New Tops African Hair Braiding Center

Not happy.
My head looks like a mop. When I came home i try to pull my crochet braids up and seen that the back of my hair have been barely braided. I wasted time and money

I have brought my mother to this place and they do her hair fairly quick. So I ventured from Rockland county to do my hair because I have see these ladies work and they do a good job. I wanted Sengalese twist and what I ended up with on my head looks like a bunch of jump rope. I told the woman medium sized braids. Apparently she doesn’t know the difference what is on my head looks extremely big. I’m disappointed because not only was it a waste of money they took forever. I’m contemplating on just taking them out. Another thing they always have like five people doing you hair as soon as someone passes the shop they tell them almost done havr them sit and wait there.

This review is primarily for Layla. I went to her on a Friday afternoon for some super simple box braids. I showed her and everyone who worked on my hair a picture of the style I wanted. While braiding, Layla combed my thick natural hair with a fine-​toothed comb and –despite my repeated requests to the contrary– braided the hair too tightly.
At some point before the ladies were finished, I noticed that the braids were wayyyyy bigger than what I had asked for and looked nothing like the photo I had shown them. Moreover, they were super heavy and putting a lot of tension on my hair. The ladies were able to partially fix the hair before I left, but it was late in the evening at this point and everyone (myself included) had had enough.
A couple of days later, I called Layla and asked if she could fix my hair since it was not what I wanted and was potentially damaging my hair. She said she was not in the shop but that, if I went in, someone could help. So I did. The woman I spoke with after shlepping to the shop (from Park Slope!!!) said they were busy but would help me when they freed up. I sat there for nearly 90 minutes. By that point several seats had turned over, and no one so much as looked my way. I left and am now removing these braids after fewer than 3 days.
I am giving this shop and Layla a very generous 2 stars, since it is my fault for (1) going to the person at the shop with the empty chair (since everyone knows the chair is empty for a reason!) and (2) leaving the shop unhappy. I should have made them fix it before I left.
The shop itself is filthy and unpleasant– the braiders are loud and rude and there is hair all over the floor. There are entirely too many braiding shops in Harlem to ever have to go to this place again, so I will never be back.

Go to DIAKITE never disappointed. I come all the way from Long Island and have been coming for years. Perfect for my daughter as well.

I went to this hair salon 3 weeks ago as my friend made an appointment for the both of us. I ended up having Salli doing my hair. I wanted senegalese twists with a little bit of highlight. Salli did a phenomenal job at braiding my hair. I needed to get my hair done for vacation and it ended coming out awesome and lasted for a while. I just took them out at 3 weeks only because I wanted to. They definitely would have lasted longer.
The reason I’m rating this hair salon lower is because a physical fight broke out between the braiders who work there. This is why I will never go back and give my business to them. I don’t care what you’re arguing about you should never in your place of business put a hand on anyone. I was disappointed to say the least in how the workers acted as there was another worker arguing earlier that morning while I was there.
All I have to say is professionalism is key!!!

My experience, I had to tell the whole story lol:
Its the weekend of the 4^th. I head to usual braiding spot uptown and they tell me come at 9:30. I arrive and the place is packed … The owner gives me a look like not today and i turn around and try to find some place else. I open my trusty Unilocal app and get to working.
I find a spot, I call up and she says come in but wanted to know how I got her number. I tell Head hair braider that i found it and she asks had I been to the place before cause I sounded familiar –_​-​. I go no.
I start heading over to the spot only 5 minutes from my trusty braiding spot and the place is packed but she tells me to stay. Head hair braider brings me outside and says how much I usually pay and she tells me she will charge me 20 more… Im in a bind and agree however before we head back into the store she says to make sure I tell ppl I actually paid 50 bucks more. She also tells me dont tell ppl where i found her number at… its on a public website for crying out loud. I asked her did she want me to remove it and she goes no smh
She starts on my head and more ppl come walking in. Every person that walks in, they do not turn away and ask them to stay while they call more hair braiders into the spot lol.
20 minutes into my style she goes ooo someone else wants to do your hair and im like –_​– …
New lady starts on my hair and I could tell she frustrated cause she has to go through my kinks. I usually wash and blow dry my hair before going but this time i thought I was going to my usual and they usually take the time to moisturize and blow dry my hair before starting.
I tell new lady not too tight she goes your hair is nappy –_​-​. My nappy hair should be the best reason as to why you shouldn’t have to be so tight because its coarser that straight hair and will give a better hold. I say never again because I started to feel like she was making some of the twist bigger to finish my hair faster.
My hair came out good and other ppl waiting wanted theirs to look like mine. My hair is finished i am motioned to go back outside to pay. Head hair braider tells me that they like me cause Im easy to get along with. I tell head hair braider that if i come back I want the other stylist to do my hair. She tells me noo dont do that you will start trouble back on the braiding floor, at this point there are like 25 hair braiders at the spot. I tell her idc the other stylist does good work.
I leave satisfied (total of 4.5 — 5 hrs to complete) but not sure if I will come back… We will see how my natural hair looks after the lady decided to use a thin ass comb to get the knots out my hair.
I did see some good stylist in there though.
This is a typical no frills African hair braiding spot. Cash only but they did have an ATM in the spot which I was so shocked as all to see lol.
Don’t expect the aesthetics to be on fleek. Just know that there are some good hair braiders there … My experience has taught me that once again its always better to go to Harlem for good hair braiding experience and two lol stick to ya day ones even though I may come back to this spot…
Addendum.
I will not come back. My style only lasted a month. No return on price I paid also after 3 weeks. I could see my natural hair coming through the twist. An indicator that the stylist didn’t merge my hair with the twist. A sign of bad craftmanship.

