One of the hardest things to find is an affordable hairdresser that you can really put your faith in. Dealing with a language barrier and the risk getting charged the ‘yabangee tax’, that little something extra added to the price just for foreigners, makes this task doubly challenging.
This Insider Trading piece is a personal testimonial about the quality of Ilkay Boz Hair Studio, where I have been getting my hair needs met for two years now. Located on Ergenekon Caddesi in Kurtuluş (No: 23 / Floor: 02), the place has been run by İlkay Boz and Songül Kam for about six years. İlkay has specialized training in cutting hair and coloring from the L’Oréal Academy in Etiler. In addition to experienced hairstylists, their studio has an apprentice on staff—a common feature of Turkish hair salons. Feel free to ask the apprentice to fetch you a coffee or run small errands for you as you get your hair done.
In addition to practicing Turkish with their friendly staff, you can pet their dog Sophie once she warms up to you.
As for their original strange name which changed in 2021, Saloon Istanbul, İlkay said that they added an extra “o” to the word “salon” just to set the business apart. Although they appreciated me explaining the difference between a “salon” and a “saloon,” they said it was impossible to change because all of their tax paperwork said “saloon.”
Have a look at their price list for hair services (with Turkish translations):
Blowdrying and styling (fön): 70 – 100 TL
Haircut (kesim): 250 TL
Styling with curling/straightening iron (maşa): 200 – 300 TL
Keratin Treatment (keratin bakım): 400 TL
Color (boya): 300 TL (roots) / 350 – 450 TL (complete)
Highlights (röfle): 1500 – 2000 TL
Baliage (balyaj): 1750 – 3000 TL
Perm (perma): 600 – 800 TL
Extensions (kaynak): 4,000 – 8,000 TL depending on length
And other services:
Keratin treatment :1,500 – 2,500 TL
Eyebrow / mustache threading (kaş biyik): 120 TL
Manicure (manikür): 80 TL
Pedicure (pedikür): 120 TL
You can also follow Ilkay Boz Hair Studio on Instagram. For helpful Turkish phrases to use at the kuaför, check out the post “Your Most Important Vocab Lesson: The Haircut” by Mira Xavnur Balic.
+90 536 655 79 43
Ilkay Boz Hair Studio Ergenekon Caddesi, Bozkurt Mahallesi Nural Apt. No: 23 Kat: 1 Osmanbey – Şişli
Editor’s note: This piece was originally published in January 2016. Prices are up to date as of March 2021, and reflects the name change from “Saloon Istanbul” to “Ilkay Boz Hair Studio”.
Based on this article’s recommendation, I scheduled an appointment for first a consultation the hair color correction with Ilkay at Saloon İstanbul Bayan Kuaförü. From the initial inquiry through Facebook to the consultation then appointment itself, I couldn’t have had a better experience. Everyone on the team is so helpful, easy to communicate with, sweet, fun, and TALENTED! The results of my hair color correction exceeded my expectations. I’m an American that moved to Istanbul just two months ago and I was very nervous about finding a salon I could afford and trust, and now, I am over-the-moon happy to have been introduced to Ilkay and his team. Thank you so much for writing this article to connect us Yabangee.com readers to such a great resource!
We’re delighted to hear it! Thanks for sharing with us. =D