All About Cork’s ‘Best of Hair’ celebrates Cork’s spectacular hairdressers, their care and commitment to their craft, and the big impact they have on their customer’s life. From stepping out of a salon totally transformed to having a chat while sitting in the chair, hairdressers play such an important role in all our lives. Here, we spotlight some of Cork’s best and brightest hairdressers and stylists.
Alpha Hair Studio
Alpha Hair Studio is Cork City’s top-rated destination for expert hair styling, proudly holding a 4.9-star rating from over 180 Google reviews. They believe world-class hair shouldn’t mean a stiff atmosphere. Instead, the team brings decades of high-end experience to an unhurried, laughter-filled space where every client feels at home.
They specialize in blonde and colour mastery, precision and curly cuts, alongside their exclusive premium hair extension brand, Alpha Lengths. From a free, honest consultation to the final reveal, customers are in expert hands. They also give back, having planted well over 11,000 trees with Trees for the Future, one every time a client pays for a service. Come for the expert hair styling, stay for the wonderful vibe!
Alpha recently celebrated their 10-year anniversary. “Our stylists surprised our owner, Angela, by dressing up as her, complete with matching short blonde wigs! We had a big celebration with cakes and balloons, and we feel this photo perfectly captures the fun, warm, and energetic personality of the salon,” they say.
Website: alphahairstudio.ie
Instagram: @alphahairstudio_cork
Amy Michelle Hairdressing
Amy Michelle Hairdressing do all aspects of hairdressing but they specialise in colour and extensions. Founder Amy Shanahan started hairdressing at fifteen as a Saturday girl when she was in school, and she fell in love with the profession.
After she finished school, she continued her training with the Jeff Devine Hair group. After this, she moved to London where she honed her skills by trying different avenues of work, such as hair extensions, fashion work and salon work.
However, home was calling. Amy moved home when she turned 29, with exciting plans to open her own hair salon, which happened the following year. Building a brand has taken a while, with lots of ups and downs along the way (Covid being one of them), but Amy says she has the most amazing group of women that she works with and they always have her back.
“We execute excellent hair but we do it in an incredibly fun environment… [it’s like] friends hanging out doing great things with hair,” Amy says.
“We’ve all been working together for years and you can feel that when you walk in the door. We are very approachable and with our clients and incredibly honest, so people know what to expect from us before we touch a hair on their head. We stock all professional products in all different price groups, such as Alfaparf’s Semi di Lino and Lights Co, Joico, Nak.
“We try to stay as affordable as possible and will always work with a client’s budget in mind. I also love investing in my own and my staff’s education. We have had in-salon seminars this year in upstyling and hairloss, courses in colour and cutting in Accademia in Dublin, and recently I brought some of the girls to an educational summit in Mallorca.
“We try to be as accessible as possible, we have a website, an online booking system and online shop and have recently added an after hours salon AI assistant to help book, cancel and reschedule appointments.”
Website: amhairdressing.ie
Instagram: @amymichellehairdressing
Millennium Hair Clinic
Millennium Hair Loss Clinic was built from a very personal passion and a desire to provide the service and understanding that Joseph Guthrie himself struggled to find when he experienced significant hair loss as a child.
Joe began his career in barbering and hairdressing at just 16 years of age. Having personally experienced alopecia areata and losing more than 98% of his hair as a child, he understood from an early age the emotional impact that hair loss can have on a person’s confidence, identity and quality of life. At the time, particularly in Ireland in the early 1990s, there were very few specialist services available and trichology was not widely known.
That experience became the foundation for Joe’s career. He went on to study trichology to diploma, higher diploma and postgraduate level, developing his knowledge and expertise so that he could provide a more specialised approach to people experiencing hair and scalp concerns.
Building Millennium Hair Loss Clinic was about creating the kind of environment Joe wished had been available to him, somewhere people could feel listened to, understood and completely comfortable discussing something that can be deeply personal.
From its beginnings, the clinic has grown into a specialist hair-loss centre offering a broad range of services, including oncology wigs, human-hair wigs, toppers and hair systems, laser light therapy and hair-transplant support with Irish-registered surgeons. The clinic has also developed private salon suites and appointment-only consultations, giving clients the confidentiality and personal attention they deserve.