Well done!
FIVE (5) Stars PLUS to Ms. Zena for taking the time to braid my hair on the 30^th of June, 2015. All around, I had a pleasant and satisfying experience at the New Tops African Hair Braiding Center. I arrived without an appointment and left pleased with my corn rows + bangs hair style. I highly recommend Zena, along with her sister, and cousin if you are looking to get your hair braided. I expect to return in a few weeks for a new style.
Thanks ladies!

I really should leave one star. Because this is just not up to the quality of service that I would consider using again. But I left an additional star because the first is for a lot of effort and the second is that I did see some great work being done on other women’s hair while I was there. Depending on when you come in, the place can be super crowded, if a little disorganized/​messy especially on a Saturday afternoon for instance. Also, at about that time there’s the strong smell of food as the women eat their lunch. Everyone’s gotta eat sometime, I get it. But there’s something about the strong smell of food in my vicinity when I’m having my hair done that just doesn’t do it for me. Wish they had another area to eat, but the place is just one huge spread out space. it is what it is. As for my hair, let’s be real I’m a fussy customer, but I’ve never had to get my hair partially redone the next day because I disliked it so much. What was the problem? I got box braids, and amongst other things, the most annoying was the center part, which I requested– it started center, then curved a lot– and I didn’t realize until I got home and bent my head to see the top view. I’ve never been given a curved center part with braids ever. So I went late the next day, and they were gracious enough to try to fix it, but even though the new part was better, for whatever reason that center part still curved at the end in a way that just looks weird. I don’t know if it’s a communication issue or if this is their style or if they have just never had to do a center part– I never thought it would be THIS hard to get a simple center part, but i was so tired and it was late so I just accepted it, and will have 3 of the braids near the end of that part adjusted elsewhere tmr– or maybe even do it myself. There’s an idea! With any hairstyle, the front and part matter more than any other hidden area. This has definitely been one of my most unsatisfactory experiences. I felt like on the first day I was getting attitude from one of the women because she was in a rush, but even that I can handle– I hadn’t realized a center part would be so hard for them to get right that it would have to be redone three times. I took a long pause before leaving this review because I think Mariama is lovely and a great business owner. And the women are good too, for the most part. But based on my experience, and my throbbing head from having to visit them twice, and the thought of going elsewhere tmr or doing it myself, I was/​am very unsatisfied, and just wasn’t impressed. 5 hours for box braids is long enough, having to come back for 2.5 hours and now figure out fixing that last but for another hour– I have other things to do with my time.

I’m always satisfied when I leave this place. here are a few issues I have.
* The wait is wayy to long and 4 people work on one person when every braided can get their own client
*Mariama wouldn’t let me go to a braided that was free because she wanted me all to herself meanwhile she has 2 people has to work on and I could’ve just gone to the person that wasn’t working on anyone
*when mariama did my hair she took way too many phone breaks talking to people on the phone. phone coming back. phone coming back, phone then coming back I was getting really aggravated the place was crowded and I wanted to get out as soon as possible
overall I would come back but on a less busy day
oh and these people should learn how to let their clients experience new people to do their hair I should be able to pay who I want

Braiders here are friendly toward natural hair textures, and handle your hair’s edges gently and with skill. My braiders responded nicely when I requested looser braids or when braids were started a bit too tightly. Moreover, they are nice. Prices are average, but you may have to haggle just little. Extensions and hair are provided, and they use large tooth combs for your comfort. The place could use a cleaning, and the bathroom leaves much to be desired. But I didn’t go there for the bathrooms… Another issue is that braiders switch out frequently and without logical patterning, so you may have 3 women who have braided your hair. However, at least only one person starts the braids so they keep the same general braiding style consistent across your hair. Moreover, all the braids are the same size.

Simple, clean, efficient, excellent work.
4.5 hours.
I repeat, 4.5 hours. You can find a faster, better job.
Great job ladies.

