Frequently Asked Questions About:

Hair Cuts

  • All of our services at Transfiguration Hair Studio are gender-neutral. We do not believe that the length of someone’s hair needs to be tied to their gender identity.

    Aren’t we all tired of gender roles yet?

  • Of course every member of your family or young person you know is welcome to come to Transfiguration. We pride ourselves on our top-notch services regardless of who is in our chair. Our prices reflect the quality of service a person receives rather than the age of the recipient.

  • We’re a ‘come as you are’ type of studio. Your haircut will include a cleanse, so no need to do any sprucing beforehand. We’ll never be offended by your summer bike sweat or winter hat hair. What we do care about most is an accurate representation of your hair so we can assess natural fabric of hair, growth patterns and curl or wave behaviors.

  • Whatever you're comfortable in! Avoid wearing a turtleneck or your absolute favorite, priceless, irreplaceable, Prince t-shirt. If possible, try to limit bulk around the neckline -- we may ask you to remove your hoodie/scarf. We always strive to be neat and tidy, but it's good to be aware of potential mishaps.

    Please be aware you might need to wait in our outdoor waiting area upon arrival, so please dress for the weather. Layers are always a great idea.

  • We’re glad to hear you’ve got a vision for your haircut! There are a lot of factors in play when crafting a personally tailored look (hair texture, density, growth patterns, etc) that can’t be considered until you are in person with one of our Haircrafters— this is why every one of our haircuts starts off with a thorough consultation. So you should save all of those awesome inspo pics to share during your appointment.

  • At Transfiguration Hair Studio your gratification and comfort are our goals. We will always ensure your happiness with any of our services. If for any reason you are less than thrilled with our performance, please contact us within 2 weeks of your appointment for a complimentary adjustment.

Hair Colors

  • We’re always happy to assist in booking appointments! Using a text-based Color Consult, we will directly connect you with one of our Haircrafters, who will be able to answer all of your questions, give you an estimate for the time + price range to expect, and explain any continued maintenance routes.

    To get started, text our shop phone (215-980-9989) with the following information:

    — 3 photos of your hair currently (no filters, in natural light if possible, front back and side angles)

    — 2+ inspiration photos (your imagination is the limit here!)

    — your “hair history” of any color you have done in the past 2 years (professional, DIY, temporary color products, etc.)

    — any thoughts about your budget

    — your scheduling preferences (specific Haircrafter, wanting service by specific date, availability during the week, etc.)

    Once we have this info we will be able to match you to the Haircrafter best suited to your needs and you will be started on your journey to a new Hair Color!

  • Hair Color services can take anywhere between 2 and 8 hours, and sometimes our Haircrafter’s schedules don’t have those large chunks of time open during the available online booking period of 60 days. For this reason, you’re welcome to text our shop phone (215-980-9989) when booking color appointments to access up to 80 days of the calendar. This extra 20-day window allows clients more flexibility when booking for those multi-hour appointments. With color especially, we always recommend booking 60-80 days in advance if you are committed to a specific timeline or trying to coordinate around an important event. Please note that Saturday’s book up the fastest and some of our Haircrafters are often booked out 12 Saturdays at a time.

  • If your hair has never been lightened, colored, or had color depositing conditioner on it then- no!

    If your hair has recently/previously been color processed, there is a chance that you will need to come in for a Color Strand Test before we are able to book your full color service. This is on a case-by-case basis and something that we will discuss with you during your initial text-based Color Consult.

    In general, we most often need a Color Strand Test when someone is looking to make a drastic change, has frequently used at-home dye brands such as Splat or Overtone, and for any Color Correction services. It is important to be mindful that hair on average grows 6 inches a year so any color used even ‘years’ ago can be lurking on those longer lengths. If you are maintaining your current look, you probably will not need to come in for a Color Strand Test before your appointment.

  • Our recommendation is washing your hair 2-3 days before your color service. Washing the day of or night before will strip the natural oils from your scalp and cause micro abrasions, leaving it less protected against the color products which might lead to an uncomfortable experience.

Skin Care & Waxing

  • We aim to make sure that all bodies are comfortable and cared for in our space! Our spa table holds up to 750 lbs, and we carry spa wraps that fit up to a true size 6x.

  • Your first time getting waxed will hurt more than any other time. When you wax regularly you are removing less hair each time which is why it’s important to maintain a habitual waxing schedule.

  • When waxing, hair is pulled out at the root so when it regrows the stubble has a finer tip which makes the hair feel finer. Only hormonal balances (natural or artificial) can affect strength or growth of your hair.

  • For waxing services, the hair needs to be at least an 1/8th of an inch long. Depending on your body-hair that is about a week’s worth of growth or when the hair has reached the length of a grain of rice. Length is needed for the wax to have something to adhere to and waxing too soon would be ineffective.

  • Facials are totally ok!

    For facial waxing you will need to discontinue the use of your Retinol product for at least 3-4 weeks before your service.

  • Facial Waxing

    Discontinue the use exfoliating acids like glycolic or salicylic for at least a week. If you are using Retinol you should discontinue use for at least 3 weeks. Ideally, arrive free of makeup. Brows should come in with preferred style on display.

    Body & Intimate Area Waxing

    Discontinue use of exfoliating acids on body for at least a week. Spa wraps are provided but we encourage you to wear easy access clothing. Please arrive with the area you are planning to have waxed as freshly cleaned as possible.

    For menstruating individuals: please be aware that pain tolerances may vary depending upon where you are in your cycle. You are more than welcome to get your intimate area waxed while menstruating, however, you will need to use internal menses management. No shame here, this is just a purely logistical element to the service being provided.