For Joe, building the brand has never simply been about hair. It has been about creating a safe and supportive space where clients can access professional expertise while also being treated with compassion and dignity. His own experience of hair loss continues to influence the way the clinic works today.
What began with Joe’s early career in hairdressing and his personal experience of alopecia has developed into a specialist clinic with a much wider vision: to help people navigate hair loss with greater confidence, understanding and support.
Joe always knew that he wanted to create a safe place where anyone experiencing hair loss could feel comfortable, understood and cared for. Having experienced significant hair loss himself, he understood that hair loss is about far more than hair — it can affect confidence, identity and how a person feels about themselves.
Alongside his expertise in hairdressing, barbering and trichology, it was Joe’s empathy and personal understanding that became the foundation of Millennium Hair Loss Clinic. His vision was to create a specialist environment where people could discuss their hair loss without embarrassment or judgement, while receiving professional advice and personalised care.
A key part of that vision was the creation of private salon suites. The clinic’s individual suites provide clients with privacy, comfort and discretion, creating a calm and secure environment where they can feel safe while their hair-loss concerns are being addressed. For many clients, this privacy can be a game changer, particularly when they are experiencing a difficult or emotional period in their lives.
Joe’s extensive background in award-winning hairdressing and barbering also allows the clinic to combine specialist trichology knowledge with a high level of practical hair expertise. This means Millennium Hair Loss Clinic can support both men and women experiencing a wide range of hair-loss concerns, including those going through oncology treatment, living with hair-loss conditions or preparing for or recovering from surgical procedures.
The clinic has grown from Joe’s simple but powerful belief: everyone experiencing hair loss deserves to feel safe, respected and understood. That philosophy remains at the heart of Millennium Hair Loss Clinic today.
Website: millenniumhairlossclinic.ie
Instagram: @millenniumhairlossclinic_
Hair By Andy
Hair by Andy operates out of the Hair Co-Op on Tuckey Street, in Cork’s city centre. It is a unisex hairs along and has a perfect 5/5 public rating on Google, from 42 reviews.
Founded by Andrijana, she specialises in hair straightening treatments.
“Eight years ago, I moved from Croatia to Ireland,” she says. “I worked in small salons, as well as in big busy salon chains, to gather and feel all aspects of hairdressing. I have 34 years of experience under my belt and five certifications for hair reparation and straightening.
“Hair straightening is my passion and that’s why I put in a lot of effort, researching hours and hours of work, to find the finest products that deliver the perfect results. I became one of the first hairstylists certified and offering Nanoplasty in Cork.”
Website: hairbyandy.com
IG: @andrijanaursic
Origin Hair Design
Origin is an award-winning luxury salon located in the heart of Cork city, with highly trained L’Oreal Colour Specialist staff that are passionate. Coming into an Origin salon, you can expect an upbeat and friendly environment with luxury amenities. Expect to sit down, relax, and enjoy one of our Nespresso coffees along with a hand massage from our in-house masseuse while one of our stylists looks after your hair needs. Origin prides itself on their five-star service and five-star products.
Origin is led by the multi-award-winning duo that is Fergal O’Connor and Vicky Galvin, whose partnership spans beyond two decades.
Vicky has numerous awards to her name, including winning the Alfaparf Best of the Best, and she was also a runner up in the coveted L’Oreal Colour Trophy. Vicky has also worked backstage at London Fashion Week. She has also amassed a wealth of knowledge in working with various hair textures.
Her focus is always to maintain the health and integrity of your hair. Vicky is continuously upskilling and expanding both her skill set and knowledge and is brilliant at the vintage dressing of hair so be sure to book in advance for that special occasion.
Vicky also specialises in personalising hairpieces. She offers a professional, confidential, and entirely bespoke service for guests who find themselves dealing with temporary/permanent hair loss, alopecia, or chemotherapy. Origin Wig Room offers a private space, exclusively for fitting and styling hairpieces. Within the Wig Room, you will find a wide range of luxury hairpieces (human and synthetic) and accessories where you will be offered professional advice.
