April 23, 2003

By Adam Martin

ONE THING WE'VE all had to get used to here in the splatter of the burst economic bubble is the fact that we can no longer afford $10 drinks, $50 meals, and $100 hairdos. Your clothes may have quietly started coming from Crossroads instead of Diesel, your organic produce may have morphed subtly from Whole Foods to Safeway Select, but it's really hard to fake a high-end salon haircut. Well, here, you vain, shaggy, broke masses, is a list of all of the salons in San Francisco that offer a free or severely discounted cut in exchange for your work as a hair model at the hands of their (mostly already expert) trainees. Now if you could just get a secondhand expense account ...

Blade Runners Hair Studio has an apprenticeship program that lets you interview with your apprentice stylist to discuss your cut/color strategy. Call first to schedule. 1792 Haight, S.F. Cut $15, color $30, highlight $55. (415) 751-1723.

Body, Soul, and Spirit will call you if you sign up on its model list, which you can do by calling, faxing, or e-mailing. Ask about prices while you're at it. 222 Leland, S.F. (415) 333-7261 (phone), (415) 333-7226 (fax), bss@yourbeautynetwork.com.

Carleton Hair International trains in a classroom setting Wednesdays at 5 p.m. Call beforehand to sign up. 865 Market, Suite C28A, San Francisco Center, S.F. Cut $15, color $30. (415) 495-8300.

Cinta Salon has a voicemail box solely for potential models. Call and leave a message Tuesday through Friday to sign up. 23 Grant, S.F. Cut $10-$20, tint $15, highlight $20. (415) 989-1000.

Cowboys and Angels performs cuts Tuesdays at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6 p.m. and color Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. This is an advanced training program. Call the model line for an appointment. 207 Powell, Suite 400, S.F. Cut $15, color $15-$20. Model line (415) 986-9091

Dava Dava will do a cut and color for $10. Ten dollars! The only thing cheaper is a scissors-wielding friend and a packet of Kool-Aid. Call for an appointment right now. 1889 Union, S.F. Cut and color $10, highlight $20. (415) 776-4610.

DeKroon Salon and Spatopia asks that you call about a modeling appointment and prices. 303 Sutter, S.F. (415) 398-6464.

D4 Hair requests that you send an e-mail with the heading "Salon Model" and your contact info inside to get on its model list. 569 Buckingham Way, S.F. Cut $10, color $15. (415) 566-9950, wedidit@pacbell.net.

Dipietro Todd schedules appointments with its models. Drop in Mondays, 8:30 to 9 a.m. or 1 to 1:30 p.m., or call the model line to set one up. 177 Post, S.F. Cut $10, color $15-$25. Model line (415) 693-5549.

Eclipse Hair Design is willing to negotiate the price, depending on the cut, and the salon includes a consultation with your appointment. Ask for Lia. 2047 Polk, S.F. Cut $18, color $40. (415) 989-1000.

Elevations Salon and Cafe lets you sip your coffee while its trainees clip your coiffure. Drop in or call the model line to make an appointment. 451 Bush, S.F. Cut $10, color $15 (tint) or $30 (highlight). Model line (415) 956-9524.

Face It Hair and Skin Care is the only salon we found that could beat Dava Dava for a cut and color, but you've got to do it on their time. Call to get on the model list. 2324 Market, S.F. Cut and color free. (415) 431-7233.

Festoon Salon, which has a sister salon in Berkeley, actively recruits hair models through its Web site. 9 Claude Lane, S.F.; 1401 MLK Jr. Way, Berk. Cut $15-$25, call for a color quote. (415) 421-3223, www.festoonsalon.com.

Gina Kahn Salon/Yosh for Hair offers appointments and quotes over the phone. 173 Maiden Lane, S.F. Cut $18, color $21 and up, highlight $16-$37. (415) 989-7704.

Glama-Rama's giant pink poodles in the window might not exactly model the perfect haircut, but you can. Call to leave your name on the model list and you'll sport the hippest shear-job in town for pennies on the dollar. 417 South Van Ness, S.F. Cut free-$10, ask about color. (415) 861-4526.

Grasshopper, for those who still haunt their boarded-up SoMa office space, asks that you call ahead for information on getting on its model list. The salon takes models on Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 28 South Park, S.F. Cut free, color $10. (415) 495-0424.

Hair Play's Joe Hamer Academy, an extended learning program, has trainees on hand to do men's cuts. Ask about Thursday's "Shampoo Experience," which salon owner Fritz Clay reminds us is "definitely an experience." Call ahead to schedule an appointment. 211A Church, S.F. Cut free during classes, Fri., 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; $25 Thurs. ($15 without shampoo). (415) 863-0703.

Maire Rua offers free cuts, plain and simple. Call to get on the model list. 798 Haight, S.F. (415) 626-6674.

Mr. Pinkwhistle definitely wins the name game in my book, especially with the vanity phone number. Model appointments are available Tuesday through Friday, after 5:30 p.m. Call for a personal conference with your stylist. 580 Bush, S.F. Cut $15, color $20, highlight $30. (415) 989-PINK.

Pastel Hair Salon makes you pay for your steal of a cut and color by putting you in a classroom setting (up front). Appointments are Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and Fridays at 4 p.m. Beware: classes can last anywhere from two to four hours. Call to schedule an appointment. 14 Tillman, S.F. Cut and color $10. (415) 398-4566.

Ringolevio's Troy Brown will help hook you up with the cut and/or color of your choice at cost. Call weekdays for a consultation. 2660 Gough, Suite 102, S.F. Cut free, color at cost (usually $8 or so). (415) 346-3454.

77 Maiden Lane Salon alternates its classes weekly between color and cut. Call to get on the model list and inquire about prices. 77 Maiden Lane, S.F. (415) 391-7777.

Stephen Saiz Salon offers more choices than other salons listed, but you can go only Tuesdays between 1 and 4 p.m. Call for an appointment. 560 Sutter, S.F. Cut free, color/straightening/perm $10-$15. (415) 398-2345.

Studio 325 Salon trains its stylists on different cuts at different times. Call ahead to find out if they're doing the cut you want and what it costs. 325 Kearny, S.F. (415) 788-4142, www.studio325salon.com.

Toshi Union Square Salon commands a fine view from 10 floors above Union Square. Call to make an appointment and ask about prices and current styles. 166 Geary, 10th floor, S.F. (415) 956-4667.

Vidal Sassoon wants you to look like a model, which you can do by actually being a model. Call Thursdays between 6 and 6:30 p.m. to make an appointment. 359 Sutter, S.F. Cut $10, color $15 (tint) and $30 (highlight), cut and color $16. (415) 397-5105.