Dominican salon requisites

[imani97]

Hey Ladies,

Last week, I went to Sisters Dominican salon on 145th street in Harlem. It is an understatement to say that compared to my experiences at Jaselvis salon in D.C. (actually Silver Spring MD), I was greatly disappointed. I've sense then realized that all Dom. salons are not created equal. While Sisters will do in a pinch, I just was not thrilled about the whole process. One, I didn't like the shampoo and conditioner that they used. I've been very spoiled by name brand poos and cons at Jaslevis. The rolling process was different (not a deal breaker) they were too rough on my hair and there was too much hair left on the rat tail comb they were trying to use to detangle my texlaxed hair , and I didn't particularly care for the finishing products some no name serum and a creme hairdress (too heavy, I don't like a lot of product in my hair). Anyway, this post is to ask two questions, one, what are your must haves for a Dom. salon to be good. Second, I would like some reccs. from the NY ladies on specific salons I can try (I live off of 145th so in that area would be fabulous) TIA Oh, and while I know that we are discussing salons, the major factor I think are the products hence the reason I put this thread on this forum and not the salon review.

Things to consider when going to a Dom. Salon (I'll start w/Jaselvis in Silverspring, MD)

Name: Jaselvis
Location: Silverspring, MD
Shampoo/Conditioner Line: Nexxus
Deep Conditioner: 10 en 1 Super Conditioner or Silicon Mix
Setting Products: setting lotion (small amt) and Salerm
Finishing Product: Asante hair oil, some spray that I don't know the name of
Overall Quality of the Salon: 10 out of 10 b/c of the care and high quality products

 

[KiniKakes]

Omg, I totally agree with you that all Dominican salons are NOT created equal! I have gone to Sisters Unisex in downtown Brooklyn for 6 years..... but when i was staying with a friend in Long Island i needed to get my hair done badly. So i figured i would go to this Dominican salon in Baldwin, L.I. I figured that "all Dominicans can do hair" and that it would be the same. Ummm, negative!!!! I have never been unhappier with a salon! They were hella rough in detangling my hair, didnt put enough conditioner in it when combing it thru in the sink bowl, didnt use enough conditioner for the deep conditioner under the drier, did a sloppy, loose roller set, did not know the concept of blowing out the roots, used products i did not like (I was used to natural-based products, ie, avacado, olive oil, garlic), had the nerve to try to comb out my hair after the roller set with a small, rat-tail comb, and overall were a VERY mediocre salon. And to top it all of..... this salon cost more than the Brooklyn salon. *smh*

So you are absolutely right.... all D.S. are not created equal! You really have to find a GOOD one and stick with that. *smh*

 

[JenniferMD]

Wow Imani, I had no idea you really liked Jaselvis. I don't care for them...they're rude (I'm big on customer service). I only go there if I can't find my regular stylist or if I'm desperate.

 

[JLove74]

Wow Imani, I had no idea you really liked Jaselvis. I don't care for them...they're rude (I'm big on customer service). I only go there if I can't find my regular stylist or if I'm desperate.

ITA: rude and serious lack of communication at Jaselvis. Don't get me wrong, Carmen can do some hair, but the rest of her crew is blahhhhhhh. JenniferMD you got me hooked on Visions - great customer service and no communication problems.

 

[imani97]

Wow Imani, I had no idea you really liked Jaselvis. I don't care for them...they're rude (I'm big on customer service). I only go there if I can't find my regular stylist or if I'm desperate.

I didn't think that they were rude to me, just very exclusive! You could tell the regulars b/c those were the people they would speak to. I agree though, customer service is important. But.... as long as I can get a good wash, set, and blowout I can deal w/ a little bit of antisocial behavior on their part.

 

[imani97]

ITA: rude and serious lack of communication at Jaselvis. Don't get me wrong, Carmen can do some hair, but the rest of her crew is blahhhhhhh. JenniferMD you got me hooked on Visions - great customer service and no communication problems.

Visions? Man, now that I'm out of the area I hear of another alternative. Oh well, I'll keep it on my radar when I move back in four to five years.

 

[BlackDiamond21]

I know you are on 145th street but in case you come out to BK or for anyone else out there who may be looking for a great salon, I go to Maribel's in BK off of Flatbush and Foster!

Maribel, the owner, is such a sweetheart. She has two locations, this one being the biggest of the two andboth are located on Flatbush.

My stylist is Memo (male) and he has been doing my hair for 3+ years and has helped me so much. (FYI, he does get super busy)

I used to live in Belleville, NJ for 2.5 of the 3 years he has been doing my hair and I still travled all the way to BK every weekend to have him hook me up. :notworthy

I tried one Dom salon in Newark, NJ and almost had to slap fire out the *** of this one chick who kept PULLING the rollers out of my head in a Shirly Temple type of style, making my head lean all the way over the back of the chair. The owners saw it coming and asked someone else to finish me because I would have mopped the floor with her ! Worked too hard on my hair to have some chick mess it up. Talk about on FIRE... whew!!! I get worked up just talking about it...

anyway...

I hope you find what you are looking for and the best of luck to you!

 

[imani97]

I know you are on 145th street but in case you come out to BK or for anyone else out there who may be looking for a great salon, I go to Maribel's in BK off of Flatbush and Foster!

Maribel, the owner, is such a sweetheart. She has two locations, this one being the biggest of the two andboth are located on Flatbush.