  • We hope you arrive relaxed and ready to CHILL! Make-up free skin is preferable. Please discontinue exfoliating acids for a few days before your facial service. We provide spa robes or coverings for how much of your clothing you would like to remain wearing. The decolletage will need to be free and clear, however, we can accommodate whichever personal comforts fit you best.

  • Facial waxing is available with guardian consent for ages 13-16. Body waxing is available for anyone aged 16 and above with guardian consent. Intimate area waxing is reserved for individuals aged 18 and up.

    We understand that not everyone can get guardian consent for these services, so please be aware that anyone is welcome to book a Consult with the Beauty Therapist if they are interested in discussing alternative options for hair removal in a gender affirming setting- however there will be no actual hair removal occuring during the appointment.

Our Shop & Policies

  • (Updated Covid & Cancellation Policy Effective January 2023)

    General Cancellation & Late Arrival Policy

    We ask that you cancel or reschedule your service within 48 hours of your appointment. In the event that you do not make it to your appointment, arrive more than 10 minutes late, or cancel/reschedule past our 48-hour time frame, we reserve the right to charge a cancellation fee. Our cancellation fee is 50% of the cost of the canceled/rescheduled services.

    Covid Related Cancellations

    For cancellations related to general illness, Covid exposure, care, or sickness our cancellation fee is waived in hopes to encourage good community care. We would not want financial incentives to deter covid mitigation. Our community's health is an absolute priority!

    Late Arrivals

    Our promise is to do the best we can to accommodate you if you are arriving late, however, most often we have following appointments booked and a late start would cause a rippling domino effect of tardiness. Due to this, we can allow a 10-minute grace period for haircutting services and a 20-minute grace period for hair coloring services. If you arrive within these time frames, we can proceed with your appointment. Arriving past these times will result in your appointment being rescheduled and you will be charged a cancellation fee. (As seen above Cancellation fee is 50% cost of services booked)

    No Show / No Call / No Text

    For appointments that are stood up without any advance communication, we will once again process our cancellation fee of 50% cost of services booked.

    We thank you for your understanding as we are doing our best to not only ensure safety for all that walk through our doors but for our staff as well.

  • (Updated Covid & Cancellation Policy Effective October 2023)

    We care deeply about the members of our community and continue to be committed to our COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

    Mask up using ear loop maks:

    Ear loop masks are mandatory for entrance to Transfiguration Hair Studio and for the duration of your service. Please ensure that your mask is clean and properly fitting, we will do the same for you with the masks we are wearing. If you do not specifically have an ear loop mask, we have disposable ear loop masks available.

    Outdoor waiting area:

    When you arrive for your appointment please make use of our outdoor waiting area since our indoor one is currently restricted.

    A note on our Cancellation Policy:

    Our cancellation policy had been instituted to create job safety for our haircrafters however for the duration of COVID-19 we will be waiving our cancellation policy to ensure that anyone experiencing symptoms stays home. By waiving our cancellation policy we are upholding a different sort of safety for our haircrafters and additionally you. If you are feeling any symptoms or are uneasy that you may have contracted COVID-19, please text to reschedule without the worry of any cancellation policy restrictions.

  • At Transfiguration, we don’t want cookie-cutter employees working behind our chairs. Being service labor workers doesn’t mean we don’t have an individuality that we want to express through our chosen craft. Instead of offering blanket service packages that can be booked with anyone, we have allowed each one of our Haircrafters and our Beauty Therapist to tailor their menus to only include the services that bring them joy to perform!

    Please don’t fret if the Haircrafter you wanted to see or had seen in the past is not offering the service that you are looking for - that’s why we’ve filled our shop with so many incredibly talented people, so you can feel confident booking your service with one of them instead!

  • The first floor at Transfiguration, where all Hair services are carried out, is completely ADA compliant — including the gender-neutral bathroom. Skincare and Waxing services are carried out in a private room down two small flights of stairs with a landing in between, a total of 17 steps.

    If you are unable to sit in our stationary wash sinks, we have a portable sink basin available.

    Transfiguration is not scent-free but we strive to keep it synthetic scent-free.

    The seat of the chairs at our haircrafting stations are 20” W x 19” D with a height of 21.75”, a weight capacity of 350 lbs, and open arm rests on the side.

    The seat of the chairs attached to our hair washing stations are 20” W x 19” D with a height of 18.5” and open arm rests on the side. The weight capacity is not listed.

    Disposable ear plugs are available free of charge at our front desk. Stim / fidget toys are also available upon request.

    Please reach out to us with any questions or requests for additional accommodations — we will make every effort to implement requests for accommodations.

  • While we do not have a private room available for hair services, we do have a tall, opaque, folding room divider which we are happy to use to section a portion of our studio space for your privacy.

    All of our skincare and waxing services take place in a private room.

  • Gratuity is accepted as a sign of good work and care. If you enjoyed your service at Transfiguration, feel free to leave a gratuity. Tips are accepted via cash or card. (Cash is our preferred method.) The general service industry tipping percentage applies -- 15%-20% -- if you're unsure of what's customary.

  • Parking on Baltimore Avenue is free! If you choose to park on any surrounding sidestreets, we recommend you check signage indicating time constraints. There are no parking meters nearby so don't worry about feeding the meter monster.

    Transfiguration Hair Studio can be reached by the 34-trolley and 64-bus. The trolley stops on Baltimore Avenue at the corner of 48th Street. The bus stops on 49th Street at the corner of Baltimore.

    There are bike racks in front of our neighbor, Mariposa Food Co-Op, and plenty of other places to lock up a bike on our block.