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Salon Review: Tia's Natural Hair Salon, Streatham, London

5/1/2013

 
Neno Natural Rating: 3/10 if I am being generous.

Alarm bells should have been going off when I walked into Tia's Natural Hair Salon and realised that all the pictures on the wall were of people with locs and of the 6 or so stylists: 4 had locs, 1 had poorly maintained relaxed hair and the one doing my hair had relaxed hair that was under a scarf. She later revealed it was damaged. This should have been an indicator that knowledge on dealing with freely floating natural hair may be low low low.

I will rate by category as follows:
Picture
Style I Requested...
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...Style I Got!
1. On copying they style I requested? 
Why don't you vote, out of 10 (use the poll) ->

2. Customer respect: 6/10
I could tell she was trying to be polite but she was also patronising. She kept assuming I know less than her about hair not realising I have a mad crazy hair blog and I've been reading a lot of stuff to better understand my hair. 

You shouldn't be condescending to someone you know little or nothing about IMHO.

The salon owner, Tia, was there and I would give her a 9 out of 10. She was very sweet and polite. She even offered me a peppermint tea when I said I hadn't slept well.
3. Knowledge of natural hair: 1/10

Above and beyond knowing that natural hair is unrelaxed hair I didn't feel my stylist knew anything about the science of black hair. Natural or not. Some of the silly things she said included:
  • "Don't wash your hair too often." Only once every 2 weeks! Come on!! Even before Audrey Davis-Sivasothy came out with her Science of Black Hair it became commonly accepted that water is the ultimate source of moisture especially for natural hair.
  • When I mentioned that my scalp gets itchy she said it's because I wash my hair too often (too often being weekly).

4. Product ingredients knowledge: inconclusive

I didn't test her specifically but many things in the salon had petrolatum, maybe locs are better with petrolatum, I don't know. She recommended QP Elasta Conditioner which has petrolatum but I'm still going to try it because AfricanExport gave it a positive review.

When I pulled up the video of AfricanExport reviewing the product I asked if she knew her and she said no, "I don't watch any of 'dem' American people they have nothing to tell me," at that point I felt like walking out because I love Americans.

So, I asked which British naturals she knows and she didn't know any. Fair enough. I won't mark her down for that.
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5. On combing cautiously and sparingly: 2/10

She combed FAR too liberally. She just kept ripping her comb through my hair without a care. I asked her to use my specially-designed-to-be-gentle wide tooth comb and she did, but said she preferred hers because it combed the hair more finely. THAT'S THE REASON I WANTED HER TO USE MINE.

6. On pulling: 5/10

She pulled the edges too tightly but she spared the hairline upfront that's why this is a 5 rather than a 3. 

I asked her to pull more gently when she started at the back. She did but not before retorting, "Every time I touch your hair you have something to say." For any Americans reading this, don't be shocked customer service in the UK is (on average) not what it is in the US!

My whole head hurts right now confirming that she pulled too tight.

5. On using heat with caution: 3/10

She was going to start blow drying without asking me! If there is one thing every seasoned natural knows it's that many naturals can be 'funny' about using heat and you should ask before using it. I am one such natural

I had conditioned myself to accept a blow dry, because the last time I had cornrows the tangles caused a real headache.

I asked her to put the heat on medium so she did. 

She insisted I need to blow dry my hair regularly because my hair is too course and will tangle much less. This is something I might try because my hair does tangle A LOT and I saw today that it wasn't breaking from the blow dry. 

That my hair survived is testament to a very good deep condition the night before!

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MzShirlAnn
5/1/2013 06:45:12 pm

This type of customer service is also standard in a lot of American hair and nail salons. It was very clear from the picture of your hair that she was not capable of styling your hair like the picture you requested. The style and braids looks like something you attempted yourself.

Heather @ Neno Natural
5/1/2013 07:42:49 pm

You're right! What's the point of hitting a salon if it looks like you did it yourself!

~ Heather

NoScrunchie link
5/1/2013 08:18:24 pm

The lack of customer service is appalling. She should have been honest and admitted to having no idea what she was doing. If I was her boss, knowing her limitations, I would have stepped in for the sake of the salon reputation.

Shea Decadence link
6/1/2013 07:03:03 am

This, I do not miss! When I think about the abuse my poor hair suffered at the hands of hair dressers, I'm truly surprised and grateful I have hair. The said truth is Most hairdressers aren't taught to deal with natural hair.....

Lyn link
5/2/2013 04:15:58 am

When friends or family ask me to braid their hair, I take my time and try to get it to look as close to the pictured style as possible. I really like the hair style I think I will try it out in my sis's hair.

londonurbanpixie
26/5/2013 06:08:18 am

with about 4 inches of natural hair I chose to go to Tia's. No offer of a beverage. My hair was done by her colleague, who wore a scarf. Can't remember her name, maybe Cynthia or maybe I've just made that name up.She commented how peculiar my hair was with 3 textures going on and it had a loose curl AND YET she gave me comb coils. I DID question this and told her, that I personally wanted interlocking. £45 for that simple thing and about an hour's work. Suffice to say, I didn't go back. coils lasted a week so I went somewhere else for 2-strand twists and interlocking. rating: 1/10

Heather @ Neno Natural
26/5/2013 06:05:23 pm

Oh no!! :(

nikkie
30/12/2013 03:43:40 am

£45 is and always has been for a wash, re-twist and style. I have been going to Tia's for years after a bad experience at Morris Roots which is so much closer to home.

You get what you ask for there with regards to hair and all staff are very friendly. We kay not always be offered a drink but if we ask for one we will get one.

Shops have staff, rent and utilities to pay and black people need to stop being so tight and appreciate that!

Akeilah
15/11/2015 08:40:02 am

This hairdressers is absolutely appalling. I walked out the salon and got straight into a taxi because I felt so ashamed of the style. I should have known that I had made a mistake when there were still grey hairs after a dye. The "stylist" said that she would just cover them when styling! I then showed her a style that I wanted and she proceeded to do something completely different. Pushing my hair here, pulling it there, as if hoping for the best. I had to ask her if she was struggling. There was another customer waiting for the stylist who was messing about with my hair. It gets worse, another stylist who was clearly very angry proceeded to "style" my hair and rather than leave bald, I paid £85 for looking ridiculous


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    By Heather Katsonga-Woodward

    I was a natural hair blogger and mixtress living between London & Chicago from 2012 to 2017. I always thought I was 4C but some say 4B; images below - you decide! Heather xx

    p.s. I now blog about wealth and personal finance on my personal website.

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