One of the most frustrating things when moving to a new city as a woman is finding a new place to call your salon. When you’re black naturalista it’s even more complicated because you’re not sure who’s really skilled and educated in caring for natural hair. The black hair salon search is sooooo exhausting!
Well I’ve been here in the DC Metro Area for the past five and have been through plenty of hairstyles and phases. This year I recently sent an email to a fellow blogger of the list of salons I recommended and she found the list to be helpful. My list just might be helpful to someone looking for a salon in the area.
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1. Studio Chique – This is my most recent favorite salon and I still visit it on a regular basis. This salon is located on Georgia Ave near Howard University. I found this salon because of skincare specialist who did my eyebrows suggested their hair services. The reviews on this salon on YELP is pretty mixed but I had great experiences with getting my silken press back in April of this year. No heat damage and the stylist I saw gave me great advice on hair health. I plan on making another visit for a trim and wash and condition. I love how the stylist confirms just how much to trim before actually trimming. She advises how much needs to be cut and if it’s too much for you she’s willing to do gradual trims to get rid of the unhealthy ends. Bottom line: She cares about her clients. That matters to me. The price is pretty reasonable, I believe I paid about $60 for a silken press AND a trim. Wash and deep conditioning was included in service. See my hair in this blog post. My stylist was the owner of the shop Ngina. See her! www.StudioChique.com
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2. Parlour DC – This was my very first salon I visited in the DC Metro Area. The salon is located on U Street. Where did I get my recommendation? A fellow YouTuber shared her experience on getting the tapered haircut and she shared the salon too. Her cut was fierce and I was ready to book an appointment immediately. Back in 2013, there were not a lot of salons familiar with tapered cuts on natural hair, so I didn’t have many choice selections.WARNING! This salon ain’t cheap. That’s part of the reason I had to stop going. I do plan on returning while I grow out my tapered cut but it may be a one time deal. Be prepared to pay. You will receive great service, though. The stylist to see goes by the name Q (short for Quetrell). I have two videos on my service from this salon and stylist. Tapered Hair cut video and Color process Video. www.Parlourdc.com
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3. N Natural Hair Studio – This salon I was introduced to this year. I was looking for a natural hair salon that provided crochet braid services and this salon met the criteria. This salon is located in Silver Spring (White Oak area) off of New Hampshire Ave. Affordable and close to me. I also found out that they host a natural hair conference every year and had the pleasure of attending. See my blog post on that conference here. The past three crochet braid styles have been serviced at this salon. Here are two of examples of the styles, IG post and Blog post. The stylist that I saw each time name is Carissa. I heard they also do braids. Check out their list of services here www.nnaturalhairstudio.com
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4. Urban Nature Natural Hair care – I’ve only been to Urban Nature once but absolutely love the vibe and customer service. This salon has multiple locations Downtown Silver Spring (where I visited), Greenbelt, Temple Hills, and Alexandria, VA. When I visited the salon I received a wash and deep condition with my sides being cut low. For natural hair treatments and common hairstyles for affordable prices, I recommend this salon. I love their music playlist as well. www.urbannaturestyles.com
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5. Jaha Hair Studio – This is the only salon that I have yet to have the pleasure of receiving service…as of now. I ran across this salon when I was looking for another salon for tapered cuts. The salon is located Downtown Silver Spring. Hmmmm, there’s a pattern here with Silver Spring salons. LOL! If you look at their facebook page they have some photos of clients with the tapered cut style. This salon has also collaborated with N Natural Hair Studio in the community. From what I can tell, the prices are reasonable and the reviews are pretty good. Be sure to check out their social media pages and website. www.jahahair.com
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Bonus: Halcyon Salon – Ok! So I told a lie, this is the second salon that’s been on my list but have not made a visit just yet. This salon had a whole write up on The Root. One of the writers shared her experience returning back to the black hair salon (like myself). In this article, she also shares photos of her hair. This salon is located in DC. Not sure about the prices. You can read the article here for more information. Based on the write up and pictures, I have to make my way to this salon in 2016.
I hope you found this list helpful like others I share this with.
That is all for now. Be on the look out for some new videos and blog posts on the next phase in my natural hair life.
P.S.
I’m over the tapered cut. lol!
How much did the crochet braids cost that you had done at N Natural?