Nubian Kinks

I had horrible experiences with these folks. They are probably good with locks, but cornrows… NOT! My first visit, T worked on my hair and had to be assisted by the owner every step of the way, from the way she washed, detangled, blowdried (with a brush!), and even cornrowed, and I could hear my hair ripping in the process. I only returned because they were so apologetic and gave me a discount.
My third appointment was rescheduled last-​minute with no one to cornrow my hair, and they acted like they were doing me a favor by having me wait for hours between other clients. And Nadia… I should have read the ⁵⁄₂₃ review on her. She skimped on blowdrying my hair, leaving tangled roots, because I’d told her I wanted a trim. But am I supposed to walk out with tangled roots AND no one to style? She rolled her eyes, saying, if you want it bone-​straight you’ll have to wait. So she blow-​dried it so much my hair felt like hay afterwards, and she left it hanging out.
My second time was admittedly better, with the owner, but each time I had an appointment before 5pm and left after midnight.
I thought this place would be good because it’s close to home and not as pricey as some other natural hair salons but I guess as they say, you get what you pay for.

I walked in with a full thick Afro and walked out nearly bald all at the hands of Nadia!!! I thought I was getting a great hair cut and even though she took too much off at the sides I was still ok then she said she was just gonna trim the top not realizing she was being lazy and just didn’t want to deal with all the hair I still had on top and then she butchered me!!! She wanted me to walk out looking like Cris Cross knowing very well I gave her a head full of hair to work with she tried to convince me that the massacred style she gave me was what I asked for! Then she tried to pass me off to another stylist who wasn’t even working that day!!! She knew she butchered me cause she was trying to style me at the sink instead of the mirror chair!!! The owner tried her best to stop my tears but believe me nothing can replace my 6 inches of hard grown natural hair!!! Nadia needs her license revoked so beware of her because she doesn’t know how to cut hair! She told me that the tapered look I wanted was a pixie cut even though the picture I showed her was nothing of the sort!!! Oh and I’m still here after she started my hair at 12:30pm now it’s 9:36pm!!! I was her first client! She only had two!!! WORST STYLIST EVER!!! She should change her profession to a butcher!!! UNPROFESSIONAL TOO!!! But wait there’s more!!! Nadia isn’t even licensed in NYS!!!

5 stars – What a great experience! It started with the first phone call. The receptionist was helpful and gave me all the information I needed as an «out of towner”-including booking an appointment for me with Kim, the very gracious and talented owner, at the time I needed. I was coming straight from the airport and he even gave me directions AND a website I could use to get real-​time best directions according to current traffic. On the day of my service, I was delayed by traffic, called and spoke directly to Kim. She was so sweet and professional on the phone-​and encouraged me to come anyway. Wow, I am so glad that I did! She greeted me personally as soon as I walked in! As harried and frazzled as I was, I was immediately calmed by the wash-​a deep minty tingly foamy shampoo-​with an amazing massage by one of the other talented stylists (Kim was finishing with another patron but made sure that my time was respected-​even though I was late!). One brown sugar cinnamon hot oil stream treatment later, I was completely sold! Kim offered to have someone else set my hair (again in respect of my time), but I was ok with waiting. On this particular day, Kim was one of 4 stylists working. She was also answering the phone, checking patrons out, and getting everyone who came in. Superwoman! A short time passed before she was ready for my service-​I had a trim and the repair of about 12 of my locs. She also suggested highlights which I accepted. She made quick work of the spiral roller set that I’d been wanting, all the while chatting pleasantly and giving me great hair tips. After 2 hours under the dryer, I was truly amazed at her work! Aside from the day they started, in 12 years of loc-​dom, my hair has never been so happy! In summary-​Kim is great at this art! She truly loves the work and her clients. Her products are second to none. I am a 2hr flight away and I will be back!
This is a late post, detailing my visit from summer 2014 (I could not get my Unilocal account straight, but now it works). I was reminded to post this review as I am still very happy with my visit and am still using the amazing products (shampoo, spray conditioner, spray sheen, and loc pomade) that I bought when I was there and need to order more! My hair is still so happy! I can’t wait to get back in the spring.
Thank you, Kim!

Stopped in a couple of weeks ago as I’m transitioning from relaxed to natural hair and was looking to try out a new hairstyle for my birthday. Kim was warm and inviting and set me up with an appointment with Rah Jean. Had a lovely experience. The front desk staff was awesome and offered me coffee/​tea. Loved the products they used and Rah Jean made sure I was happy with my style before leaving. He had me laughing all night. Lots of people complimented me on my style, and when people on the street asked me where I got it done I happily told them at Nubian Kinks on Flatbush.

