Kibana Salon

I had a crick that turned into extreme pain in my back neck and shoulders. I called ahead made an appointment Saturday 7÷6÷13. They Upsaled/​suggested a Swedish massage for my situation. It didn’t matter how much it was I just needed relief. $ 45 for 30 min. Angelique was my therapist she went in and I felt so much better. I was comfortable the room was clean. The whole salon was beautiful. I definitely will be back that $ 45 was nothing compared to a lot of other places.
I still have a little pain in my back I honestly didn’t expect to be healed, I probably should’ve done the hour for $ 80 time wasn’t on my side, but I’m planning to go back today for a follow up.
Not expensive
Clean
Comfortable
Great staff
Happy Client

Botched treatment that cost $ 600 plus tip, no refund of any sort, mass hair breakage, horrible salon owner. STAY AWAY.
I suffered mass hair breakage after a straightening treatment with Tiffany, the owner of the salon. I have gotten Japanese straightening done twice a year for ten years now (at Scissorhands in Atlanta, and with Jian at the Japanese Straightening Salon in Fairfax). I have literally never had a problem in the past ten years of getting this treatment, and my hair was quite healthy.
This year, I moved to northwest D.C., and needed to find a salon that was more easily accessible by metro. I found Kibana on google and got my hair straightened with Tiffany. In the 3 to 30 days immediately after the treatment, about ONE HALF of all the hair on my head broke off; it didn’t fall out of the scalp, but actually BROKE OFF near the scalp. It was horrifying: I would run a brush through my hair and have a whole clump just break off. My hair broke and fell everywhere; my sofa, bed, sink, etc. I went to an Aveda salon afterwards, and they informed me that my hair was overprocessed, that the chemical was likely unevenly saturated throughout, and that the chemical had been applied too close to the scalp.
I called Tiffany twice (first, one week after the treatment, and then one month after, when my hair continued to break) to ask for a refund of the $ 600 I had paid for the treatment. She said that I needed to come in so she could see for herself what is going on. When I went in, she quickly ushered me to the back, away from any mirror or any other customers, took a quick look at my broken hair and immediately disclaimed any responsibility. She said that, if it were a result of the treatment, my hair would have fallen off instantly, but since it broke over the course of a month, it had to be because I was using the wrong shampoo and conditioner. She refused to give me ANY REFUND whatsoever («I work hard for my money»), and when I told her how inappropriate that was, she said «I don’t care, why don’t you go write a Unilocal review. I’m not worried about getting business. I make plenty of money from other customers.» And then she tried to sell me the «right» shampoo and conditioner from her salon; that was it, nothing else. She also told me that that the other people whose hair suffered damage afterwards had used the wrong shampoo or gone swimming in chlorine against her advice. I am a 35 year old attorney and I literally cried right then at the salon.
Now my head has little tufts and patches of broken hair sticking out everywhere, I have to wear hats and headbands wherever I go, even to my job as an attorney. To think that I paid $ 600 PLUS a 20% tip for this!
Tiffany is also the owner of some Vietnamese restaurants; she should just focus on those businesses, not ones where she pretends to be a hair expert or cares about her customers.
Edit: It has now been five months since I got this treatment, and my hair is still badly damaged. I have stumps of hair sticking up all over my head where it previously broke near the root, and it’s now at a length that it’s difficult to hide. I also have something that looks like a fringe of banks at the crown of my head (i.e., not wear bangs are supposed to be). I have heard NOTHING from the salon — no offer of even a partial refund. It is terrifying to think that a hair salon can have a negative impact on an entire six months or more of your life, with no consequences. In instances like these, I wonder why salons are not required to be licensed or regulated to perform $ 600 hair treatments of this sort.

I’ve never been to Kibana for anything but eyebrow waxing, so I can’t speak to their hair, spa, or nail services, BUT I’ve been going to Anglica for my eyebrows the last three years and love her! I like to keep my eyebrows thick and shaped and she does the perfect job every time. She’s quick, her room is clean, she’s easy to get an appointment with, and she makes me laugh. Highly recommend!

