American Mortals ★9.9

About the salon

American Mortals started in 2001 as a two-chair operation tucked into the back of an antique and vintage furniture store, and it wore the label of an UNsalon on purpose: no velvet rope, no attitude at the door. Two decades later it is one of Old City’s best-known hair addresses, with Best of Philly nods for both cut and color and a long reputation as a safe, welcoming room for LGBTQIA+ guests.

Services

Cutting is the backbone: precision cuts, transformative cuts, dedicated curl cutting, buzz cuts, bang trims and children’s cuts. Color runs from single process and dimensional highlights to hair painting, redirective color and full technicolor work. The salon also does smoothing treatments, permanent waves, updos and event styling, extensions, and a serum program for thinning hair.

Technology and brands

Lightening is backed by K18 bond repair, and Wella supplies both the Ultimate Treatment and the Pro Smoothfiller used to rebuild worn hair. Frizz control runs on the Cezanne smoothing system, a formaldehyde-free alternative to older keratin formulas. Extensions are applied with Great Lengths, and thinning hair is addressed with the Calecim topical serum protocol.

Team and stylists

The salon is built around a bench of senior hairdressers rather than one signature name, and it trains the next generation of Philadelphia stylists in-house. Individual specialties are published on the booking page, so a guest can choose by discipline: curls, precision cutting, vivid color or grooming.

The Space

The furniture-store origin still shows in the aesthetic: reclaimed and vintage pieces, warm materials, and a room that reads as a living space rather than a clinic. It is deliberately unpretentious, with music and conversation rather than hushed reverence, and each chair has room enough for a long color session.

Who it’s for

People who want a serious haircut without a performance of exclusivity. It suits curly and textured hair, guests planning bold or unnatural color, anyone made uncomfortable in a conventional salon, and men and non-binary guests who want grooming without assumptions.

Questions and answers

Can I book online? Yes, appointments are made through the salon’s online booking page, with the phone as a backup.

How long should I allow? Roughly an hour for a cut; hair painting or double-process blonding takes three hours upward.

Do you cut men and children? Yes, both are standard, including buzz cuts and children’s cuts.

Can I combine color with a cut? Yes, that is the normal pairing; mention it when booking.

Is a gift card available? Yes, gift cards can be arranged through the salon.

Opening hours