I was having a moment and decided I was going to pamper myself and go get my hair done. After much thought, I settled on visiting a Dominican Salon. I figured if I was going to go through the motions of straightening my hair, I mine as well get it as straight as possible. Several of my co workers go to Luisa’s on the regular basis, and their hair looks GREAT!
I called to get pricing, I asked what was the price for a wash and blow dry on natural hair. The receptionist (I assumed she was the receptionist), began to yell and say “I’ve already told you ma’ma I have to see your hair, I can’t give you a price over the phone”
[insert gas face RIGHT HERE] – I said, “excuse me, you haven’t told me anything because this is my 1st time calling!” The receptionist began to apologize profusely
*apparently a lady kept calling demanding price over the phone* once she realized I was a “new” customer, she explained that the price is $45 for relaxed hair, $55 for natural hair (hair that hasn’t had a relaxer in +3 months), $10 additional if they have to flat iron the hair, and $10 additional if the hair was past shoulder length. Ok, I digest all of that and go to the salon as soon as I got off work.
I went to the location in Columbia, MD (7 minutes from the job). The salon is located in an office park across the street from the Columbia Mall. It was rather hot & humid that day, so I was stunned to see that the AC wasn’t on-but they had the front door propped open. As soon as I walked in, the receptionist- said hello, asked me if I wanted a wash & blow dry, I said yes, and she told me to have a seat at the sink. {I was surprised that I didn’t have to wait, everyone around me looked comfortable). The shampoo girl began to wash my hair, it was the BEST hair wash I’d ever had. She wasn’t afraid to get to my roots!!!! While she was washing my hair, she said something in Spanish to the receptionist – the receptionist then asked if I wanted a conditioner, I said yes, a deep conditioner. The lady applied the conditioner, massaged it in, put a cap on my head and took me to a hooded hair dryer. {Thinks to self} these dryers aren’t that bad… I can do this… 15 minutes later, I was back at the sink getting the conditioner washed out.
Then another lady (not sure what all she does, for the purposes of this post Im’a refer to her as the roller lady), escorted me to her station. She whips out a comb a IMMEDIATELY started to rack my hair from ROOTS {I jumped up) and said NO! that hurt!!!!!! She said something in Spanish- I said in English-“ you can do that to my hair!!!!” she tried to take it easy- but honestly I’m tender headed and she was heavy handed, and everything she did HURT!!!!!!! I know it took her 60-90 minutes to detangle my hair, and roll it. I was taken to the dryer, handed some ear muffs { I’m confused, never seen anything like it before, I look at the other girls and they had them over their ear, so I put them on my ear, and the roller lady tied a net thingy around my head. I was under the dryer {literally stuck-COULD NOT MOVE} I guess I had too many rollers in my hair.. Then all of a sudden … I WAS ON FIRE!!!!!! My skin was burning, my scalp was burning, I was trying to get from under the dryer –and I let out a scream { the metal roller pins, was laying on the side of my neck and was burning me!!!!!!} ** the skin actually blistered on my neck!** whew lawd.. That dryer was SO HOT, that when I stuck my hand under the hood to move the pin, it burnt my fingers!!!!! { now, I’m embarrassed-I’m the only one acting a pure fool.. everyone else is calm cool and collected} the roller girl comes over, said something looked at me and SHOVED my head back under the dryer.
My hair dried in 30 mins (a record). I was woozy, skin stinging, and I’m afraid of the heavy handed roller girl. She takes out the rollers.. applied some oil on my hair.. and LAWD-SHE WHIPS OUT THAT ROUND BRUSH AND SHE WAS WHIPPING MY HEAD BACK AND FORTH!!!!!!!! LORDY HELP ME JESUS… The smoke that pillowed out that hand dryer clouded up the salon. THEN.. [hold ya self} some salsa music sound came on.. JESUS.. SHE WAS DOING THE SALSA DANCE TWIRLING AROUND, SINGING AND WHIPPING ME BACK AND FORTH ALL AT THE SAME TIME!!!!!!!! She was FINALLY FINISHED-right? NOPE! Now she comes with the flat iron. That wasn’t too bad, but my head is pounding, my scalp and skin is burnt and I’m READY TO GO!!! FINALLY after 3.5 hours of TORTURE- I’m finished!!!!! Get to the register- my bill was a whopping $75!!!!!!! [screech]. I paid it and left. Mid way to my car……. THE SKY OPENED UP AND IT POURED ON MY HEAD!!!!!!! **TEARS** I got soak and wet and bushed up my newly flat ironed hair!!!!!!!! I get in the car- look in the mirror.. and I can see waves forming in the front of my head. Now all I smell is burnt hair!!!!! {yuck}. I just drive home, snap a few pic’s , wrap it up, and went to bed. Needless to say- I wore my hair straight 2 WHOLE DAYS!!!!!!! Yep, 2!!!!!!!
I went to my cousin April Crawford, and had her to trim my hair, cut in layers & bangs, and re flat iron my hair. She did an awesome job and I was very happy with the look after she was finished. ( The pictures was taken after April did her thang). **THANK YOU MZ. APRIL***
The Good: I finally got a MUCH needed trim, and becasue of the layers, my hair falls very pretty into "shape".
The Bad: Luisa’s was NOT gentle enough for me. I hadn’t had my hair blown out in 6 years, and anybody with any experience with natural hair KNOW you start detangling from the ends to root- NOT root to ends. If we are paying extra for having natural hair, we should be given " extra gentle treatment".
THE UGLY: The burns, and extreme heat. That cant be healthy or safe!!!!!! in addition to getting drenched in the rain 3 minutes after leaving the salon
- PRICE- $75 was STEEP. I was a regular at the Dominican salon in Jersey ( 15 yrs ago), and the MOST I ever paid was $25. I didn’t expect to pay $25, but I damn sure didn’t expect to pay $75 for a wash, conditioner, blow dry, roller /flat iron.
If I ever have to endure THAT again for straight hair, I will forever remain a CURLY head!!!!!!!!
