imagine Hair Salon

Yep. Gonna top those who left reviews for ligen. She’s kind hearted, skillful, and not pushy at all. She explains why you need a trim or why she cut it this way.
After my haircut I recommended my coworker to go, and her hairstyle is so much better now too.
Always read all reviews and see why there were lower stars, any hair salon you always want to hear other people’s recommendations. And I was really lucky because I got Ligen by walking in before Unilocaling…

My stylist Ligen has been great over the decade! Her sense of fashion is remarkable! She always give me over satisfaction new hair style experiences! When she was on vacation for 2 months, I was so depressed of not finding any other stylists that can do the job just like her!

Ive been going for years and I still don’t know most of their names, except Lily who cuts my hair too short everytime without fail. They always speak to me in Chinese and I just shake my head. They ask me how I want to cut my hair and I just nod. They all cut my hair the same way regardless. Sometimes they talk to me. More often they just talk to each other or cut my hair in silence.

If you have aspirations to be a Korean pop-​star, all you need to know is one word (well, name): Ligen.
I first came here 8 years ago as a new California transplant not knowing what to expect. After my family came to visit my new digs (aka a studio apartment the size of a walk-​in closet), my mother admonished me for looking like I had just slapped a mop on my head, which apparently wasn’t quite in line with the young techie hipster look. So I went to the closest hair place to where I lived. Luckily for me, Imagine was within a mile, and luckily for me, Ligen was my first.
I guess you’re supposed to flip through the magazines on the table and figure out what kind of style you want, but for some reason, I was feeling adventurous (yes, my idea of adventurous is quite out there, I know). So mustering all the swagger I could, I sat down and told her to do «whatever.»
15 minutes later, I swear I could have been the poster child for extreme makeovers. In that span of time, Ligen had transformed me from Steve Urkel-​nerdy to Harold (and Kumar)-nerdy. How amazing is that?
Nearly a decade later, I still go back (before or after trips to see my parents) and simply tell her to either give me a «cut» or a «trim» depending on the stage of growth I’m in, and off she goes.

Ligen is great! Finally I find someone that I can trust with my hair. She listens and delivers exactly what you wanted. I like her attention to detail and her great attitude towards her clients. She is also very patient to young kids. My daughter (5 years old) likes her too! Keep it up and I will definitely come back and recommend to my friends :)

I’ve been coming here for quite a few years already, and have seen a lot of hairdressers come and go. Most of the people are not so great, but that’s true with a lot of hair salons. You’re here to hear about who is best at what they do here. So here goes.
If you’re a woman, you probably want to get a haircut from Helen or Ligen (Li-​Gen? just say lee-​jen and people will know what you’re talking about) because they’ve been there the longest (Helen is the owner/​manager) and they’re always very popular. From what I understand these two do the hair for the girls who are competing in the Miss Chinatown in SF this year in Feb (2013).
However, since I’m a guy, my standards are a bit lower but I still want someone who knows what they’re doing. My recommendation is to ask for Hannah, but she only works on the weekends. From my experience, she is one of the more meticulous hair dressers that work there. A lot of the time when I get my hair cut by other people, they always miss a few areas and leave multiple strands of hair uncut, or they don’t fade the sides properly. Nothing drives me crazier than getting home and seeing a staircase of hair on the back of my head.
I don’t think I have ever been unsatisfied with a haircut from Hannah, and I think (at least for all the guys out there) no one else will either. I like attention to detail when it comes to my haircuts, and that’s what she provides.
Just make sure you call ahead of time to see if she’s there, and also be sure to request her at the door (otherwise someone else is going to try to snag your business)

I’m a fan of Ligen’s. Not only does she snip with precision and deftness, she’s candid about what will and will not work with my hair. And not least, a cut is $ 21 ($ 25 with shampoo). The digital perm wasn’t as good as the one I got in Taiwan, and highlights seem as pricey as a $ 50 haircut salon, but every haircut I’ve gotten from Ligen has been on point. And I rarely have to explain further than «cut shorter» before submitting to her capable hands.
And I’m in and out in less than 30 min which is sometimes sad because we always have so much to chat about, and she cracks me up so much.
And my mom, who is super-​picky and hard to please, has nothing to complain about after visiting Ligen. And now I want blonde hair like hers.
That’s a lot of «ands.» So, I’ll just say this: if you have straight hair that grows fast enough to require periodic trims, why would you go anywhere else?

Several years later, I am still getting my haircuts every 3 months from Helen– the owner.
In fact, I regularly get compliments from my short, pixie haircut from both boys and girls. Helen spends so much care and attention. She easily spends 30 minutes perfecting the frayed uneven look. Even though now I’ve moved to San Francisco, I make the 2 hour roundtrip drive for her.

