Joey Stevenson, Oakland CA

Joey did a wonderful job of mullet-ing me. Comfortable studio and the products she uses are top shelf.

Joey is super talented with curly hair! My hair is a wild mess and I'd always just let it be a mess. Then I was directed to Joey. Now I have fabulous hair that I get complements about.

Joey is incredible — a true hair ariste! She has excellent communication about each cut and how it will fall/turn out; gives good instructions that are easy to follow and reproduce for sustainably great hair; has worked with me to figure out a regular cut and maintenance routine that vastly extends the length of time I can go between cuts; has a cozy and comfortable space, with thoughtful details and amenities to make you feel at home; and best of all, she is fun and easy to spend my appointments with. I love my hair every time she cuts it. So glad I found someone I could trust so wholeheartedly to take my hair from chest length to a first-time pixie cut!

Joey was super kind. She made me feel SO better about how femme my hair could look, taught me some low maintenance tricks to maintain it, and the shop a very welcoming environment when I was super nervous. If you're a new trans person (esp.a new trans girl) and need a haircut in the bay, this is an excellent choice.

Didn’t know how to ask for what I wanted, and now I’m walking around in exactly what I was after. You’re in safe super, what’s beyond competent, confident? Super talented hands in Joey Cupcake’s chair.

I’ve cared for my healthy naturally curly hair for years/decades.

In one appointment, I’ve not only been physically/medically damaged but also emotionally.

Because of Joey improperly handling bleach and color chemicals,

I have significant chemical scalp burn that after 2 weeks and two medical appointments, an urgent care and following up with my GP, hasn’t healed.

I also received a poorly executed curly-hair haircut.

My hair is damaged beyond repair
>> (dark hair bleached until it was platinum) and my old stylist said it will take at least 2 years to completely grow out.
>>Other parts of my hair are orange, two toned, and gray.
>>The curl patterns of the cut, my old stylist said were totally fragmented.

I very rarely write complaint reviews, but in this case, I would be remiss in my responsibility to my community.

I am writing this because I am a part of the LGBTQ and specifically trans and gender non-conforming community whom I work with.

Many of you may know me already.

I also had to write this for the immunocompromised community.

For someone with skin issues or transitioning, the results of this appointment would be absolutely devastating.

People transitioning are in a heightened vulnerable state, physically and emotionally.

I have been harmed by
>>a significant chemical scalp burn and complete damaging my hair,
>>and what is more, the emotional damage of having had this happen with someone whom I trusted with my public image that includes my once-naturally curly hair,
>>damage to a very sensitive part of my body–my scalp,
>>and activating the chemical sensitivities I made her aware of beforehand.

My GP says my scalp hurts so badly because there are so many nerve endings there. The pain has been excruciating and inconvenient.

I can’t be in the direct sunlight and when I wore a cap, the pressure hurt my scalp.

I am writing this with the hope of this information being helpful to others.

A friend of mine said he was so sorry this happened because before I went, I probably felt the best and most confident about my gender identity and expression.

Having this violation to my body and image has been a huge setback for me.

I wrote long emails to Joey and she blamed the thickness of my hair and was not accountable. She refunded me in total for the damage, but did not apologize or try to make up for the situation.

Last thing, I believe she used store-bought L’Oréal ash hair dye on my hair instead of professional dye. I saw the box on the counter.

I’ve been going to Joey for almost a year now, and I am SO glad I found her! She’s the first stylist I have ever trusted 100% with my hair: not only is her work on curly hair fantastic, she is also very attentive to clients’ needs regarding gender-affirming/ gender-non-conforming hair styles. Plus she is a simply wonderful person who I look forward to seeing every appointment. I truly cannot recommend Joey highly enough:)

Joeys a great hair stylist. I received a Ouidad Curly cut. I have recurved a curly cut from other “curly hair” expert along but never felt the level of professionalism and care. I received soo many positive comments from strangers on how good my hair looked I had gone Christmas shopping afterwards. Loved the conversation and attention to detail Joey puts in creating a customized experience. I definitely will be coming back

Joey is amazing. She's super attentive and genuinely cares about making her services as inclusive and accessible as possible. The experience begins with a couple of questionnaires to ensure she understands your needs, your wants, your gender identity, and a few customizations like what essential oils you'd prefer and how conversational you'd like the experience to be. I loved the entire experience. And she's an incredible stylist, too! She knew just what to do to coax out the natural texture in my wavy hair, which is exactly what I was looking for. She runs her business out of a charming garage space which was surprisingly homey. Highly, highly recommend. Well worth the price and the drive from SF's Sunset District.

This was hands down my best haircut and overall salon experience, ever. Joey is such a lovely person to talk to, was deftly able to handle my many hairstyle requests, even when I was having a difficult time envisioning the final haircut myself, and when I in the end just left my hair in her hands, the result was eons beyond what I had hoped for. I’ve just never felt this happy, satisfied, and dare I say, badass, in a haircut before

I just had my second visit for a curly haircut. Joey is the first hairdresser that I've been to who specializes in curly hair, and I can't believe it took me so long to do this! She really knows her stuff, and I've never had cuts that are this easy and look this good, whether I'm making an effort or not. I can't recommend going to see Joey enough. She's great at asking what you're going for, really hears and understands what you want (or helping you figure this out if you're not sure), and is so thoughtful and wonderful to spend any amount of time with otherwise. Go see Joey!

Joey was really welcoming and asked lots of questions to truly understand what I was looking for and not looking for. She is clearly an expert at both queer and curly haircuts, and she was able to give me exactly what I was looking for. Super happy with the result and will definitely be going back!

I LOVE the haircuts I get from Joey-even though I had not been able to get in lately-my hair still looked amazing-no clips or hairbands needed! Joey listens then works her magic. I have never appreciated my curls more than I do now!

I’ve been coming to Joey for my 2x yearly haircuts for a few years now and I absolutely love everything about it: great haircut, great mini salon, great conversation. 10/10 would recommend

A really affirming and enjoyable experience. I will be actively recommending Joey to anyone I know who’s looking for a cut or color. 10/10 super rad!

Joey was very welcoming and accommodating. I'm androgynous, never had a hair cut that really reflected my personality/style but Joey didn't style me up feminine or masculine. Very good vibes. Highly recommend