Poor communication with their receptionist ! Led to losing my business and went elsewhere. I called on to make an appt for a consultation and then have my big chop. I got there and the shop was empty and barely got a good consult after I was told they can’t do my hair and that wasn’t the plan and a client is scheduled in two hours… I came all the way from Long Island for a five minute consult to not cut off my permed ends and go completely natural ??? I ended up having to leave and got the job done elsewhere and was completely satisfied with their service and professionalism!

So I have to revise my review. I had to give them one more shot so I scheduled an appointment (very easily this time). I met with Pat for my consultation and she was a joy. Very friendly warm and informative. Can’t wait to see the results of my repair.

Awesome products (the Blue line and the oils). If I ever make it to Brooklyn I will definitely stop in for service. Do not be afraid of ordering the online products. The customer service is pretty good and the shipping time is not so bad either. The blue line is better than any store bought product please give it a try!

Wonderful experience here! I came to Nubian Kinks for a loc retwist and I would say I had a wonderful experience. I was greeted by name when I confirmed who I was and my appointment. Luna did my hair and it was amazing. I was given a nice wash, an oil treatment (with a nice scalp massage), and put under the steamer.
After which Luna twisted my hair up. It was quick but the job wasn’t rushed. Overall I was very happy with my experience at Nubian Kinks. The staff was nice and the service was great. I will definitely be back.

I got my loc extensions put in almost 4 years ago, and I have to say that it was one of the best decisions I have ever made regarding my hair! I would tell anyone who wants to avoid the «ugly» phase of locking to just go this route instead. The only thing I would recommend, and that I wish I had done, is to cut all of the perm out of your hair first (if you have perm that is)! The perm made it harder for my hair to loc and some of the extensions had to be resewn in a few times. Other then that, that was my only issue. Last fall after 3 years I went ahead and cut the extensions off, since my real hair had grown out enough and looked good. I am now extension free and in love with my hair! Best $ 500 I’ve spent!

This place was AWESOME! I went there to get my locks cut off and everyone there was so accommodating! Muna did a great job cutting my hair!

I received an email from Nubian Kinks advertising their Black Friday specials. I decided to get a wash, deep treatment and trim for $ 40 – because it was a good deal. I went into the salon with very soft, beautiful curls, and gave out with dry, hard hair. Here are the details of my experience:
–Luna, the stylist, shampooed my hair four times with a very drying shampoo
–I sat under the streamer, then she «conditioned» my hair again.
–When I sat down to «style» my hair (she gave me some big twist and attempted to knot them). She responded that my hair was dry and that we had to get it conditioned again.
–I went back to the sink to have her condition my hair again – not sure what she was putting on my hair because it was still dry.
–After drying my hair under the dryer, she took out my twist, my hair was semi wet and looked very dry. I asked her to please put it in two cornrows because I did not want to go outside looking a mess. She hesitated, but gave me two braids. I walked out looking like an extra from Color Purple.
I tipped her out of the goodness of my heart, but was so disappointed about the service I received. I will not be going back to this salon. If you have locs and want them styled, this is a good place. If you have unloced natural hair, save your time and money, despite the fact that they appear to be «cheaper» spend the extra $ 20-​$ 40 for better service and style.

Awesome place! I rarely ever get my hair done because doing natural hair in a salon is usually insanely expensive. I woke up this particular Sunday and debated on doing my hair. After calling literally 10 natural hair care salons in my area, I came across Numbian kinks. I wanted a two strand twist at it was already 2pm, first she said no, I needed an appointment. After she heard the sadness in my voice, she happily told me to come in. I ran in. The staff is overly friendly, offering tea and water. The receptionist is very very courteous. My stylist Rahgine was busy with another customer but on two different occasions the owner (Kimberly) came over to greet me and ask questions as did he. I wasn’t ignored and I didn’t mind waiting 45 min until my turn.
My stylist gave me the best peppermint oil scalp massages in the world. I love when a man does my hair for that purpose!
My stylist was very nice and took his time with my hair. I got small two strand twist which took about 3 hours but I had such a great time talking to him, the time when by really quick. Usually I am sleeping.
The price is your usual natural hair care salon in Brooklyn prices. I personally think its insane, but the time, effort and care that is put into your hair is priceless. I go to the salon maybe once a year. They will see me again next year :)

Twice now there have been discrepancies with how much I should have been charged and the issue is never addressed timely, which is frustrating. The salon can be pricey so it’d be nice to know I am not being overcharged as well. That is my only complaint.

