Kari’s Dominican Style Hair Salon

I called to make an appointment for the following day and the lady that answered the phone was very friendly and nice. They didn’t really take any information down so I figured they were more of a first come first serve kind of salon. I came in the next morning and I got a price check on how much my service would be for everything I wanted. I have natural hair so it’s an extra $ 10 for the wash, set, and blow dry, which is originally $ 40. I also got a trim which is an extra $ 10 plus a deep condition which is also an extra $ 10. So everything came up to $ 70 total. It wasn’t bad for me the price seemed reasonable because I understand that natural hair is a little hard to manage. So everything was good until one of the girls were arguing with me for like 10 minutes on washing my hair with shampoo which I don’t use in my hair because it strips it of its moisture. I haven’t used shampoo in 2 years I wasn’t going to start that day. So they deep conditioned my hair. Then after I sat under the dryer for 30 minutes she washed out my hair and sat me to do the roller set. Let me remind you that I have natural African American hair, so the detangling process is already difficult. So this dummy decided to use the skinniest comb to comb my hair with and detangle. I really wish I got her name but I didn’t. But the whole time she complained about how my hair was natural and difficult to get threw, and I’m like uh yea idiot use a wider tooth comb. She was doing it out of spite because my hair is nice and healthy and she had ugly Broken off permed hair. So finally the nice lady came and took over her name is Berquice. She was wonderful she handled my hair so gently and she was so nice and friendly, and she also has natural hair so she understood. And she also had common sense which is a nice change from the other girl. So long story short I had a rough beginning and an overall good experience. My hair came out beautiful and I loved it. It did smell a little like burnt hair but that was expected. They do use a lot of heat so I wouldn’t recommend to going every two weeks but at least once every 2 or 3 months is safe. The salon is clean and organized, you just have to avoid the rude girl there because just her alone can make you feel like the customer service is horrible.

So I frequent this salon mostly when I’m due for a trim or too lazy to do my own hair. I had a bad experience once (burned badly on my ear) & the owner was nice enough to offer me free services on my next visit. My next visit was just as bad…
I went in on a Thursday, I asked for a regular with deep condition & a trim. When getting my hair washed I felt disrespected by how roughly they detangled my hair. I have curly hair which I try so hard to be nice to, detangling in sections gently. My hair felt ripped through with a comb, no sections just combing like it wasn’t tangled at all (which it was after a week of being curly). The stylist sent me away and when I asked what happened to my deep condition she said «why didn’t you tell me?» Well what was the point of telling the person who greeted me at the door and even wrote it on a card for me?
Next it was time for rollers. I was asked if I wanted my hair straight or curly, I opted for the bouncy curls I am used to getting from them obviously. She then placed large rollers in my hair that they’ve never used on me before, whatever. I was under the dryer for an hour which seemed longer than what I’m used to.
Guess who left with straight hair? Yeah me. I could’ve reminded her of my curls as well but after trying to be convinced to skip my trim assuming because I was the last client and the stylist wanted to leave, why bother? I was completely disappointed and over it.
Remember my free service? When it was time to pay the stylist had no idea what I was referring to. I even called the owner that Tuesday to remind her and she said she would let them know. My hair was extremely dry and smelled burnt when I left, I even had to go home to moisturize it and flat iron it myself. My pillow case reeked of burnt hair smell even when I woke up the next morning.
I usually have good service here but these last two times have been horrible to me. After a long stressful week this was my treat before leaving on a trip. It’s unfortunate but I won’t be returning to this salon. Id rather shell out the extra cash & go to Hugo’s where my hair is treated nicely and just how I want it when I leave (no touch ups necessary)

