I'm busy, and don't always plan ahead.
Had a bad hair day, which happened to be a SUNDAY.
Knowing that Dominican salons are usually open on Sundays and Mondays, and can straighten the most unruly of hairs, I drove down Broad street in search of an open salon.
I walked into on salon and the hairdresser apollogized and said she only did men's hair, but to go to Nina's salon at 1400 Broad Street.
As I approached the salon, there was a short tan man standing outside the salon, who seemed to be watching everything. An spoke to me in broken english. Not able to really understand the strangeness of the scene, I walked into the first floor waiting area which had stairs going up to the salon. It was clean and shiny and nicely presented. There was no receptionist, but older clients greeted me an showed me around. The older man at the front door, kept popping in, and kept saying, ""Nina's coming, Nina's coming!""... It was about 10am, and Nina, who's salon was staffed with just a shampoo woman had a full salon of clients waiting for her arrival. Pretty interesting.
Not speaking Spanish was definately a liability, but the shampoo hair dresser, got me started with a shampoo and deep conditioner. While under the dryer, Nina arrives. Next to me was a woman who had been going to the salon since she was a child. She said Nina works 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 20 years! I was impressed. While I was there, someone was ripping the bathroom apart for construction renovations and large plastic pipes came in. Since the salon never closes, that's pretty much the only way work can get done.
Fast forward to the wash out. After the deep conditioner came out, my hair was treated with about 5 additional conditioners and had definitely one of the best head massages of my life.
In typical Dominican salon style, you have to hold the towel or the plastic shampoo cape?!? around your neck to prevent your back from getting soaked!
Nonetheless, the roller set was amazing and the blow out was great. Super straight and sprayed to perfection with hair spray and heat protector. Nina cut my hair into a shapely graduated bob, with precision and care. She did leave a few times to go to attend to matters, but 3 hours later.... I looked like a new woman with healthy hair and a new look!
Note: Next time I'll bring my own deep conditioner and save $25.00, but $60 was the result for the shampoo, conditioner, and cut. By the way, the cut was $10!
Highly recommend, but have some drinks, snacks, a computer (yes I found free wifi)!, and don't be in a hurry, and you'll not be disappointed.
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