Alter EGO

I was in Raleigh for a wedding and was excited to try out Alter Ego. They are located directly in Downtown. They have an online booking service which I thought was great. You can book any service, and if you’re familiar with the stylists you can ask for a specific stylist.
I made an appointment to have my hair cut and styled. I arrived about 15 minutes early for my appointment. The entire ambiance of the place is pretty cool! It looks like a chic New York city loft with high ceilings, cool artwork, and brick walls. You check in at the front desk and they offer you wine, beer, or water. I opted for a glass of wine. The wait was a tad long, but this tends to happen at hair salons and since their was wine for the wait it wasn’t a bother.
All in all it was a great experience and better than your average hair salon or blow dry bar. They also use a specific line of Oribe products that are tailored to your hair. The Oribe products felt like that really made a difference.
The girl did a great job on my hair. I was a little panicked at first because my hair is very frizzy and she didn’t use a straighter. But she did such a great job styling and blowdrying my hair that I didn’t miss the damaging touch of the straightener.
They offer a Unilocal check in deal and a separate Unilocal offer that can be purchased. If you’re in the area, definitely give this place a try!

I just went to Alter Ego again for the second time, and overall, it’s been a pretty good experience.
LOCATION
It’s a convenient location if you work in downtown Raleigh (they do parking validation if you park in the deck behind it, but it doesn’t work on the weekends anymore). Street parking can be hit or miss in terms of availability.
ATMOSPHERE
When you walk in, it’s clean, white, minimalistic, and smells nice. It reminds me of the hair salons in South Korea for some reason. You are greeted with a smile at the front desk, and offered your choice of beverage (wine and beer included).
HAIR CUT
The first time I went, I got a cut from Danielle. I’m Korean-​American, and I was getting a few inches cut off (I had very long straight hair). She added a bit of volume and texture to my super-​straight hair and I was happy with it. The blow dry was a bit rough at times though; my hair got whipped into my face a few times.
The second time I went, I got a cut from Aaron Kim. They said Aaron had a lot of experience cutting Asian hair, which was a plus. I had long straight hair, and wanted to go to a shoulder length bob (slightly angled /​shorter in the back). I had a great time with Aaron while at the salon, but when I got home, I realized that my hair was slightly longer in the back. I think it was probably a miscommunication on both our parts. Anywho, I called in and asked for a recut, and they gave me one at no extra charge. Aaron did a great job on the recut.
PRICE
The 1^st time I went, I used a Unilocal deal — $ 35 for $ 45 worth of service. The 2^nd time I went, I checked in on Unilocal and got $ 5 off. I think it’s a pretty good value for the service and I will probably go back!

I came here recently to get my hair colored and I’m very pleased with my new hair style. I felt very comfortable during my 4 hour stay there and all the staff were welcoming. Now I want to talk about my stylist which was Kevin.
Kevin did a great job highlighting my hair, he went above and beyond my expectation. I can tell he is very passionate about his job and he went out his way to make sure that I was happy with the end result. Very knowledgable stylist, definitely coming back here again.

I’ve been going to Alter Ego quite regularly over the past year, and while I’ve had to return for corrections maybe 75% of the time, I’ve found that Alter Ego is very comfortable doing corrections and the atmosphere is always pleasant. I’m incredibly particular about my hair so it says a lot that I’ve trusted them with my long locks for over a year!
That said these last two months weren’t the best with Alter Ego! I decided to lighten my hair — which as you can imagine took a toll on my hair! I typically hate cutting my hair so my stylist only cut about 1 – 2 inches after the lightening process (her recommendation). However, this wasn’t enough. When I got home and showered, my hair was really stringy/​spaghetti like and I actually realized we should have cut more like 6 – 7 inches!
Additionally, you can get store credit for products purchased that you’re unsatisfied with! So I had NO idea of this policy sadly. I bought a shampoo (r&co) that I hated… and I actually told my stylist the shampoo wasn’t doing it for me, and she didn’t tell me I could get store credit for it. When I tried to get credit for the shampoo (a while after my purchase), I was told they could only give me ½ credit since I had used almost half the bottle. Though this was true, I did feel it was a little dishonest on their part; I only used the shampoo (sparingly, mind you) because I wasnt aware I could return it for credit. Needless to say I gave the shampoo to a friend instead.
So anyway… People seem to love Alter EGO and I definitely understand why. But I’m probably not going to go back. I’ve had way too many corrections there and I found a new salon that, upon going for a consultation after I lightened my hair at Alter EGO, instantly recommended I chop off some hair to fix the ends (their honesty was really appreciated).
Hope this helps!

Fabulous! Was in from out of town and felt very welcomed. Salon is modern, clean and accommodating. Refreshments in fun open waiting area. Everyone was on time and friendly. My stylist, Alli did exactly what I asked and was a sweetheart! Wish I could go again!