Worst experience yet at a Dominican hair salon! I am currently 3 months pregnant and wanted to get my hair straightened before I had to return to school in the next few days. I don’t usually have a set hair salon that I always go to but I saw a few great reviews about this salon and decided to go there. I showed up at 12:30 and told them exactly what I wanted and didn’t mind waiting. But then I fell asleep and a lady came over an hour and a half later and woke me up. Mind you when I first came and was told to wait they said there was only one person working! But a different lady came an started me. I didn’t want a wash because I already washed it. When they lady started everything was fine she asked if the dryer was too hot and I said no. Right after the question was asked everything went wrong. I have a short pixie bob cut and I understand the difficulty in straightening short hair. I have been to Dominican hair salon before with this same cut which was a lot shorter at the time and came out of there satisfied! The lady who did my hair was burning my scalp like it felt like she was just standing there holding a lighter on my scalp. I attempted to tell her that it was really burning me and all she said was «yes! It’s hot!» Her manager or the owner attempted to tell her how to do it in Spanish and I could’ve sworn I heard the girl say «puta». I took four years of Spanish and can understand a good amount of the language so I was very upset when I heard that. She continued to burn my scalp and she had no care in the world on how I was feeling. I almost passed out for the burn and heat. She was very ride and disresptful. A nasty attitude and it highly showed on her face! I waited another hour after she finished to wait for her manager to straighten it for me. She blew out my hair some more because the girl didn’t even do it correctly and styled it. She was very apologetic for me waiting. That I can say was the only positive side of this experience. But unfortunately I will never return to this salon and will not recommend it to anyone I know at all!!!

Do you want to get overcharged for no reason then this is your spot. I feel bad for thee owner since she seems very nice. I walked in asked for a quote and they said 60. I thought it was a lot but I was ok with it. While the lady was doing my hair (and in a bad mood) she kept telling me how much hair I had and that it should me more. By the time I left she charged me 80. I asked why and she told me that she already said why while she was doing my hair.
Stupid me went back a second time with my daughter and a different hair dresser. They gave me and her a quote. When I leave to buy at a near by store my daughter calls me and tells me that they are charging her more and they wanted to let me know. I went back and picked her up with her hair all wet (like a good old Dominican momma!!).
The owner apologized but it was too late.

I came into Kari’s Salon for a blowout, which took about two hours. Way too long, as this service can usually be done in about an hour for my type of hair. The ladies here were very rude to me, and the worst part is that when I asked for water, they said NO! They put me under a super hot dryer for about an hour, and when I started to feel quite faint and dehydrated. I told the stylist and asked if I could have some water. I received a disappointing answer with a flat out, «No». Not even a sorry. I couldn’t believe this! Needless to say, I left the salon with a bad taste in my mouth, and my hair wasn’t to my liking either so I had to get it redone shortly thereafter. I don’t recommend this place based on the service alone.

There are two Unilocal istings for this salon, but I’ll assume this is the correct one since it has the Unilocal deal and website listed.
So, I bought a Groupon for $ 35 for $ 70 worth of services because my daughter needed a blow out and cut, last minute. Typically, we go to Biro’s in Rockville, even though it’s a little farther out. I figured $ 35 was a good deal adn it’s right near my house, so we gave Kari’s a try. My daughter has shoulder length 4a hair that is half relaxed (thanks to her grandmother, NOT me). Also, she is 9 yrs old. I made the appt for 9 am on a Saturday, hoping to be in and out. The woman who washed and set my daughter’s hair was very friendly (sorry, I didn’t get any names). However, she washed and lathered her hair 3x, which I thought was a little excessive, considering it wasn’t dirty and I had just washed it 3 days before. She set it quickly and sat her under the dryer on medium heat (for about 45min– 1 hr ?) – usually my daughter complains that it’s too hot, but this time she didn’t, so I thought that was good. Until finally it was done… as she started taking out the rollers, it wasn’t completely dry, so she went under for another 30 min.
Next, another woman began blow drying her hair. My daughter has had this done 10+ times and usually deals very well, but the lady kept burning her scalp with the dryer. She told her several times it was too hot and she just said «yes, it is». Halfway through, my daughter kept flinching every time the dryer came near her, but the stylist didn’t change anything. I understand it’s supposed to be super hot and I know all about the smoke, but on younger clients, most stylists understand not to go so close to the scalp. Then she took out the flat iron which she usually doesn’t need to have done, but she was getting a cut, so I figured that’s why. I told her that it needed a lot of evening out because I had tried to trim it myself and didn’t do a great job. She spent about 5 min trimming her hair and the front was very choppy looking. Ended up leaving a little after noon, so over 3 hrs (no wait)
When it came time to pay, I used the Groupon and even though I didn’t feel she got a real hair cut (not totaling $ 70), paying $ 35 for a blow out and trim is a good deal, nonetheless.
I will say, that now a week later, my daughter’s hair still looks great! This is probably the longest lasting blow out she’s ever had. However, we may have to stick to Biro’s, since its much quicker and painless.

