Profile

In historic Harlem, a brownstone beauty shop can sit next to a funeral parlor and no one blinks an eye: The bereaved go upstairs, while beauticians head down to an Afrocentric spa and hair salon that fairly bustles with activity. Most folks start at the wash station, where a shampooer might sing aloud to the Muzak-ed Toni Braxton jam while scrubbing the hell out of a scalp using Aveda products and elbow grease. Clients then advance through moisturizing steam conditioning before finally landing in their stylists’ chairs. Here, dreadlocks are deftly palm-rolled with Sebastian’s molding mud and twisted into intricate designs, and straightened tresses—sleek from either relaxer or hot comb—are blown out or wrapped around rods for a curly set. Just about everyone does a stint under the domed hair dryers, where the hot blasts are softened by the sweet-orange-oil-scented towels brought by the spa assistant. This soothing act might lead women to book a service later in one of several treatment rooms that play host to Swedish and hot-stone massages as well as deep-pore-cleansing facials. — Chanize Thorpe

Appointments are precious, and walk-ins are not encouraged. Come in after 4 p.m. and expect to wait a loooong time.

Sales
The salon’s Website often lists holiday promos.