San Francisco/Bay Area African Hair Braiding

I’ll switch to 4 stars because she was very honest explaining what had happened and promptly answered my messages. Maybe it happened a big misunderstanding.
I would give her zero stars if I could. I didn’t even got to go to the salon to see how unprofessional she is. I sent her a message and I called her and she was super rude. Amma was the worst experience I’ve had since I came to the US. super rough, rude and did not have any consideration with a potencial customer!

This was my first time at the shop Ama was very nice and at times very entertaining with stories of her experience over the years with the local neighborhood characters. I’m from NYC so I was use to braiding shops on every corner relocating to SF was a culture shock to find very little to hardly any places to do my hair that had reasonable prices and experienced staff. Ama and her team have fair prices and have an arrange of styles to choose from that they are capable of doing. But just like with anything else it’s the clients job to be knowledgeable about what it is you are trying to achieve I find pictures are worth a thousand words so come prepared with photos of what you want or text photos of what you want the Braider to do and don’t be afraid to speak up if it’s not what you envisioned. It’s your money and time. I think my crochet braids came out decent but I admit I had to go back to correct some areas where we ran out of hair but I also didn’t have time to check it out after she finished. Ama was very apologetic and was quick to correct the issue with no complaints. I would definitely use her again.

The shop is located in the Tenderloin at Taylor and Ellis. The women who work there are kind patient and work hard both to accommodate clients and do excellent work. I have been there twice and have had really beautiful work done on my hair. The braids are tight (will not easily fray) but gentle on the scalp. I got great work done pretty fast and enjoyed the conversations too. Time and money well spent.

Poor poor poor customer service. Still! Thank god The old owner from La Mystic is back! She does hair way better, they don’t fall out and u don’t get attitude! Please PM if u want the number to the best! Aitu!

I’m not one to post a review on a place I had visited for the first time however I was so Pleased with Ammas work I felt that I just had to give props when props was due. At first I wasn’t happy with these ladies that worked at the African Braiding Salon. I came into the salon with a picture of a hairstyle that I wanted and asked if they knew how to do it. Amma asked me if she could see my hair so I proceeded to remove my hat. When she saw how short my hair was for the style i was asking for she quickly told me that she couldn’t do it and passed me on to the next braider which I thought was completely uncool. i wasn’t feeling that move at all. so i showed this other braider my pic and she looked at me as if to say «r u fucking kidding me your hair could never be braided like the picture i had showed her. i took my pic out of her hand and said nothing more and t\urn to leave the shop. I never did make it back for the apt they had set for me that afternoon.
I was looking for a hair braider and I needed one immediately so i walked by there shop and to my disappointment the lights were out and no one was there. The shop was closed in the middle of the day. So I went home and called them and got their answering service. I didn’t leave no message. I started to surf the internet for other braiders in the area and I found One on mission st. I really didn’t want to go there cause it was way out of my way but I had to. So On my ride to this other braiding shop I get this call from Amma and she told me that she was open and to come at 4:30. I told her I would see her then,
So I’m at home struggling to take down the hairstyle I had in my hair previously to get it shampooed and combed out and ready for Amma to do and the time is just ticking away. It was 4:00 when I started to take down my hair and I called the shop and told her that I would be late because I was taking down my last hairstyle Shockingly she told me to come in as I was and she would take down my hair and shampoo and condition it for me free of charge. When I got to her shop she greeted me with a warm smile and got right to work. She wasted no time taking down my hair shampooing and drying it. I showed her a picture of how I wanted my hair and she said she could do it. Then I remembered then concerns I had about my hair and explained them to her and I wanted to change up my style. She was open to any ideas and styles I had in mind. I had a fabulous time sitting in Ammas chair and I told her That she kinda hurt my feelings when she had passed me on to the next braider the first time I came to her shop. She immediately apologized for her mistake and she was soooooo darn compassionate when it came to the pain level while she was braiding my hair she even stopped at one point because i was hurting so bad i started to cry. I was only crying for a second and because I am super super super tender headed but miss Amma took good care of me and making absolute sure that I was ok. Thank you miss Amma. Although my style did not come out as I had wanted in the picture I had showed her love the style we both came up with. It fits my face its cute, sexy, and sassy, And I see myself as all three of those things so my style compliments exactly who I am. She was quick with her work I got there round 4:40 pm and left out round 7:15 pm Yes 3 ½ hrs is all it took to bring out the natural beauty in me again. and all the thanks goes to miss Amma. see u soon bye

I never write reviews but today this will be my first one today I went to get my hair braided and I want to say thank you Diana and auntie (sorry I don’t know her name just kept hearing Diana call her that) did a great job on my hair I love my twist braids I was done in 4 hours plus we laughed the whole time Thanks again.

Wish I could give it no stars. Seriously they had me send pictures of my hair to them and text me seconds after and said they couldn’t help and when I asked why I got no response. Kind of weird because I heard greet things about this shop but I totally feel judged. I said I could take my hair out and they can start new so I didn’t see what the problem was. They would have said yes to anybody else. I didn’t like that. At all.