Admittedly this was my first facial, so I can’t compare it to anything. Maybe they all suck. But I suspect the problems were specific to Kibana. First — unprofessional. They quoted me the wrong price on the phone and surprised me with double the charge when I came in. They called me about 30 minutes before my appointment to ask me to come in 1.5 hours later. And the lack of professionalism continued once I got there. The woman who did my facial didn’t introduce herself. She didn’t do an assessment on my face. And her clothes were so casual she might have looked underdressed at Giant. She also was scratching herself a lot — under her clothes. She just lifted up the back of her shirt and went to town. She laid me down on a sheet of questionable origins and went to work. I do think she knew what she was doing and it might have been relaxing if I hadn’t been worrying I was be laying in a sea of pubic hair. When she turned the light on I saw that there were seeds (from a lemon) where my head was — curious bc I don’t remember lemon. When I was done my face looked no different. It tingled a little –the affect was essentially the same as using an astringent. A waste of money and not a great experience.

So I had a bad experience with Tiffany, but I HAD to come back to Donna. Nobody gets my hair as straight as she does (since I’ve gone natural). Donna lays this hair like sins at the altar!

Nail salon only:
clean and good service; no odor of acrylics.
however, the pedicure setup is a bit odd — you have to step up onto platform and if you’re unsteady on feet it would not be fun. Seating on banquette isn’t terribly comfortable and neither is the place to put your feet.
Fingernail tables fine but no way to do with someone as they tables aren’t next to each other.

Anna is the best! I have been going to her for many years and have followed her from DuPont Circle, to Georgetown to Silver Spring. I would follow her anywhere. I have recommended her to many friends and we are her fan club. I get many compliments from complete strangers who want to know who does my hair. I attended a concert and the woman behind me asked if she could take pictures of my hair so she could go to Anna and get the same cut and color!

Awesome salon and stylist. I recommend Saheida. she did my hair cut and styled just as I wanted it. Also the lady who does the hair wash gave the best head massage ever. Overall great experience :)

I popped into Kibana after growing out a really bad attempt to cut my hair into a bob. I was nervous about where to go to get it fixed, so I went into the salon to talk to someone and get a brief consultation before making an appointment. The stylist I spoke to, TIffany, immediately saw all the problems with my cut that I also did not like. I went back a week later and she cleaned up my hair cut. I have to grow i a little more before I can get it styled again into the bob that I do want, but at least it looks nice now and I don’t have to spend forever messing with it to make it look appropriate. A haircut is a little pricey ($ 65) but for the area that we live in, it’s to be expected. Plus, I learned my lesson — and I would rather dish out a little but more money for a cut that looks good.

Visited the salon for highlights, hair cut and a mani-​pedi. I’m going to let the Type-​A side of me take over and break this down.
Salon Pros: I got a same day appointment on a Friday. Parking is easy and cheap if you use the Wayne Ave garage (free from 7PM-​7AM and on weekends). Very spacious. Trendy ambience. I was offered beverages twice during my 3 hour appointment (the ginger tea was delicious!). Zero wait time after I arrived. Didn’t have to play the waiting game for shampoo spots, hair steamer spots, etc even though the salon was quite busy.
Salon Cons: Definitely expensive, same service available at better prices elsewhere, you’re mostly paying for the location and the interior decoration. On an average you’ll be spending anywhere between $ 275 – 500 for the services I have listed above.
Hair: My stylist was Tiffany. From her demeanor she seems to be the owner/​manager. She did not introduce herself to me nor did she walk me over to the reception area/​mani-​pedi area after the hair was done. That’s a big no-​no for customer service. She was a little pushy and quick to dismiss my opinion about what I wanted done with my hair (but I decided to respect her professional opinion so I let her use her experience. If you’re picky and get freaked out about your hair, you might not like it). She was engaged in loud gossip with colleagues and other customers, which I usually don’t get bothered by, but it got a little too loud for me at times. However she did a good job with the highlights. Nothing too impressive about the hair cut, just regular stuff. I did not like how she styled my hair after the blow dry. I wish she’d asked me how I wanted it styled before she put goop in it. The assistants who did the hair washing and other accessorial services with the hair were very sweet and attentive.
Mani-​Pedi: I moved on to the mani-​pedi after my hair was done. The mani-​pedi professional, again did not introduce herself to me, and only conversed in monosyllables. However she was patient, thorough, and great at what she did. More than a week out and my toes and fingers still look pretty. Kibana does not have those lovely massage chairs that most nail salons have.
Verdict: Not a bad experience. Maybe I’ll try a different stylist next time before I completely write this off. But cannot make this a regular because of the cost factor.