This isn’t a review for the entire shop, but just for the hair stylist had today, Stanley.
Basically, I walked in today with the intention of getting my hair cut. The last time I got a hair cut was a year ago, and had happened to get Ligen, who did a fabulous job (I remember walking out of there very satisfied). However, today, walking in, I didn’t recall what her name was (I know, should have checked Unilocal before hand), and didn’t see her in the shop. However, since I figured I needed a haircut anyway, I just went with Stanley, who was available.
It was just a basic cut, layered hair that doesn’t look too short (I have very thick, heavy hair), and overall it was an okay cut. Nothing that I will go home crying about, but also nothing that leaves me satisfied. I still miss my long hair, and can’t wait till this hair cut grows out.
Next time though, I’ll remember to find Ligen!
Edit: Now that it’s been a few days and I’m accustomed to my hair cut, I would say that it’s actually quite a good/​decent hair cut. I guess I was just a bit jarred by the initial change.

I’ve tried a couple of different people here and it’s really who you get. For my long thick hair that’s a bit unwieldy, I like Helen the best as she seems to know what to do with my hair. I usually bring in a photo of the style I like and add in some of my own directions for where I want my hair layered or thinned out. Recently, I brought in a photo of myself in a hair style that Helen did previously that I really liked.
I try to go back to her whenever I’m in the area because the few times I tried looking for a salon closer, I ended up being very disappointed with my hair style and feeling a bit over-​charged.

This place is the worst! Do not go here! I went here for a facial in some dingy back room with their facial person. She picked at a benign lesion on my face with a sharp object and caused permanent scarring and pigmentation. I had to go to my dermatologist and get the lesion removed. It has still not healed and likely will not. Please for your own safety, do not go to this place!!!

I SHOULD HAVE READ THE Unilocal REVIEWS.
1. Do not let Lily cut your hair.
2. I believe everyone else when they say that these ladies are way too pushy– they want your money!
3. I, too, fell for the hot oil treatment — partly because I didn’t really understand her
Never before have I felt so vulnerable and preyed-​on than in that hair salon. I’m never going back.

I used to go here all the time because my dad would take me when I was younger. Oh my god these chinese ladies are insane. They will not stop selling you stuff! They’ll tell you your hair is dry, they’ll tell you that you need some color, they’ll tell you anything for your money!
I’ve had some really bad haircuts here. It just turns out really fobby, I can’t explain it any other way.
Never went back once I grew up and knew better.

My hair stylist was Helen (she might be the manager/​owner not sure though) who did a really good job with my hair, I love my new bangs. She also did exactly what I asked: side swept bangs + light trim and long layers in the back. She didn’t try to sell me any products, but did ask if I was interested in deep conditioning, I said not today and she didn’t push me at all which is very good compared to other stylists I’ve had. I really don’t know why there aren’t more positive reviews on Unilocal,I really think they deserve higher ratings, at least Helen definitely does. As far as the cost is concerned, she charged me $ 25 for wash and cut which is very reasonable. I’ve been to 2 other salons in Mountain View that charged me about $ 50 which is way more than I am willing to pay for a simple hair cut. Overall, a great experience with Helen today.

I wonder how they survive their business with all these negative reviews and angry customers.
I actually didn’t get to read the reviews before I went, I just heard that it’s cheaper there and since I only wanted a trim, to cut the split ends of my hair, I didn’t want to spend more than $ 30 on it. Their cut price is $ 21 which sounded reasonable.
Of course they gave me Lily, maybe b/​c she’s idle or something. The first she suggested was to wash my hair, I almost went for it except that I did ask «is this covered within $ 21?», the answer is «No». I declined the hair wash, then she sat me down and started suggesting that I need to get hair treatment b/​c my hair was so dry, blah blah blah, I kindly declined b/​c I knew she was just trying to make more money.
The cut was alright, I can’t tell the differences, I don’t think she did anything with layering my hair (even though I asked her to), except that the ends were cut, but I think anyone could’ve done it with the way she did it, simply using a scissor and cut the ends.
Of course after the cut, they were trying to sell me their products. I did end up buying a couple bottles of shampoo and conditioner there but they changed me 10% taxes on it, I asked «isn’t tax 9. something?», one of the ladies yelled out «it’s 9.75%!», I didn’t want to argue w/​them about the 10% taxes although I thought the whole thing was shady, it’s not about the dollar, but more about the ethics or honesty.
The place seemed shady. I definitely wouldn’t go back there again.

Both me and my boyfriend get our hair cut by Ligen. We now have cool hair for an awesome price. She’s a cool, talented chick who knows what she’s doing.
Again, my review is strictly for Ligen (pronounced Legion). For anyone else, enter at your own risk.

If you are looking for a hair stylist who doesn’t try to rip you off, go for Ligen. Tell her exactly what you are looking for and she will make your dream come true. She will not sell you something you don’t need which is awesome.
Thumbs up for Ligen!