My stylist is Memo (male) and he has been doing my hair for 3+ years and has helped me so much. (FYI, he does get super busy)

I used to live in Belleville, NJ for 2.5 of the 3 years he has been doing my hair and I still travled all the way to BK every weekend to have him hook me up. :notworthy

I tried one Dom salon in Newark, NJ and almost had to slap fire out the *** of this one chick who kept PULLING the rollers out of my head in a Shirly Temple type of style, making my head lean all the way over the back of the chair. The owners saw it coming and asked someone else to finish me because I would have mopped the floor with her ! Worked too hard on my hair to have some chick mess it up. Talk about on FIRE... whew!!! I get worked up just talking about it...

anyway...

I hope you find what you are looking for and the best of luck to you!

Thanks for the recommendation. I may have to suck it up and go there. I really do not want to experiment any more!

 

[determined_to_grow]

I am sorry you had such a bad experience. Yeah- not all Dom. salons are created equal. As far as products go- a lot of Dom. shops use cheap /bootleg products when I use to go to Dom. a lot of people brought there own products. Once I went to a very popular Dom salon in brooklyn and i sear the lady used dishwashing liquid to wash my hair !!!!!
After that experience I vowed never again. If you are willing to commute to Brooklyn I can give you a few suggestions .

 

[Iansan]

I know you are on 145th street but in case you come out to BK or for anyone else out there who may be looking for a great salon, I go to Maribel's in BK off of Flatbush and Foster!

Maribel, the owner, is such a sweetheart. She has two locations, this one being the biggest of the two andboth are located on Flatbush.

My stylist is Memo (male) and he has been doing my hair for 3+ years and has helped me so much. (FYI, he does get super busy)

I used to live in Belleville, NJ for 2.5 of the 3 years he has been doing my hair and I still travled all the way to BK every weekend to have him hook me up. :notworthy

I tried one Dom salon in Newark, NJ and almost had to slap fire out the *** of this one chick who kept PULLING the rollers out of my head in a Shirly Temple type of style, making my head lean all the way over the back of the chair. The owners saw it coming and asked someone else to finish me because I would have mopped the floor with her ! Worked too hard on my hair to have some chick mess it up. Talk about on FIRE... whew!!! I get worked up just talking about it...

anyway...

I hope you find what you are looking for and the best of luck to you!

I got Maribel's too, I went to Memo once and I found him to be scissor happy.

 

[KiniKakes]

- a lot of Dom. shops use cheap /bootleg products when I use to go to Dom. a lot of people brought there own products. Once I went to a very popular Dom salon in brooklyn and i sear the lady used dishwashing liquid to wash my hair !!!!!
After that experience I vowed never again.

WTH!!!!???? Mercy!!!!

 

[imani97]

I did a little searching in the archives and saw a recc. for Galaxy salon. It's close enough for me to walk which is a plus. I hope to try it out tomorrow. I'll keep you all updated.

 

[santia]

Oh wow, I'm sorry you had that experience. I use to go to Sister's religiously, but it's too far for me now. The girl I use to go to was Morena (if she's sill there) Her chair is on the right hand side, before you sit for the wash.

She was the only one I would let touch my hair.

My new one is called Bernard's and I love them. No cheap products are used there.

 

[BlackDiamond21]

I got Maribel's too, I went to Memo once and I found him to be scissor happy.

Really??? What happened???

I know when I first started going to him 3+ years ago, we did trims every other relaxer, so every 12 weeks or so, becuase I had went to a "black" ghetto salon off of Church Ave and something and asked for highlights (which I have had before with no problems). The salon and stylist were recommended to me by a woman at my job who's hair looked impecable, she had highlights herself, and been to this stylist for years.

This woman dyed my whole head orange with blond higlights!!! I work in a very, professional corporate enivroment and I will be damned if I am going in there looking like I aint got no sense. So she had to put a deep brown rinse over it to get it look redish, brownish orange!!! NIGHTMARE!!! I cried I was so upset and in shock. Then she had the nerve to tell me, "It's just hair." Till that point I had grown my hair out from Halle Berry short to just below chin length and she had the nerve to say that to me...

All that processing ruined my hair! It was too much!!!! So by the time I started with Memo, trimming was what we did to get rid of my dead/dried/split ends until it all grew out! erplexed I wasn't happy but it was needed...

 

[sylver2]

I use to go to VISIONS for 2 years.Adams Morgan. Ester did my hair. I use to go before it was Visions and then the blackwoman took over.Stopped going over a year ago. I loved it but I stopped going because it was entirely to much money.
I go back up to NY to get my touchups every 3 months.
Stay away from Giovani's in Adams morgan

The Dom salons I went to in NYC were located on Dyckman st where I use to live.

I don't go to Dom anymore. I go to a Haitian Salon in Long Island called Yoles. Started going there 10 years ago. Can't go wrong there for me. Cheap and does my hair right.

 

[zora]

Imani,

Maribel's is good, but way too far for you to be traveling. There has to be a decent dominican salon between 145th in Harlem and Flatbush Ave in Brooklyn

 

[KEIONI'S MOM]

I did a little searching in the archives and saw a recc. for Galaxy salon. It's close enough for me to walk which is a plus. I hope to try it out tomorrow. I'll keep you all updated.

This is the salon I go too. I love the products that they use. The person that does my hair is Blasina. She is the best and she never does anything that you don't want done to your hair. Good luck and I hope you find what your looking for at Galaxy

 

[imani97]

Update: We have a winner..... Galaxy will be my Dom. salon of choice in the NY area. (I may try one more, but I'm thinking that I will be sticking w/ Galaxy) I like that they use Alter Ego shampoo and conditioner and after she blew me out she used alter ego serum. Very simple, but I had great results. I can't wait to go back!