I had a very disappointing cut a few months ago. I asked the stylist specifically not to feather my hair with a razor, as I am older and this just looks ridiculous on me. He did it anyway, explaining that it was needed so that my hair wouldn’t look too full of volume. He gave me one of the worst cuts of my entire life. I didn’t realize how bad it was until I washed it out, and by then it was too late to really get it fixed, & I just didn’t want to deal with it. I had told him specifically that I don’t blow dry my hair, but he gave me a cut that really requires daily fixing and fussing and blow drying. I’ve had a few decent cuts there in the past, but I’m not going back after this experience.

now that i’ve gotten two manicures and a haircut from here, i feel like i’m ready to leave a review! the three stars is mostly for the nails. haircut would probably get a 2.
nails:
–the pros
i’ve gotten my nails done twice at kibana, once by kim and the other lyn (or lin?). both of my manicures came out great. i got gel manicures and my nails were shaped beautifully AND they lasted for 3 weeks.
–the cons
the first time i got a manicure by lyn, she accidentally cut my cuticle and it started to bleed. it was the first time something like that happened to me and i’ve been getting regular manicures at other salons bi-​weekly for the past couple of months. also, their polish collection is super small. i felt i didn’t have much to choose from. also, while their cuticle clipper and pusher came out of a sanitized package, everything else that was used (buffer block, nail file) had been used on other customers. i know this is a common practice but it just isn’t sanitary.
the last thing is the method they use for soaking off the gel. at other salons, my fingers are wrapped in foil and a cotton ball soaked with acetone. after 15 – 20 minutes or so the polish comes right off. i guess at kibana, they’re short for time so they had my nails soak for a few minutes and then tried to scrape it off. based on things i’ve read online that is not an optimal method for removing gel polish. they also charge an extra 10 dollars for removing the polish if you want the color changed so you’re already spending ~$ 50 for you manicure before tip.
i’m thinking of trying two other salons before deciding whether or not to head back to kibana. i know that in a pinch, kim will do a great job and i will request her whenever i’m in need.
hair:
i got my hair cut by donna a couple of days ago. i have naturally curly hair and recently i’ve opted to keep my hair rather short. donna did a decent job at following the picture for the cut i wanted although i think it was definitely too short in the back. the general shape was there but the length wasn’t correct. the curling product she put in my hair after she was done made my hair super crunchy and dry. it was a mess. i essentially paid $ 65 just for her to cut my hair. it should have been half that for what she did. i also think it’s ridiculous to charge $ 70 for a tint for hair that is super short! and they called that a «baseline» price. once i got home, dyed my own hair (for $ 7), rinsed it out, put in my own conditioner and gel, the hairstyle looked a lot better. don’t think i’ll be returning there for hair. looks like i’m on the hunt again for a natural hair stylist!

After quite an incredibly unpleasant experience with Angelica’s massage during my last visit, I returned to Kibana today for a comped massage with Sharron. I couldn’t say enough great things about her. She asked me how I was doing and what I was feeling, took great attention and care in working through all of my sore areas and problemed spots, and talked to me about the things I can be doing to help certain ailments. Sharron has restored my faith in Kibana, and I am grateful to the owner and manager for being receptive to my feedback from my last visit. Now THIS is a woman who knows what she’s doing… and doesn’t wreak of cigarettes while she’s doing it. Thank you for making my post-​flu Sunday stellar, Sharron!

I love this place! I’ve been to Kibana a few times and I always leave the salon feeling like a movie star. The location is excellent, right downtown Silver Spring! The prices are a bit high, but totally worth every penny. Unfortunately, I can’t come here as often as I wish I could, but do treat myself to a great hair treatment from time to time. I can’t complain a bit about the services. My hair always looks great. The staff members are above awesome. They treat you like royalty from the time you come in to the time you leave.
I highly recommend Kibana, my only reservation when recommending to friends is the price.

I never write reviews but this is literally the worst hair salon I’ve ever been to. I went it for a straight womens hair cut (all one length). Anna maybe made six cuts all the way around my head and then started to blow dry. $ 65 for 15 minutes? Absurd. Additionally the hair cut was horrid. See pictures. All one length? What a joke. Save your money and go elsewhere.
Wait, why can’t I give this zero stars?