My daughter is mixed, and we spent the last year getting her hair professionally relaxed. Suffice it to say… mega damage and breakage was the result. Just all bad. We decided we would start getting her hair braided, till we can cut off all the damage. Made an appt for the next day… and turns out we knew Amma from years ago when we previously were braiding my daughter’s hair. They provided the hair, and were done in 5 hours. She has a ton of hair so 5 hours is amazingly fast. Within a couple of days a couple of the braids were unraveling, and my daughter decided she wanted the braids a little shorter. We came in the next day, again, and Amma cleaned up the braids, glued the ends, and shortened them to the length my daughter wanted. Free of charge. Everybody there is very nice, and the location is super convenient (3 blocks from work!). We will definitely be returning!

We just moved from New York City and I was desperately looking for a place to have my daughters hair done. From the moment we walked in the entire staff was friendly, funny, very informative and they even offered to take care of her while my partner and I went to finish our chores. I give African Hair Braiding 5 Stars and I look forward to going again and again!

I am extremely tender headed and dread braid installation, however, I honestly forgot my braids were being placed due to the great entertainment performed by these wonderful ladies. I was laughing endless and engaged in great talks with the beauticians. Amma is truly amazing– professional, great spirit and goes out of her way to assure her customers’ satisfaction. I wanted a certain type of braiding hair & Amma drove me to the beauty supply store and helped me choose the exact match. Having spent more than expected on the braiding hair, she advised my braider on a braiding technique that prevented another hefty load out of me. Diana– my braider – was excellent in her craft, fast and also funny. My hair looks Amazing! This is now my shop for ALL forms of braids. Thanks ladies!

Found African Hair braiding one weekend while frustrated about what to do with my hair and they took me in without an appointment. I walked in and got a full weave plus three bundles of gorgeous Indian hair for such a reasonable price. The salon itself feels like back home in Africa, where I’m from, several people doing hair, laughing and sharing funny stories. Thank you Ama for the continuous hook up each time I have had to come back to see you. I’ll for sure be back.

Would have given 0 stars if I could. I should have taken the negative reviews here more seriously, because there is serious unprofessional behavior here. We made an appointment over a week in advance for braids for my 9-​year-​old, told them she wanted cornrows that end as single braids, «no problem,» she said. First odd thing was a text she sent me later that day saying «see you tomorrow at 10.» She had, incidentally, said she wouldn’t do an early appointment and would only do 1:00, not to mention she was on the wrong day and week — so i texted back to say «no, it’s next week at 1:00», and she confirmed. Fast-​forward to today, I call as we’re on our way in heavy traffic to say we were about 10 minutes late, and she seemingly didn’t know who we were, what time our appointment was, or what we wanted; when we got past that, she said they were «super behind» and «situations beyond her control came up, this woman came in and I have to be very diligent» (huh? How about having her make an appointment, not running into my daughter’s time?). You’ll have to come at 4:00, she said. No, I’m not going to have my 9-​year-​old miss dinner and possibly her bedtime of 8:00.
After much back and forth, we went there hoping to get in at 2:00. After telling me that they could only do cornrows and didn’t understand what I meant by «cornrows that turn into singles» (despite being clear when we talked on the phone), it ended much as I thought it would, given her weird and unprofessional vibe. She accused me of being «disrespectful» and I left her shop telling her I would leave her this review — bad enough to treat an adult this way but taking advantage of a child is doubly unethical. She ran after me screaming that she would take my picture — I called her the «b» word, not my finest moment, I admit — and she grabbed me, pulled my jacket, stuck her finger in my face, cursing, etc. Unbelievable, my 9-​year-​old was hanging on to me for dear life; and she yelled after me as I tore myself out of her grip that she was going to braid my daughter’s hair —? As if I would let her at that point! I’m stuck now with a busy weekend and her hair down, and a busy back-​to-​achool week ahead. I suggest you look elsewhere if you have to keep a schedule, since they don’t seem to keep a book here. Let the buyer beware! I don’t usually leave reviews but I was compelled to respond to this bizarre behavior by warning others.
Update September 2015:
Added one more star because Nia did try to make this right by calling me to apologize and offered to do my daughter’s braids for free. We didn’t take her up on this. I give her points for that, it was a professionally smart attempt to improve customer service.

They deserve more stars. I heard of this hair salon from a coworker. They are a few blocks away from civic center bart station, right across from gilde memorial church. First off I would like to say how nice the ladies are. I definitely felt welcomed. I brought my tablet to watch movies while getting my extentions. They sell hair so, I didn’t have to bring MY OWN! which was a plus. Emma told me I was about to get hooked up!!! And that’s exactly what I got :-) I LOVE my braids;-)
I forgot the names of the other 2 stylist there that day, but they are beyond funny. They finished my hair in no time, I was like «done already»? Lol. I would also like to mention my scalp was greased and oiled while putting in my extentions. I will continue to let them style my hair. I cannot wait to see my healthy hair growth.