As an Indian boy I was extremely timid as far as coming here since the majority of the reviews, pictures in the building, and the people were women. But alas I stood true and held onto what timid confidence I had (plus I saw another male there which helped things but at the same time he was much more well dressed than me so I felt inadequate. Plus my hair was a mess).
My stylist Aaron (I hope that’s how you spell it. I’m extremely sorry if it isn’t. That’s the only version of Aaron I’ve ever come across.) helped me get situated, walked me through their process since I have never spent more than 15 dollars on a haircut, and then proceeded to give me the only haircut that I have enjoyed wearing. I will say that I wasn’t a fan of the style he put on my hair but it wasn’t his fault. I don’t know how I’d like me hair styled so how can he know what I’ll like before I know what I like? I mean he could get lucky but I’m an extremely pick and simple man who will spend 31 dollars on a haircut because great clips just simple isn’t enough.
Proces
I would highly recommend anyone to at least try out alter ego.

Danielle Duarte was my stylist, and she did an AMAZING job! She fixed my botched «ombré» and conditioned my hair to allow for healthier strands and a more sheen glow. In addition to Danielle’s extensive hair knowledge, she was kind, funny, attentive, and incredibly detail oriented. I’d recommend her, specifically, to anyone and everyone interested in having beautiful hair!
The salon was clean, chic, and everyone I encountered was wonderful. They served two kinds of beer upon arrival also — SWEET! Thank you, Alter Ego, for a great experience!

Just update that after more than a year of service from Mandy and the Alter Ego staff, I’m still thrilled with my results after every visit.
Mandy has breathed life into my hair and made me excited about trying new things. Now I consider my hair my best accessory! From chopping my locks, changing from brown to auburn and now to platinum… I always leave my appointment completely satisfied. I love that Mandy has taken the time to get to know me as a client and understand my needs/​routine. Now when I’m unsure of what I want… I 100% trust her advice and suggestions. She takes such an amazing amount of time and energy to ensure that I’m going to be happy with the results. I can’t imagine leaving her!
Just as proof, check out the picture that shows all that Mandy has accomplished with my hair in just a year and half! Give Alter Ego a try… you will NOT be disappointed!

Dana gave me the worst haircut of my life last January. I held off on writing a review until today when I finally was able to get a decent hair cut without having an awkward chunk of hair on my left side that was two inches shorter than the rest of my hair! I’ve been working with stylists throughout the year getting frequent trims and it still looked awkward… 10 months later! My hair reached the top of my breasts and I asked Dana for a trim with a layered cut tapered into the back. She cut my hair exactly into a mullet with the longest layer maybe an inch from my shoulder with this awkward front chunk touching my mid-​ear. She completely misunderstood my hair type and thickness and just really messed up my hair. I cried for a week.
The only redeeming thing for this salon is I called and said I was unhappy and they set me up with another stylist the next day… Ashley I think? Really sweet girl and she did the best she could to fix the cut which even she had to admit was completely botched so kudos to her but still I had lost over six inches of hair and had an awkward layer to grow out dutifully.
Shame on Dana too for making eye contact with me the second day and not even bothering to apologize that she ruined my hair even though she knew she had done a terrible job and that’s why I was back.
Scarred for life

I recently moved to the area and decided to search on Unilocal for great salons that specialize in Balayage and after seeing all the great reviews I decided to give Alter EGO a try. I called and scheduled a price consultation with Kevin and had a really nice experience.
He took his time to explain everything and get my inputs and ideas on what I wanted and then worked with that to give me the Balayage look I wanted. He was very friendly and took the time to get to know me and couldn’t have been more pleased with the outcome.
I would recommend Kevin to anyone who is looking for a great look and professionalism to make your hair look beautiful. He’s by far the best at Balayage and I will be going back to him for a re-​touch. I ain’t gonna lie this has been the most expensive haircut and Balayage I’ve ever had in my life, but you definitely pay for what you get.

I decided to try out this salon because the online booking was so convenient with my hectic schedule and because everyone on Unilocal had so many nice things to say about Alter Ego.
Well, as others have said, it’s a great spot. I was welcomed with a much needed glass of red wine and then Shawna got down to business. She was fantastic and gave me the best haircut I’ve ever had! She knew exactly how to help me strike the perfect balance between practical and fun. She gave me a quick tutorial on how to do my hair in a hurry during the week AND gave me a gorgeous blow out to show off that night. I’ve been so pleased.

Finally found a place to get a great haircut in Raleigh. Brittany was my stylist, and she was friendly and had great ideas and suggestions on working with my not-​so-​easy-​to-​work-​with hair. I especially appreciated the product recommendations and free samples. I passed on the beer this time but definitely plan to enjoy one my next visit. Love this place and will most certainly be back.