I rarely write reviews but I must say without any delay– I had the best experience of my life. Recently I did the big chop and after a few months I didn’t know what to do with my natural coifs :(and have been researching salons some was very rude and some was nice but this place fabo my friend recommended it. I was in luck that I had just popped in and it was empty the receptionist was very nice and very humble. My stylist Luna was the best, she sat with me and explained every bits and pieces about natural hair and the beauty of my hair! My hair never felt so good! Moisturized and saturated. As soon as I left people just came to me and asked omg where did you get your hair done! Never felt prettier! And you get a discount as well. Imma a sure-​fire regular!

Before I started my locs I had some reservations, I knew I would not have the patience to start the traditional way, I did researched on the web and found Nubian Kinks, went on their website and learned about loc extensions. I was still a bit nervous about the change so I waited a few weeks to make the appointment. At the time I only knew one girl with beautiful locs so I decided to ask where she got her hair done, she told me Nubian Kinks, I made the appointment immediately.
My appointment was with Kim; she was very professional and made me feel comfortable about the drastic I was about to make. It took a very long time to be completed, but I was fine with that, this is a process you do not want rushed. When she was done I loved it.
I did my best to follow all the instructions she provided me with to take care of it before my next follow-​up appointment, it’s been exactly 3yrs and 6 months and a week has not past where I don’t receive compliments about my hair. Now when ever I go, I see Miss Pat, I have many highlights on my visits, some of which includes the wash, she gives the best washes, she makes sure my hair is 100% clean before I leave that sink, Kim takes great care in making her own hair products and I love her oils, the loc pomade never leaves my hair dull, all my life I had dandruff, I’ve haven’t seen a flake since my third appointment over three years ago. Their shampoo is amazing, and their sheen is lightweight.
Whenever I’m there I’m always asked if I need something to eat. This is a family business and they treat their clients like family, whenever I go there I always feel like I’m home, and they do an amazing job in making my hair look healthy. Thank you Nubian Kinks

I LOVE Nubian kinks! And the CEO Kim is fantastic. Kim has been both my mother’s and my natural hair stylist for nearly 10 years now. I discovered her at the NYC Black Expo in 2002 and I have not been to another natural hair stylist ever. In the beginning I had 2 strand twists that i wore as a hair style for over 5 years, then I made the complete switch to natural hair. She has made me fall in love with my natural hair and I would never turn back. I always get compliments on my hair especially when I wore it with the 2 strand twist, plus I have referred many people to her as well. Family and friends who have had the same results! This place is a gem considering the outrageous prices many natural salons charge for even the simplest hair styles.
If anyone had any issues with staff or the conduction of the salon, i am sure Kim made or will make an attempt to rectify any situation. She is THAT professional and good!

I’ve never posted a review of a salon before, and I debated posting this one — but the appointment I had at Nubian Kinks was so awful that if I can save one person from going through that, I’ll feel like something good came out of the horrible experience. This will be a long. .. .…
The Good:
This place is very inexpensive — times are tough, so that’s what lured me in.
The Bad:
Everything else
I arrived on time and was kept waiting while my stylist — an older woman named Luna — kept me waiting while she chatted on the phone and drank her coffee. Fine, I was in a good mood, and not in a rush. I know these cheap places are very informal and relaxed as far as appointment times, so I didn’t want to make a fuss.
Then she started to wash my hair. No so much as wash as limply pat on shampoo and rinse it out with cool water. I’d never had my hair washed so poorly before — it was so bad, it bizarre. I asked her to scrub my hair properly and turn up the heat.
She said she couldn’t do what I asked because. .. .…she’s a woman.
She said she doesn’t have strong hands. Would I like to come back another day, when their male stylist was working? Perhaps I needed a ‘strong man’ to wash my hair. I was astonished — I’m sitting there with my head in the sink, my hair is soaked. It’s shoulder length and thick, but you know — it’s hair. She suggested I come back Friday, when their male stylist was working — a big guy.
In the interest of full disclosure, I’m a woman, I wash my hair all the time, and I don’t have a ‘man with strong hands’ living in my apartment — I manage the job all by myself.
I wanted to walk out right then, but my hair was wet and full of soap, so I decided to stay. Honestly, I think I was in shock — I wanted to see what craziness would happen next. I wish I had just wrapped up in a towel and walked out.
The rest of the visit, in no particular order:
— I sat under the dryer for a long time while she spoke on the phone and hung out by the door of the salon, chatting with friends. Friends, not customers. People come by the salon just to chat. Unfortunatly, if you’re there to get your hair done, you’re last on the list of priorities.
–The dryer hummed away, never really warming up. Keep in mind that my head is already cold from the chilly water. Finally I got up — I had to go find her, she never came to check on me — and I had to go find her and ‘interrupt’ her conversation. She checked the dryer and said, with a shrug, that it was broken. I had to be moved to another dryer — the only other heat dryer in the salon, to set the machine and start over.
— While I was there, a steam dryer broke while a customer was using it, spraying water all over the floor.
— She wandered off several times while twisting my hair to chat with friends, talk on the phone (not answer the phone, but actually make phone calls) I’d estimate all the delays added an extra hour to the ordeal, at least.
–I asked her a question about breakage. She shrugged and dodged the subject. Because they having a one-​time special to lure customers in with free extras, I think she was afraid to suggest anything that might lead to work.
— Unbelievably she did attempt to sell me an extra treatment — an apple cider vinegar wash. That wasn’t part of their special. If you can’t even do a regular hair wash, why would I pay you for extra treatments?
— The salon was out of several supplies — a hair oil and an herbal spray. The customers had to do without.
— She was unable to run my credit card, and eventually had to call the owner over to help her — and apparently she’s worked there for years.
I could go on and on, I really could, but you get the idea.
For the first time in my life, I left a salon without leaving a tip. I’m ashamed to admit it, but there you go. I left with my hair still damp, after an utterly horrible experience. It put me in a negative space for the rest of the day, and I had been in such a lovely mood that morning.
I’ve been going to salons all my life, and I’ve never had such a stylist. How can this woman have a job, with so many out of work?
Nubian Kinks — never again.

