Frequently Asked Questions

Appointments at Prism

  • We offer our matchmaking survey so that you can find the perfect Prism stylist for your hair, personal style, preferences, and your amazing and unique personality!

    Take a few moments to discover your perfect match!

    Choose your location to get started:

    Prism West (Tuckahoe)

    Prism South (Manchester)

  • PRISM is a collective of artists, who are all unique in their specialities.

    Check out our IG and figure out who you’d like to see then check out their bio and contact the salon to book (804-806-0604) or click the ‘Book Now’ button!

  • At PRISM, we require a card on file to reserve all appointments, and also to ensure our cancellation policy. Our policy is: we require 48 hours notice of cancellations or reschedules, or else there will be a 50% charge of services to the card on file.

    If there is a same day cancellation or no show, 90% of the services will be charged to the card on file. This is to make sure our stylists get paid for their time, as it is very difficult to fill cancellations on such short notice. We, of course, will make exceptions on a case by case basis. Our policy is to protect our stylists and their income.

  • SERVICE ADJUSTMENT POLICY: We want nothing more than for you to love your hair! If you are having challenges with your cut or color, let us know within 7 days of the service and we will be happy to make any adjustments needed. Refunds are not given for services provided to ensure our stylists are paid for their time, but we strive to give you the best hair and want you to be happy!

  • CLEAN, dry, and smooth hair is preferred and best for any color service.

    When the hair is dirty, the color or lightener is having to work through layers of sweat, product buildup and oil before it can even get to the hair strand to start working and do what it’s meant to do.

    When the hair is clean, the color or lightener can get straight to work and you get a much better result! Greys will be completely covered, hair will have a cleaner lift, all around win, win!

    Bonus points if you use a clarifying shampoo before your service!

  • The medications listed below typically affect your hair when being colored or lightened:

    • anti-depressants

    • anti-anxiety medication

    • some birth control

    • thyroid medication

    Please let your stylist know if you are taking any of these, it will help us to figure out what is the best route for your hair! Most of the time if you are taking any of these medications, vivid hair color will not last due to it being a stain and not oxidative color. Again, be open and honest with us! These are things we need to know.

  • We do not require masks for vaccinated guests or stylists, and we will not ask you for proof of vaccination. We require unvaccinated guests to still wear masks. We honor and value honesty in this situation to keep everyone (stylists and guests) safe and healthy. We kindly request that if you are sick, or have been around anyone that is sick, that you hold off on coming in and talk to your stylist.

  • We request that no visitors come with you to your appointment unless they have an appointment as well. There are typically 6-8 stylists working at once and space is limited, so it’s best that you and you only come. We also want to limit the number of bodies in our salon to keep everyone safe!

  • We do not offer children's services at PRISM under the age of 10. Our locations are considered a relaxing getaway for our guests and we want to honor that by keeping the spaces calm and peaceful.

  • PRISM West has a big parking lot with plenty of available parking.

    PRISM South has free parking behind the salon and in the Chipotle parking lot, as well as 2-hour street parking. We also have access to a private lot from Thalhimer Properties — just come grab a parking pass from at the beginning of your visit. Plenty of options, stress free!

AT-HOME HAIR CARE

  • Our philosophy is this: shampoo and conditioner based on your needs, leave-in treatment, deep conditioning mask, heat protectant, and any other styling products needed to assist you at home.

    Consult your stylist for the best regimen for you and your hair! We have a wide variety of products at the salon that you can take home, and we’d be happy to make recommendations based on your needs.

  • Yay! Your hair is FRESH. Now what? Here is what you can do to take care of your hair at home:

    1. Wait 48 hours to wash MINIMUM after your coloring session. Coloring your hair opens the cuticle layer of your hair strand and can take up to 2 weeks to fully close. So, those first 2 days are crucial. If you wait longer to wash, then that’s even better and ensures your color lasts.

    2. Use lukewarm to cool water to wash your hair ALWAYS. Hot water opens the cuticle, strips color, creates frizz, and dries your hair out. We don’t want that now, do we?! (Pro tip: shampoo your hair first, put conditioner or a mask in, then turn that water temp up for everything else, then back down to rinse your hair.)

    3. Turn those hot tools DOWN. Nothing above 300 degrees for processed hair. More thick, curly, dense textures that need smooth can do 325-350, but nothing above that! Hair melts at 420, and we cook a pizza at 450. So, turn it down.

    4. Washing every day isn’t ideal, but we believe you should wash as needed. Use dry shampoo as a proactive measure to extend the life of your washes. You should only be washing 2-3 times a week MAX. If you tend to have an oily scalp or sweat a lot, then you may wash more often.

    5. Shampoo twice if you’re stretching out your washes! The first shampoo gets the product buildup and oil moving and then the second shampoo is where the magic happens.

  • So, the water we bathe in has chemicals, metallics, and minerals in it from the treatment plants where it begins to the pipes it runs through to reach us at home.

    Those 3 things create buildup which can dull out color tremendously, cause brittle hair and scalp irritation, make hair look brassy or greenish, and general color fading. We don’t want any of those, no way! A shower head filter can remove impurities from our water which in turn keeps our color looking better, longer, and it’s better for our scalp and skin! We filter the water we drink…why wouldn’t we do the same for hair and bodies?

  • Dyson is SUPERIOR. Hot Tools, Babyliss, or GHD are also great too! Conair or Revlon are not recommended, they are cheaply made and the heat elements in these get way too hot and can cause serious damage to your hair.

    Below are a few favorites for hot tools however if you have any questions, ask one of our stylists!

  • Shorter hair can just use a sweatband, while longer hair that needs a ponytail or braid should use the invisibobble hair ties, never the old school black hair ties — they pull the hair and cause a lot of breakage; hence why when you use them hair comes off on them when you take them out.

  • Get a silk or satin pillowcase, this will change everything. The fibers in most pillowcases attach to hair strands so at night when we toss and turn our hair stays put causing matting, frizz, etc. Hair doesn’t attach the same way to silk or satin, so it just glides along your pillow at night. You can also do a silk wrap too!

    Also, never wear your hair up at night, or go to bed with wet hair. Either down, in a wrap, or low loose braid. Wonder why the nape of your neck has hair that’s shorter than everything else? Sleeping with it up will do this.

  • Avoid getting your hair wet at all costs if you really want to protect your color. Salt, chlorine, and everything else in the water will strip your color and dry your hair out. Throw some conditioner, hair SPF, or hair oil in your hair, pull it back, and wear a hat if you’re going to the beach or the pool! This will protect it from the water and the sun.