What They Say
Based on pretty Rathbone Street in convenient Fitzrovia, the two-year-old Haug London Haus is a boutique salon that punches above its weight. The salon uses Schwarzkopf products and is spearheaded by powerhouse couple Philipp Haug, a London Fashion Week regular and lead hairdresser at the 2024’s BAFTA TV Awards, and Siobhan Haug, who took home the title of British Colour Technician of the Year in 2021. The salon has been praised by the likes of ELLE and Harper’s Bazaar and the team’s work can be seen on celebs (see: Victoria Starmer’s blowout), as well as in fashion shows for designers like Edeline Lee and Malan Breton.
While cuts and colours are the salon’s signatures, Haug London Haus also has a very cool high-tech hair scanner, the award-winning Schwarzkopf Professional SalonLab Smart Analyser. Using the tool, the salon offers a complimentary hair scan to all clients. Designed to essentially X-ray the hair, the scanner measures the health of the hair by tracking breakage in the hair’s cortex and measuring the hair’s depth and tonal direction to provide highly individualised remedies and treatments. You won’t find a more personalised hair experience.
The Process
Haug London Haus welcomes me in to try a hair scan, as well as to have a cut with Philipp and colour with Siobhan. As I’m a new client, I first pop in for a consultation and dye test.
Haug London Haus has a welcoming, laid-back air. It’s chic, petite and professional but with none of that snootiness that sometimes can infiltrate these kinds of serious hair studios. I’m immediately offered a drink and cupcake upon my arrival, which wins me over right away, but even if I haven’t been sweetened up first, I’m quickly taken with Siobhan Haug and her warm and reassuring personality.
She explains the run of events: Today she will do a dye test and then the hair scan (an easy and painless 10-minute process), and then over to Philip, who will do a cut and blow out. Next week, I will come back so she can do my colour (let’s cover those greys!) and add in some warm “babylights” around the face.
First, the hair scan: Via a tablet, I answer a few questions about my haircare routine and hair (e.g. is your hair density fine, medium, or coarse), and then Siobhan takes a scan of my hair by running the analyser over a thick strand of my hair, from the top by my roots, down to the ends. The scan only takes a few moments, and shortly after, my results show up on the tablet.
I’m delighted to report my hair health sits at 85 per cent, which Siobhan assures me is very good <phew!> even though the tablet says it’s “slightly damaged [with] small signs of oxidative damage.” Next, the tablet asks me a few more questions, this time about my hair goals (for me, I pick “smoothness”). Lastly, the tablet presents me with customised in-salon and home-care product recommendations, which, for me, includes Schwarzkopf’s FibreClinix coarse hair mask and a shine booster. It’s all very cool and couldn’t be easier.
After the scan, Siobhan takes me for a hair wash using the scanner-recommended shampoo, conditioner, and mask. Then I’m off to Philipp for a cut and blow out, where he too incorporates the recommended products. He listens attentively and delivers on my request, explaining as he goes along.
The next week, I’m back for my colour with Siobhan. She puts in a warm chocolatey gloss to cover up my greys and then adds in some soft, subtle Babylights around my face. Oh, and she also gives me another cupcake.
The Results
Because of the personalised plan from the scanner, I noticed my hair perking up straight away after my cut and blowout. It’s shiny, smooth and bouncy, no doubt helped along by Philipp’s excellent blowout. My highlights are super subtle, and it takes a few days for me to really notice and appreciate them, but that just underscores Siobhan’s talent: it’s just what I asked for. I didn’t want anything too bright or conspicuous.
I will certainly be back again. One of the features of the scanner is that it keeps track of your hair so you can see how it changes between visits. Beyond that, I would certainly trust Philipp with a cut—he’s great at delivering what you want, and Siobhan with my colour, as she is a true superstar. And last of all, I will be back because of the vibe. Haug London Haus will make you feel warm and welcome. You’ll be treated like a regular even if it’s your first time. Ten out of ten.
The Details
Haug London Haus, 19 Rathbone Street, W1T 1NE
020 3376 2630
Hair scan is complimentary with a salon service; other services are priced here.