DON’T USE LILY.
IF YOU ARE CHINESE, DON’T GO THERE JUST BECAUSE THEY SPEAK CHINESE.
My girlfriend went there today and came back very angry, the hair came out completely off her expectation. She actually pointed out the exact style she wanted on a book there, this lady, Lily, about 40 — 50 years old, first criticized the cut on the book, and said something like this is not fit for your hair, blah blah blah, and just wanted to talk you into doing a perm. My gf accepted the suggestion and wanted big waves. She agreed but it came out as small waves. She also tried to sell hair highlights, my gf wanted something between orange and dark golden brown, she again disagreed, suggested wine red. My gf insisted this time and she agreed. but when it finished, highlights came out more like wine red than golden.
This lady sounds very kind-​hearted, appears very attentive, but she talked a bit imperatively like a teacher all the time, if you have a weak heart like my gf or you are embarrassed to argue with people, don’t go.
For the things she agreed with but that come out unexpected, she would insist that’s actually what you want. for other things, she just makes suggestions to make things worse. This lady has totally no sense of style (for people under 30) and has this surprising ability to make you look like a mid-​aged woman, whatever your age is. What’s most important, SHE DOESN’T RESPECT YOUR REQUIREMENT AND JUDGEMENT. She looks like one’s parents, feels kindhearted all the time, but actually only wants what THEY think is right, not you. After all, you are the one who’s going to wear your hair… Avoid her.

The owner is not nice.
I got a haircut there a while ago. They are known to be pretty pushy with upsales, but the location was convenient to me. Anyway, when I walked out, I saw a black Jaguar backed into my car with his bumper sitting on top of mine, overlapping by about 4 inches. The driver was talking on his phone (without a headset), and trying to backup his car at the same time without even looking at his mirror. I called out to try to stop him but he was too busy with his phone.
The driver happened to be the husband of the salon’s manager and I was later told that he is the owner of Imagine salon. When he came out of his car, he took one glance at my bumper and proceeded to preach to me that «it’s nothing». I looked at my bumper more closely and found there were a horizontal line of vertical scuff marks. They were very hard to see from more than 3 or 4 feet away but clearly visible when you inspect it closely. There was also a black scuff mark.
When he saw me inspecting the bumper and deduced that I wasn’t just going to let it go. He started raising his voice and now there were people starting to surround us on the street. Instead of just arguing with him, I asked for his driver license and insurance card. He started cursing at me and behaving fairly aggressively. His wife (the hair shop manager) came out at this point, and I took down his insurnace info.
He was still yelling, saying I don’t deserve to drive a Porsche if I cannot «take such a small thing.»
There is a puncture and lots of scratches all over the bumper of his fairly new Jaguar (obviously this guy is very reckless in parking).
At this time, his employees started coming out to support him. I guess he felt braver at this point, and actually started turning around and accused me that I am responsible for the those damages on his bumper. And he even asked one of his barber girls to take picture of his car. He threatened me that if I call the insurance company for a claim, he will have his employees as witness, and they will say that I damaged his car.
It was surreal, I felt like being in one of those Chow Yuen Fat movie being harassed by a bunch of mafia guys and their barber girls. On the other hand, his wife which seems a very nice person kept apologizing and said she will handle the damage.
So I took my car to Mathew Carlsen Bodyworks (renowned body shop who does all my work) immediately. Tom at Mathew inspected it. I have some previous scheduled work to be done there, and Tom said he can take care of the front bumper for free while he does that job.
So, I was glad this didn’t cause me any monetary damage. I called the store and let the owner’s wife know that they are off the hook as far as repair goes. The wife of this stupid jerk apologized to me again and said please don’t cause any trouble.
I did file a complaint on BBB’s web site and received no response. But hair salon like this, I doubt that anyone would check BBB before going to a hair cut.
Anyway, I know this is just a hair cut place. But if you care about what kind of people runs the place and where you bring your business, just thought this might be relevant info…

I absolutely ADORE Li-​Gen [pronounced «Lee-​Jenn”], my stylist and friend… I have been blessed to know this awesome female before she became the fantastic «shear» master she is, and her style is definitely different than the other women that work at this particular salon.
She thinned out my thick mane so that it was manageable again — my hair grows pretty fast, and it’s always so hard to style when full because my curls go limp from all the weight. After she works her magic, my hair has bounce and body again, with the delicate layers I oh-​so-​covet each time I am ready to make an appointment with her. She’s fairly new here, and it’s her first permanent chair at a salon since graduating from the world of beauty school, and I totally see her working elsewhere more worthy of her style… but she takes whatever experience she can get and takes her time with you in her chair, unlike other stylists that rush through the job, doing the bare minimum.
ATTN GUYS: diggin’ that J-​Rock or Chinese pop-​star hairstyle, she is the PERFECT person to go to. I referred my guy friend there after his friend moved to China [the one that cut his hair] and he loved it. She got his hair to naturally stand on its ends with the volume he was seeking. He loved her cut so much, he referred two more of his friends to her, and they’re all happily continuing their loyal patronage to Li-​Gen.
The pricing isn’t too bad, versus upscale salons that charge for the ambiance and atmosphere. The ratings for this place are low… but I know better than to go to any other stylist. I only go here for Li-​Gen. As for the gossipy ladies… I’m used to it. It’s really no biggie once you become accustomed to nail salons, hair salons, etc…
Do not come in here expecting to be waited on hand and foot — it is an Asian salon, with the loud and boisturous gossiping one would find at any other typical neighborhood salon, but for the prices you get for a cut — it’s worth it. Li-​Gen works every day but Thursdays, so call in and make an appointment! Bring a photo in to minimize the amount of communication necessary to get the cut you want, and you’ll be pleased with what you come out with. Try the ramen place next door afterwards too, it’s pretty awesome!!!