Head Rush Sydenham is the Gasson Street outpost of Head Rush Hair Salon, a group of boutique salons with three Christchurch locations — Merivale, Sydenham and Hornby — plus one in Richmond, Nelson. The Sydenham team offers the full Head Rush service menu: specialist blonde work, blended balayage, global and creative colour, grey blending, expert colour correction, precision cutting, hair extensions, the Cezanne keratin smoothing treatment, and hair and scalp treatments, along with a dedicated bridal hair and makeup service.
The salon is candid about where its reputation comes from: its blonde work is described, only half-jokingly, as infamous, and the team includes dedicated blonde specialists alongside balayage experts. Loyal clients, the salon notes, never leave — a community built on trust and satisfaction where hair care needs are the stated top priority.
Product choices reflect the same care. Head Rush stocks Keune, including the So Pure Natural Balance range, which is 100% free of ammonia, parabens, sulphates, silicones and gluten, cruelty free and vegan friendly, with refillable retail packaging that cuts plastic use by up to 80%. The salon has also introduced Davroe, Australia's first 100% vegan, sulfate- and paraben-free salon brand, built on plant-based ingredients and recyclable packaging. Giving back matters here too: every tube of colour purchased contributes 10 cents to the Keune Foundation's support for families of children with serious illnesses.
Ask anyone in Christchurch where to go for blonde, and Head Rush comes up quickly. The Sydenham salon at 2/105 Gasson Street is part of the Head Rush group of boutique salons — three across Christchurch in Merivale, Sydenham and Hornby, plus one in Richmond near Nelson — and it offers the same specialist-led service that has made the brand a fixture of the local hair scene.
Head Rush is candid about what it does best. Its blonde work is described, only half-jokingly, as infamous, and the team includes dedicated blonde specialists alongside experts in blended balayage and precision cutting. That depth runs through the whole colour menu: global colour for an even, all-over shade; creative colour for something bolder; grey blending for a softer, more natural transition; and expert colour correction for hair that arrives needing to be rescued from an earlier colour job.
Extensions are another speciality, giving clients added length and fullness, and the salon offers the Cezanne keratin smoothing treatment for hair that fights back against frizz. Hair and scalp treatments round out the care side of the menu, and cuts are taken with the same precision the stylists bring to colour. For brides, there is a dedicated bridal hair and makeup service covering one of the biggest hair days of all.
What goes on your hair matters here. The salons stock Keune products, including the So Pure Natural Balance range, which is 100% free of ammonia, parabens, sulphates, silicones and gluten, is cruelty free and vegan friendly, and comes in refillable retail packaging — topping up rather than rebuying cuts plastic use by up to 80%. More recently, the salon has introduced Davroe, Australia's first 100% vegan, sulfate- and paraben-free salon brand, whose plant-based formulas use ingredients like olive leaf extract and grape seed to protect colour and reduce fade, all in recyclable, Australian-made packaging.
The giving doesn't stop at haircare. Through a partnership with the Keune Foundation, every tube of colour purchased contributes 10 cents towards supporting families of children with serious illnesses. The salon's site also displays recognition of its own — including an award for HITO Workplace of the Year 2017 — a nod to the culture behind the chairs.
Head Rush's own description of its client base is striking: those who visit never leave. That loyalty is the product of a deliberately boutique approach — small salons, professional stylists, and a stated commitment to treating every client's hair care needs, and their trust, as the top priority. Whether you are booking a full colour transformation or a straightforward cut, the aim is the same: leave feeling confident and radiant.
The Sydenham salon is closed on Mondays and Sundays. Tuesday hours run 9am to 4pm, Wednesday and Thursday from 10am until late, Friday 9am to 5pm, and Saturday 9am to 4pm. Those late Wednesday and Thursday nights make after-work appointments realistic — worth remembering if you are booking colour, which usually needs the most chair time.
Parking is available down Pilgram Place next to the salon in marked parks 2 through 9, so arriving by car is straightforward. Appointments can be booked online through the salon's Timely booking system or by calling 03 377 8180, and gift vouchers are available for anyone gifting a visit. The salon also advertises deals for new clients — a low-stakes way to try the team out — and Afterpay is available as a payment option.
Whether you come for the blonde, the balayage, a smoothing treatment or a bridal trial, you are visiting a salon that has thought hard about both sides of its craft: the artistry in the chair and the products, ethics and community behind it. For Sydenham locals, that's a rare combination — specialist-level colour work right on Gasson Street.