Master Colourist Fergal is regularly involved in shoots, session work, and promotional campaigns for well-known brands like Kevin Murphy and L’Oreal. His aim is to consistently meet and exceed the client expectations and he is hugely focused on customer service, education, and attention to detail.
In recent years Fergal returned to the classroom and became a L’Oreal Colour Specialist and is on hand to advise and consult on all things colour with a particular passion for Blonde and Balayage services.
Website: originhairdesign.ie
Ikon Hair
Home to fabulous hair, memorable service and long lasting friendships. Ikon Hair provides a great service in a warm and welcoming environment, where the team and clients can work together, learn from each other and inspire each other to be their best. Creating a strong supportive Ikon family by taking responsibility for each other’s growth, well-being and success.
Salon owner Valerie Finnegan Cahill shared her story on the salon’s website: “In 1981 my dad, Michael Finnegan got me my first part-time job in a local salon at the age of 13. In 1984, I left school and looked for a full-time position in the industry. I marched up the stairs of Victor Frank’s salon in 42 Marlboro Street and I asked Victor for a job, he said no. 13 years later I was the manager and trainer of Victor Frank’s.
“After years of hard work and happy times I decided it was time to venture out on my own. I was keen to share my knowledge and experience and I began developing a close-knit positive team. My aim was to open a salon where passion and education were key so I had to create an environment that nurtured and developed this while celebrating friendship and growth. So that’s exactly what I did, I opened Ikon on Princes Street in 1997. After another relocation and one global pandemic, later Ikon hair has travelled full circle and we are now back where it all began … in 42 Marlboro Street.”
Website: ikonhair.ie
IG: @ikonhaircork
And Hair & Co
AND Hair & Co will exceed your expectations and make all of your hair dreams become a reality. Attention to detail is everything to the team, which you will notice as you enter the beautiful, fun, and friendly salon.
AND Hair & Co’s aim is to make each person who walks through the doors look and feel amazing with cutting edge trends and the very best customer service to match. They offer a wide range of services including expert cutting, bespoke colours, custom blends, up styling and bridal services, treatments and an extensive range of extensions.
Salon owners Aoife and Donna have been best friends since their early teens. They have both been in the hairdressing industry for 13+ years and they have worked internationally in Sydney. The friends moved to Australia in 2015 and stayed for four years, returning to open the salon they always dreamed of. The salon is fun, friendly and bubbly, just like them.
“My passion for hair started at a very young age, stemming from my love for fashion,” Aoife says on the salon’s website. “Starting my apprenticeship at 16 and learning how creative our craft allows you to be, it made me fall more in love with the hair industry with every step I learned, from styling to colouring, blondes, cutting, up-styling and extensions. I was absolutely obsessed with each as I was learning.
“Attention to detail is everything to me and that’s what it’s all about! Moving to live and work internationally in Sydney at 23 is where my passion for healthy hair came from. For me it’s all about beautiful and glossy healthy hair plus making my clients laugh whilst doing so!”
“Starting my career 13 years ago as a hairdresser and growing so much over the years has made me fall in love with it more and driven me to where I am today,” Donna says on the salon’s website. “At 24 I travelled to Sydney in Australia and worked in a five star salon in Bondi, with a high-end, fast-paced environment. I have worked and trained with top stylists in Australia bringing all my knowledge with me back to Ireland. My passion for creating the most glamorous and on trend hair is what I love.”
Website: andhairco.ie
Instagram: @and_hairnco
Sobe Brown
Hair expert Pamela Morrissey is one of Ireland’s leading authorities on all things hair. Located on Cork city’s Morrison’s Quay, her salon is sleek, spacious and elegant.
Pamela began her career at just 15 years of age, working in Victor Frank’s salon on Marlboro Street in Cork city. Aged 20, she moved to New York, where she worked for a five-star salon in Manhattan, before coming home to launch Sobe Brown.
Sobe Brown’s motto is “it’s a feeling”, and the team makes sure every client who walks in the door leaves feeling pampered, special and fabulous. While Pamela is an expert in cuts and colour, she is also a qualified trichologist, giving her a deeper understanding of how to make hair healthy.