I love Amma’s African Hair Braiding! I’ve been coming here for years and I never leave disappointed. I usually get long box braids and Amma does a wonderful job making sure to do a proficient job! She also does weaves, twist, locs and pretty much anything else you want done! I’ve seen her do it all! I totally recommend her! 5 + STARS!!!

Amma is amazing! I just walked in and she was ready for me in 10 minutes with no appointment! After two hours, my twist braids was finished! She took the time to make sure I was happy with what she was doing, she even added a few different color hair to my braids for free! The whole time we just joked and laugh, and at the end she showed me several different ways to wear my twist braids! I am sooooo coming back!!! This is women is WONDERFUL!

Amma and her crew are a pure joy to be around they were quick and efficient and did an amazing job with my hair. I highly recommend to come here for all of your braiding needs.

I wish I could give ten stars, because amma is probably one of the best hairstylists I’ve ever met, and one of the greatest people I’ve ever met. I always do my hair here. Since I moved up here from la 3 years ago. My hair is the healthiest its ever been because of these ladies. I didn’t take out those previous braids that they put in for me 8 months ago, and Today I came in stressed and tired with half of my hair out of braids and the other half in and she took time to get each one out, then took more time to get all the knots out. And then she braided my hair and it looked absolutely amazing! And she finished everything before I had to work by four.
I’m telling you… this is the place to get your hair braided! They always do an amazing job and they will ALWAYS WORK WITH YOU.
ps my sister and I always go to this shop and BOTH OF US HAVE LICE FREE HAIR!!! (:

Amazing work at a totally fair price. My hair is super short (2 inches) — the braider did a great job and when I lost a few braids due to the length of my hair, Sia Amma and her braider, Diane, were more than happy to accommodate me to fix the fallen soldiers.
I will gladly continue making the drive from Santa Cruz to get my hair done here! Clean, well-​kept salon with a large selection of hair available for purchase. Very warm and friendly environment as well!

I waited a couple of weeks after my appointment to rate this place, because I wanted to see how the braids held up and let that have an impact on it. The braids held up really well, but otherwise I’m not super fond of the place.
I called the night before to make an appointment, and was lucky enough to get one the next day. I came across their website first, and called from there to get prices, which the person who answered the phone was somewhat vague about, before deciding to make an appointment. Afterward, I went to check Unilocal and found the (now non-​existent) voucher, worth $ 150 for $ 115. The voucher listed no stipulations on it, so I went why not, I’ll say twenty or thirty bucks in the end. Bought the voucher, go into the appointment. This is where the trouble starts.
Apparently the voucher was for a «specific type of braiding», aka half singles and half cornrows… which was not mentioned anywhere on the voucher, in the email, or on the Unilocal site. Furthermore, the braider was a contractor, and would be expecting cash in hand, and Unilocal supposedly takes two months to send out payment if someone uses a voucher. Not cool. They also don’t take credit cards at the moment, so you’re left walking down to the ATM on the corner, paying a $ 3.50 ATM fee on top of whatever your bank charges you, and getting harassed by people for money. In the end, it took me about five hours to get my hair done, and paid $ 190 for the braiding and the hair, plus a $ 20 tip – all in all, I was out $ 325, before the voucher was refunded. They do a decent enough job, but I don’t know if I’d be returning, for the price.

I was born and raised in Detroit where I was taught that I should never let anyone other than a black lady do my hair. Because who else can do your hair unless they know what it’s like having that same kind of hair? With that being said, when I moved to Oakland 2 years ago, I thought I was in a mecca for black hair stylist. I always gets sew ins because I feel pretty with them and I get to have fun with styling my hair.
The first time I got my hair done in 2012, it was at a salon called 99 weaves in downtown Oakland. Within a month of getting my hair done, my extensions were coming undone in so many places. The second time, I was referred to someone by a friend. My hair looked like crap and lasted only 2 weeks. So after that, I was over finding hair stylist in Oakland and looked to the city to get my hair done.
I found an ad on Craig’s list for this shop, so I called to inquire prices. $ 175 for a sew in was a little much for my budget, but since my original hair stylist dumped me without a word the day before, I decided to go with Amma. The upside to this salon? I got my hair done in a Sunday. Usually, downtown SF is empty in the weekends, but Amma keeps her shop open 7 days a week.
I got there at 10:05 am and Amma was there waiting for me. I told her what I was looking for style wise and she got to work. Her braiding was tight and all the braids were small size. No bulk under my weave! After a quick break to the coffee shop, she came back and finished up. Within 4 hours, I had a my hair done. Now I’m super picky and hated my hair when I left the shop, but as usual, after a few days getting it to lay right, I love my hair. My braids are still tight and everything looks great. And the best part? When ever I got a sew in before, pulling my hair back into a ponytail was always tricky. I could only pull it back in a low ponytail so that my tracks don’t show much. But Amma does wonderful work and I can pull my ponytail back up a little high without worrying if it definitely looks fake.
I’ll definitely go back to Amma to get my hair redone in the future. Thanks again.