Aimee Washington
Google
I rarely write reviews, but I feel compelled to share my experience with this keratin smoothing treatment. After searching for options in my area, I stumbled upon this particular salon. Their website mentioned that the price could be obtained by calling, so I decided to inquire. As a first-time customer, I had no idea what to expect in terms of cost. When I spoke to the representative, she mentioned that the treatment usually ranged from $125 to $150. However, she proceeded to ask me about the length and curliness of my hair, which made me think that these factors might affect the price. Despite noticing her lack of familiarity with black hair based on some of the comments she made, I chose to give her the benefit of the doubt. Considering the reasonable price, I decided to proceed with booking it anyway.
During the treatment, I noticed that the stylist was not blow-drying my hair properly after applying the product. She seemed to be scraping my hair with the brush, which concerned me. Nevertheless, I tried to trust the process. Once she finished flat ironing my hair, I realized that the ends looked extremely damaged. It appeared that either the blow-drying or the flat iron's heat setting might not have been hot enough. I even suggested blow-drying it a bit more, but she assured me that what she was doing was the right way. When it was time to pay, the stylist said "4 and a half by 125" which meant a total of 4.5 hours multiplied by $125. I was taken aback and confused. Could she really be charging me by the hour for a total of $562.50? And to make matters worse, I had already given a $50 down payment the day before.
In all my years, I had never encountered a salon that charged by the hour. I felt shocked and unprepared, repeatedly expressing my surprise to the stylist, who looked at me as if I were crazy. I stood there, contemplating how I would afford this unexpected expense and what my next steps should be. Eventually, I paid and left, although I regret purchasing additional products that I had seen for the same price on Amazon. I was just too shook to realize what I was doing. I left the salon feeling terrible, as I had never spent such a significant amount on my hair, especially when the results were subpar.
Once I returned home, I decided to blow-dry and straighten my hair again to improve its appearance. The stylist had advised against washing it for three days, but I waited four just to be safe. After washing and styling my hair again, I noticed that it was softer and more manageable, but unfortunately, it was still a bit frizzy. The stylist had assured me that frizz would not be an issue. This only added to my frustration.
A week later, while visiting my boyfriend in Philly, I researched other salons offering similar treatments. To my dismay, I found prices ranging from $200 to $350, with none even close to the $600 I had paid. I felt furious and disgusted, realizing that I had wasted a significant amount of money on a poorly executed treatment. To make matters worse, when I messaged the stylist to express my disappointment with the price, she seemed shocked and said that she couldn't believe that I didn't want to pay. I couldn't believe her audacity even after I had clearly stated that I expected to pay a maximum of $150, yet the final cost was $600. She argued that she had mentioned the hourly rate during our phone conversation, but even if I had misheard, why didn't she provide an estimate of the total price? All the other salons I researched in Philly had set prices, with some indicating that there might be additional charges. None of them, however, would have amounted to $600. The stylist also tried to justify the cost by mentioning the professional products she used and the 4.5 hours she spent on my hair. But what she did was nothing extraordinary, and when I looked up the kit she used, it wasn't even that expensive. I am beyond upset, and I will never to set foot in that salon again. I will just purchase my own kit and do it myself at home.