Took my daughter here to have a trim, tint and nails done. Had an appointment but they missed the tint part. Anyway, it was a decent place, friendly but only got two out three things done. It would have been nice to know they don’t carry some of the colors that my daughter needed so do ask first, you can accommodate if you bring the product you want, Oh and the receptionist was friendly, makes a difference.

Kibana is heavenly. It is a very calm and attractive environment and all the people who work there are gorgeous and SO nice.
The first time I came, Tiffany saved my hair from a bleach-​induced damage nightmare (happened at an out-​of-​state salon). I was asking her about getting a Brazilian Blowout Split End Treatment, but Tiffany told me the treatment, although $$$$ for her, would be too hard on my fried hair and recommended some *excellent* products for me instead. By using the recommended Kerastase products religiously (along with the Aphogee 2-​step protein treatment from Sally’s) I was able to get my hair back into better condition than it was pre-​bleach. (It also started growing CRAZY fast!)
When it was time for another cut and color I went back to Tiffany. She was very honest with me about what was possible and ended up doing an absolutely beautiful job with what I asked for. I should add that Tiffany is an incredibly inspiring, generous and kind person – not to mention that she looks AT LEAST 20 years younger than her real age, and not because of crazy Botoxing or anything either. You’ll have to ask her her secrets.
Overall, the salon experience was a joy: the shampoo girl gives THE BEST massages; Kibana sells and uses excellent products from Skinceuticals to Kerastase to Bumble, Shu Uemura, Moroccanoil and Becca, so it really is like a mini-​Space NK in there; the salon space is beautiful, and location is great in the heart of Silver Spring; everyone is really nice and the environment is extremely low-​key and comfortable… what more could you ask for? It’s not super cheap, but if you want a treat and great results, come here. I plan to come back for other things beyond hair because they inspire a lot of trust in their service.

Good stylists, but absolutely terrible customer service. I made an appointment last week for a haircut and arrived on time. My stylist was obviously running late, but the receptionist made no mention of it – she just directed me to go sit in the back. I sat there for 40 minutes and was ignored. I finally got up and told the receptionist that I couldn’t wait any longer and left. The manager left me a voicemail later that day, but when I called back to speak with her, I was told that she was busy and would call me shortly. That was 3 days ago. This is not how you treat your clients. If I had been initially informed of the long delay and given the choice of rescheduling (or at least been offered an apology or glass of water while I waited for so long) I would have felt differently, but after this experience, I won’t be returning to Kibana.

WORST massage experience ever. When I arrived to the Spa I was greeted by an elderly woman. She seems nice but I was concern since I requested a deep tissue massage. When we entered the room, she asked me to keep my boxer on for her comfort.
Her massage skills were mediocre at best. I don’t believe she ever had any type of professional training. I would NOT recommend this place to anyone.

This review is for RAMON at Kibana Salon — he is a Hair EXPERT! I started going to him about two years ago for hair color, which was listed as his specialty in the salon’s website. Let me tell you, it is. Ramon is amazing at color. He takes his time to figure out exactly what you want, is friendly and fun to chat with, and he is SO passionate about hair. He truly loves his clients and what he does. I use the word clients, because people keep going back to him.
I decided to go back to my natural hair color awhile back, having decided it wasn’t so bad (nice, even) and Ramon helped with a smooth transition as my natural color replaced the salon created color. When a few grays started popping up (shhh, that stays between you and me), Ramon told me just to pluck them rather than charging me to color over them.
Now that I am au naturelle, I go to Ramon to cut and style my hair, which he does not claim as his expertise, but I am so happy with the cut that he gives me, even now living in Tysons Corner, I will make the trip into Silver Spring and deal with parking in downtown to go see him. I get so many complements on my hair when he cuts it, and frequently give out Ramon’s name to women looking for a good stylist.
Added perks are that the two ladies who wash your hair give incredible scalp massages — I commonly ask them to go a little longer because they do such a good job, and I tip them well as a thank you (have to remember to take care of them too!). They also have really good ginger tea, so I would take them up on it when they offer it.
Hopefully you can see why I give Ramon at Kibana Salon a 5-​star rating. If you are considering a new look and/​or stylist, go give Ramon a try. I’m confident you will come away very pleased. When you do, tip well, and know that I too accept thank yous in the form of cash, gifts, flowers, or Unilocal helpful votes. :)