This place rocks. They have really nice décor with a urban feel and the stylists are very professional. My first time here was after I had a terrible blow dry at the junction. I come here every time I am in town. They are that great. If you look for a good hair salon, give them a shot.
P.s: The price at this this place is quite decent but if you are a new client, they do require a credit card on file which make me fell a little uncomfortable.

Used both the coupons/​vouchers on Unilocal and the price was reasonable for haircut. I have curly hair and went to Samantha who did a good job. She was attentive and asked me enough questions to understand my daily routine.

Had a cut and blow out from Mandy, she was awesome! She took the time to understand my hair and what I wanted, some layers and swoopy bangs. Her blowout was excellent! I nearly fell asleep she was so gentle (no scratching my ears/​neck with the brush, and didn’t pull or snag my hair at all:). I might be addicted to blow outs now.

Brittany is an amazing hairstylist and colorist. She’s the only hairdresser I’ve ever trusted to dye my hair an unnatural color and I couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out.
In February, she gave me a cute, manageable cut to get me through the awkward stage of growing out my pixie into a bob. Thanks to her I hardly had to undergo that frustrating in-​between stage at all! :)

Shawna: a wonderful stylist. Especially for natural highlights. She genuinely cares for you as a person if you become her client. She is extremely easy to talk to, and is amazing at anything involving hair. You can trust her. I had moved from
NYC area and was worried about finding a lovely stylist anywhere other than the city. But luckily I found her and I had been going to Shawna for almost 2 years and had to unfortunately move… again. I can now post a review about her so I don’t have to worry about anyone stealing my time with her away from me :).

I’m here visiting by myself from AZ so when I decided to pamper myself and get my hair done (which I haven’t in years because I’m so picky) for my birthday I had to do some research of where to go. Who had the most reviews/​pictures/​etc. I found Alter EGO on here and thought it was my best bet. I couldn’t have found a better place.
I was staying in Durham, so GPS said it was about 30 – 40 minutes away with traffic. It wasn’t a bad drive and North Carolina is beautiful, so there’s that.
I made my appointment with Aspen and I am SO glad I had her. She was so attentive and so nice. I chose to do Balayage (which I’ve never done) and was kinda unsure of how bright or drastic I wanted it. Right when I sat down she said «so tell me about your hair.» I thought it was neat, I’ve never had a stylist ask me. I told her my concerns and how I had a bump on my head and she made sure she was extra careful. She would explain to me what she was doing and why she was doing it. She explained why she went with the color she did. And it looks AMAZING! It was overall a very pleasant experience and I’m glad I went with Alter EGO.
They serve drinks while you’re getting your hair done which I thought was awesome!

I have lived in the triangle for three years and have been looking for THE stylist I can call my own. I have had some horrifying experiences since and have spent hundreds of dollars fixing what has been done to my hair. I found Alter Ego through Unilocal and heard that Shawna was the stylist to go to for blonde hair! Well all the reviews about her are spot on. She was absolutely amazing from the moment I walked in the door to the time I left!
I expressed my concern about having my hair done and told her about my other experiences! She listened and then reassured me that she would take care of my hair! Shawna took her time and made sure my color turned out exactly the way I wanted. She then partially cut my hair wet and then dried it too finish the cut to make it perfect.
Most women know that when we get our hair done we are usually sitting in the chair for a very long time and that consists of very long awkward conversations. That definitely was not the case with Shawna. We laughed and talked the whole time! She is very easy to talk to and makes you feel very comfortable. Bekah also helped for a short time. She is fabulous as well!
So with all that said I want to discuss the salon itself. The staff are very friendly and welcoming. The atmosphere is relaxed and very chill. I was offered wine (which I took full advantage of)! The salon also validated my parking The only complaint I have is that chairs are very uncomfortable.
I can officially say I have found my Stylist; Shawna is amazing!!! The salon itself and staff are awesome as well! Good job Alter Ego!!!

I referred my mother here for a Keratin treatment prior to her wedding after having been to the salon myself and having been impressed with the stylists.
The first keratin treatment with Meghann didn’t take and after three hours in the chair, 3 days of processing time, my mom was left with soft, frizzy hair that basically looked the same as before the treatment. My mom requested her money back but instead the salon offered to provide a corrective treatment. After a change in formula, reprocessing, 3 more hours in the chair, 3 more days of processing, the result took and my mom had a decent, frizz resistant do.
Flash forward, right before my mom’s wedding, Meghann did another keratin, which again did not take. Clearly the formula was not recorded and there was no attention to the client outcome.
Bottom line, this salon doesn’t have expertise in keratin straightening and when I spoke with the front desk they were unable to provide a 101 overview of brands and formula’s utilized at the salon. Cool salon but I would recommend going elsewhere for keratin treatments.