Website: sobebrown.com
Instagram: @sobebrown
Leonard Hair & Beauty, Douglas
Some hair salons become part of the fabric of a community, and Leonard Hair & Beauty, right in the heart of Douglas Village Shopping Centre, is one of those.
First opened in 1991, Leonard’s has been looking after the hair of Douglas locals and those from further afield, for an incredible 35 years. Founded by Leonard Higgins, the salon built its reputation on fabulous hair, exceptional colouring and the kind of warm, friendly service that keeps customers coming back year after year.
More recently, Leonard’s became part of the Chocolate Hair & Beauty Group, owned by Cork hairdresser David Charles. But here’s what makes the change so lovely, if you’re a regular customer and didn’t know about the new ownership, you’d hardly notice a difference.
The same familiar faces, the same welcoming smiles and that wonderfully relaxed atmosphere are all still there. It’s the kind of salon where you’re greeted like an old friend, the chat flows easily and you can simply sit back and enjoy a little time to yourself.
Leonard’s has long been particularly well known for its beautiful colour work, whether that’s natural-looking highlights, gorgeous blondes or a complete colour refresh. With beautiful cuts and professional hair treatments, including Olaplex and Kevin Murphy, Leonard’s continues to deliver the quality hairdressing its loyal customers have loved for decades.
The Chocolate Group brings additional expertise and a commitment to ongoing stylist training, while Leonard’s retains the personal touch that has made it such a Douglas favourite for more than three decades.
Conveniently located in Douglas Village Shopping Centre, Leonard’s proves that the best hairdressers aren’t just about great hair, they’re about making you feel great too.
And after 35 years, they’re clearly doing something right.
Website: chocolatehair.ie/leonards-hair-and-beauty-salon
Instagram: @leonardhairandbeauty.douglas
Kopper Hair Salon
Exceptional hair styling, cutting, colouring and upstyling is Kopper’s promise to all its customers. Kopper continues to stand out by delivering excellent customer service backed by luxury hair care products Alfaparf and Joico.
Creating almost thirty jobs in the city, Kopper’s Half Moon Street premises not only oozes style and sophistication but a fun and formidable design vision from its owner Sabrina Hill.
With sixteen styling stations, five reclining massage basins and a large colour bar, Kopper City is the largest hair salon in Cork with over twenty-seven hair colourists, stylists and salon staff. Kopper City’s staff include colour technicians, stylists and managers with qualifications in master colour degrees who regularly train throughout Europe and Ireland.
Website: kopperhairsalon.ie
IG: @kopperhairsalon
Irish-owned hair care brand Juvaré
Recently, Premium Irish-owned hair care brand Juvaré brought its signature experience south of the country for the first time, hosting an exclusive, appointment-only afternoon at Kopper Hair Salon.
Juvaré’s signature four-step cleansing and conditioning ritual using the COM-PLEX range was showcased, finishing with a professional blow-dry for a glossy, salon-finish result.
“Juvaré has been years in the making,” said founder Jane Buckley. “The goal was to create quality products that repair and strengthen the hair from the inside, without the salon price tag. Seeing people look at and touch their hair and go, ‘oh wow,’ in the chair today has been really amazing.”
Developed in partnership with a Spanish manufacturer with over 60 years’ experience in professional haircare, Juvaré is underpinned by craftsmanship and technical expertise.
Picture by Brian McEvoy
At the heart of the brand’s five-piece COM-PLEX range sits an advanced Amino Acid Complex, developed to replenish the amino acids hair naturally contains and loses over time through colouring, heat styling, UV exposure and environmental stress. By working in harmony with the hair fibre, the formulas strengthen and repair from within, leaving hair softer, shinier and more resilient.
The formulas are further refined with high-performance ingredients including Pro-Vitamin B5, Vegetable Glycerine and Vitamin E, alongside a considered blend of Argan, Raspberry, Macadamia, Sweet Almond and Wheat Germ Oils.
Juvaré’s full collection is available to purchase via juvare.ie and at pharmacies nationwide.
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