I’m giving this place 2 stars because I think my hair turned out ok but –3 stars for customer service.
I have natural hair and I wanted a wash and blowout. I specifically went on a weekday because there is a special ($ 25 for a wash and blowout with a $ 10-​$ 20 upcharge for natural hair as specified on the website). My natural hair is not very long and not very tightly coiled so I was expecting to pay about $ 35. When I walked in the woman who greeted me told me that I couldn’t use the weekday special at all because I have natural hair, and it would be the regular price of $ 50 (which obviously disagrees with what’s on their website).
Then after I get my hair done the woman who did it told me it would be $ 40, which was fine, it wasn’t much more than what I was expecting to pay originally. She ran my credit card and then when I noticed there was no line for a tip I told her I wanted to add one. Her reply was I said it was 40. I’ll have to run the card again, in a tone like I was inconveniencing her by trying to make sure she got a tip !(?)
Overall I like how my hair looks but I was underwhelmed with the salon and probably won’t return due to the customer service.

These days I’m all about being low maintenance with the illusion of being high maintenance.
Okay, well maybe that is a stretch. Medium maintenance?
Like I have a job. And that I shower.
But when it comes to my hair, I’ve got to admit that I’m on the low end. I’m impatient, usually in a rush and just want to look polished. The quick pull back is always an easy go to, but since I really enjoy wearing my hair straight, there is work to be done. And although the transition to a relaxer free lifestyle a year ago has not been as difficult of an adjustment as I anticipated, it’s definitely a bit more of a challenge straightening my own hair without frying the hell out of it.
One Friday afternoon a few months ago, I was in a rush. (Shocker.) I had just hopped off a plane and knew there were plans to be out in these streets that night. The problem is, my hair had not received that memo. Since I knew my regular hairdresser would be super busy on a Friday without an appointment, I decided to opt for an adventure to find someone open that was willing to wash and set that bad boy for me in a jiffy.
Insert, Kari’s!
I poked my head in, asked if they accepted walk-​ins and within minutes my hair was being washed and conditioned in the back room.
Now, don’t expect anything too extravagant, fancy pants. The space is modest. But it’s clean, service is professional and the prices are completely reasonable.
Additionally, I walked out with my hair looking great and styled really nicely! Unfortunately, the one block walk back wiped out everything. When I got back to my apartment, I looked a bit more like the «before» pic rather than the «after.»
*Le sigh.*
Either way, I’d definitely go back. I was in and out quickly and the vibe there was super mellow.

* After posting my initial review the owner reached out to me to rectify the situation. We spoke briefly via telephone about my experience and she asked me to stop by the shop while she is onsite to get my hair styled.
PROS:
My visit was quick and the salon is always clean.
I was given a 6 month hair growth program membership card valued @ $ 40. The membership entitles me to a weekly (natural hair) wash, blowout, deep conditioner, & ampulla treatment for $ 45 a visit.
My hair is straight & lifeless, I mean weightless.
CONS:
My visit consisted of a rinse & conditioning + blowout, because my hair had been washed on my previous visit 3 – 4 days before.
After my conditioner my hair was ONLY hand-​blown straight & DRY.
I woke up with the burnt hair smell even after I applied dry oil to combat my dried out blow out.
I was given a 6 month hair growth program membership card valued @ $ 40. The membership entitles me to a weekly (natural hair) wash, blowout, deep conditioner, & ampulla treatment for $ 45 a visit.
I WAS CHARGED $ 20, so in actuality I made two visits to get one blowout and still paid a total of $ 35…YEAaaaa I can’t say that I’m satisfied, but I will credit Kari for listening to my concerns and attempting to correct any grievances.