You know I feel some type of way when I’m writing a review at 4 something in the morning. I took the Unilocal review advice called Miarma (sp). She told me over the phone my price would be $ 100 including the hair. Told me she had all the hair there for what I wanted, also made sure she said don’t talk to anyone else (should’ve known something was up then).
I get there. Told her I wanted my twist a certain length and how big. She like fine, they talking amongst each other and said I need kinky hair but they didn’t have it. Didn’t request I go get it and said the hair they had was good. Ok fine. She pulls me ouside and was like how much you got, i said you told me over the phone $ 100 including hair. She look at me like she didn’t know what I was talking about. Said $ 120. Ok fine. Whatever at this point.
First off, she didn’t do my hair at all, she had these other women do it. Mind you I’m natural. The girl that did the back of my head sucked. She didn’t even comb my curls out to make sure my hair blended well with the twist. So some of my twist look like nappy locks in the back. Didn’t notice it until I left. You when you first look in the mirror you like ok cool. Then when you leave you start noticing what’s wrong. Some of my twist are not the same. My last twist the woman made way bigger than the other. Also when I was sitting there another girl came in and Mairma went with her to get the kinky hair and another girl was getting her hair done by somebody else with the exact style I wanted and it was everything!
I wanted my senagelse twist kinda big. They are but it’s soooo much hair. They kinda did it like I was getting micros but with big twist. I will post pics. I most likely won’t be going there again. Should’ve taken my friends advice instead of doing my own research. This hair style was not love at first site, something I have to get used too. Not 100% her fault because I damn sure should’ve went with my first mind.
Let me say it wasn’t a complete horror. I just don’t feel I got what I requested, it was just OK. They where fast. I will say that.

I’ve had my hair done by Mariama Sanogo in this shop many many times,. I Live in Atlanta now but Mariama did my hair when I was home on ⁸⁄₈ and as always she did a great job at a great price. After all these years, I still have my edges. I hope you like her too

I had to do a review!!! OK to begin with I called because I’m from NJ and i didn’t want to waste time going somewhere that has a bad price. I called a woman braideR answered and said come to the shop She’ll do my hair for $ 75. I was like I have long thick hair I want Senegalese twists and i have my own hair, she said I will do it for $ 75. She met me at the train station, I walked over to the shop and she discussed a price with me outside the shop because she didn’t want everyone to know how much I was paying. i was like I called you said $ 75 she said no It has to be $ 100…i was like I could have stayed in NJ. Since I was there i was like forget it I“ll stay. THE B RAIDER DIDN’T KNOW WHAT SHE WAS DOING WITH MY HAIR! I HAD 2 INCHES OF NEW GROWTH AND SHE BROKE IT ALL OFF. i HAVE 3C/​4B HAIR. i WAS FURIOUS. i HAD TO KEEP NAGGING HER TO COMB IT WITH A WIDE TOOTH COMB AND TO SPRAY MY MOISTURIZER AND NOT HER OIL ON MY HAIR. I was very upset during the whole process. She constantly yanked at my hair and i was angry. There was times i had to re detangle my hair because she was HORRIBLE!!! Then when they were done with my Senegalese twists they said don’t comb back unless your permed or hot combed… WHAT A BS PLACE!!! NEVER WILL I COME BACK ANDDDD THEY REFUSED TO USE THE HAIR I PURCHASED 0₀. i WASTED LOT OF MONEY.

It hasn’t been 24 hours since I left New Tops African Hair Braiding Salon and I’m impressed. I live in Brooklyn and trekked all the way Uptown on the strength of a coworker’s stylist recommendation-​Sali. I called Monday morning to arrange an appointment at 5pm. Later in the day, Sali called me to back to make sure I was still coming (great touch especially since someone could have occupied my spot in her chair). I expected the shop to be empty since it was the Monday after Easter Sunday-​I couldn’t have been more wrong. The shop was bustling with activity, every chair was full. It’s far from fancy but I never confuse the braiding salon for a spa atmosphere. It’s the same effery you come to expect-​loud foreign talk, braiders on phones, hair all over the place, colorful characters (clientele). I was kind of leery since the shop doesn’t have a traditional hair was bowl. Sali had to wash my deep conditioner out in the bathroom sink The braiding experience was acceptable, Sali is a tight braider and I had to remind her a few times to ease up but all in all I’m happy with my doo. My box braids took 4 hours!!! And they’re small. I like the shops method-​Sali braided hair half way down and other girls continued the braid to the end. This method worked well for me since it guaranteed all braids are uniform. What impressed me most is the after care, they took time clipping each braid to perfection while paying special attention not to clip my ends. This is the cleanest finish on my braids ever-​not one stray anywhere! I couldn’t be more happier with the outcome-​my scalp is sore but I’m tended headed. I will not hesitate to go Uptown for a new set of braids.