I was really excited to get my loc extensions here. I picked a bronze color with blonde highlights. Kim was in a bad mood when we started and proceeded to use black hair in my brunette and blonde loc extensions. A few weeks later, my entire head of loc extensions slipped and the BlaCk inner core was revealed. For a professional, you would think she would know to use the same hair inside as out. After paying $ 500 for the extensions, I had to then pay $ 250 to get the entire head of hair repaired with someone else.
And forget about timing at Nubian. As a salon, we all expect delays but you will be kept waiting for hours. If as a customer, one chooses to go, that’s a personal choice but watch out for some of the substandard work done here.

I cut my hair, no more expensive hair do’s, I am all natural and loving my hair and me.
First off this place is crazy inexpensive, but I guess when you usually go to upscale hair salons, you become surprised. I paid and smiled, made sure I tipped her, and it took time getting use to the hair, but I love it.
Luna was my stylist and she doesn’t believe in combs, a plus for anyone with natural hair. She cut off the permed ends of my hair, conditioned it, and made it soft shiny and curly. and I walk out with these incredible curls that I didn’t even know I had. My hair was beautiful. Got compliments the minute I stepped out. Had a 15 conversation with a woman thinking of going natural, but afraid.
Luna was cool. She was honest a d she listened to me, when I said no to something she was like okay. She stated that all she wanted me to be was Happy! She gave me tips on what to do outside the salon. I went to Ricky’s and Duane reade to stock up on my beauty regiments.
I went back again a week later because I just love how good it felt to be free of the extensions and I love my hair. I mean it is nice

I came to Nubian Kinks excited to start my loc journey. I had thought about it for years and asked a million questions before finally deciding to do it yesterday. What I got instead was a 14 hour long appointment with an ignorant woman who bombarded me with her politics and judgment.
Nubian Kinks needs to understand some basic tenants of good business: timeliness and professional. I understand that getting medium length loc extensions will take many hours, but asking me to play secretary while you stop doing my hair to work on someone else is a problem. Had my stylist been speedy it would not have been so bad. I had every intention of taking it easy and going with the flow. Once 12:30 AM hit and I had officially been there 12 hours, I was still willing to be understanding.
What changed was my stylist decided to explain a few things about the world to me. She fancied herself a history buff and in a salon that is obviously embracing black natural hair I expected a certain degree of pro-​black rhetoric, but that wasn’t what happened. She explained to me while not yet half finished with my hair that she «wasn’t sure African slavery had happened» because she did not personally witness it. Hmm. Needless to say a discussion ensued, one which I soon realized was headed nowhere because this woman had no clue what she was talking about. I politely told her that we would have to agree to disagree and when she insisted on continuing to spew her baseless garbage I flat out said I would need her to stop talking because she was making me angry. 3 TIMES I had to ask her to drop it and she still persisted.
As a client with an unfinished hairstyle I was held hostage while she spoke. It wasn’t just crazy, or unfair, it was stupidly unprofessional. I will not be supporting a salon that takes my time, 14 hours of my day, as an opportunity to preach bullshit to me. I left highly agitated and by the end wondering why my expensive medium length hairdo was completely uneven on one side, but then I remembered: my stylist was too busy trying to convince me slavery never happened and Abraham Lincoln was a black man. yes, both.