Jun 03 2008
June’s Featured Dominican Stylist - Carmen Nuñez
Elinelsys (Eli) Castillo of RoundBrushHair.com spoke with this month’s featured stylist Carmen Nuñez of NY Dominican Stylists in Washington, DC about why customer service is so important, products in her salon, her secret to treating hair loss and more.
Fast Facts:
- From: Santiago, DR
- Years in hair care: 15 years
- Salon: NY Dominican Stylists Salon & Spa
- Salon Location:
- Salon Number: (202) 722-6640
- Important salon information: Specializes in caring for relaxed hair and hair cuts.
RBH: Congratulations for being our June’s Featured Dominican stylist! One of the reasons we selected you to feature is because from reading the comments on our Dominican salon locator, you provide great customer service and a friendly atmosphere.
Carmen: Thank you for featuring me! Customer service is very important to me. I value relationships with my clients and I want them to feel comfortable talking to me if they have an issue or problem. I also have a strict rule in my salon: stylists are not allowed to speak Spanish around non-Spanish speaking clients. I don’t want the clients to think we are talking about them negatively, so we speak English around clients.
RBH: I know a lot of clients appreciate that rule. Our blog hostess Chaka Lopez wrote about that very issue not too long ago. Tell us a little bit about how you got started in the hair business.
Carmen: Well, I have always enjoyed working with hair ever since I was young girl. I can remember practicing hair styles and different hair cuts on my dolls and sister’s hair in the
RBH: So tell us a little about the services at your salon and how you care for hair.
Carmen: We do everything - waxing, permanent colors, highlights and cuts. But I specialize in keeping relaxed hair healthy and strong. At the salon we use both Dominican and Italian products. But Dominican products are great for relaxed hair. Some of the products we use to care for various hair types:
For dry hair: I have my own secret mixture of products I call my personal Bomba. Clients can ask for it when they visit the salon. It’s an extra fee.
RBH: Most of the products you mentioned are conditioners. Do you recommend rinses? What is the major difference between rinse conditioners and deep conditioners?
New York Dominican Stylists Salon & Spa
(202) 722-6640
Roundbrush,
I just want to say that you guys are GREAT! Thanks for keeping the ladies abreast to all of the great ways to care for our hair! This salon seems great! I think that it’s cool that this salon is attempting to not make their customers feel awkward. I know that sometimes I feel akward when people are talking around me and I have no idea what their saying.
Then again, one shouldn’t feel like they can’t speak their native tongue…but I guess that’s a whole other converstaion/debate.
Anyway, the salon looks comfy and the ladies’ hair looks great!!!! I wish that I could visit New York and get a “Personal Bomba!” Good luck to this salon and thanks again, Roundbrush!
I like the no-spanish speaking rule, however, that is not always possible. I have met many stylist that do not speak english. I must vist your salon when I’m in the DC area.
Wow, this is fantastic. How did i just find out about you guys? I review Dominican salons in NY on my blog www.beautylogic.blogspot.com . I’ve only reviewed 2 so far on the site but your blog is fantastic. thanks so much.
Hello,
I recently relocated to Maryland from Rochester, NY and I’ve been doing my hair myself (touch up/and washing), and getting my ends trimmed every other month by a professional. Although I have relaxed hair, I am really interested in going natural, w/o the chemicals but need a professional opinion on about my hair falling out or the fact that I do have thick hair with “crunchy/poofy” edges and nape areas. I’d like to come to the NY Dominican Stylist Salon soon but would like to ask a few questions before I come. Please help. I like what I am reading thus far!
Tonya,
My husband and I will be moving to Rochester soon, and I haven’t been able to fine any Dominican salons in the database. Do you know of any that at least have a Dominican stylist in their shops?
Thank you,
Monique
My first experience on August 5th with the shop was excellent. I was very pleased at the way my hair looked the next day. Carmen is the bomb!! My long term goal is to continue to get my hair blow dryed to ultimately get all the perm out of my hair. Not sure if this is possible however I’ve spoken with one of Carmen’s customer whose hair is just as “nappy” as mine and it’s possible. Either way I’m going to continue getting my hair blown out without perm until I see that it’s doing more harm than good.
Furthermore, my only complaint was getting my hair washed. In my opinion the shampooer didn’t wash my hair with force (using her nails) instead she constantly patted (using her palms) my hair to wash it causing my hair to itch more. Consequently, I know my hair is going to start feeling dirty in a couple of days. Otherwise, my experience was great and I will be going back.
Thanks Carmen……..
I see that you stated in your add that you specialize in relaxed hair, so I take it that you don’t do natural hair?
Im african american and have natural hair, I live in Alexandria, Virginia and recently got my hair done in Hampton, VA at a Dominican shop and I like the way my hair looks and I really like the price’s, I just got the basic, wash / set blowdry.
Please respond.
Okay, first of all I see that some of you are confused.The salon being metioned, ” New York Domincan Hair Stylists” is located in NW Washington DC on Georgia Ave, closer to Silver Spring MD, NOT in the state of NY!
To Geraldine, yes Carmen does specialize in relaxed hair but she does natural hair as well, Carmen just isn’t good at it but some of the other stylists are. As I wish to be natural, I’ve been trasitioning for seven months. I’ve been to the salon more that twenty times and I’ve learned about the different sylists and who does what the best. Carmen does not get “all natural” hair as straight as some of the others and it only lasts for a week where as if you let another stylist do it it could last for two or three weeks. Carmen is afraid to burn her clients with all the heat but I take it that you already know what the HEAT is all about, so go ahead and give it a try! If/ when you go ask for “Haga”, she’s the best!!! The cost for a wash, set , and blowdry is $43 and with deep conditiong it is $45.
I agree with Shaniqua above me. They mostly specialize in relaxed hair but some of the other stylist do a good job on natural/trainsitioning hair. I’ve been there a couple of times since they opened in 2007 but I stop going because I’ve learned to do my own hair. The only thing I didn’t like is being charged extra as a natural when I had only 1 in. of new growths, when i was relaxed (now i’m fully natural and loving it!).
They do speak spanish around their clients to each other, and according to my sister, who speaks and understand spanish, they’re not saying the most plessant things. Sometimes they’ll pressure me into relaxing my hair when I was transitioning and that’s one of the reason I learned to start doing my hair so that I can do what I want to MY hair and I get excellent salon quality results!
Other than that, I can’t deny that they don’t do an awesome job when it comes to blow-outs and cuts.