Djama Hair Braiding Gallery

I wish I could give them 0 star because that is what they deserve. First of all, I had an appointment and the lady who was going to do my hair was more than 30 minutes late. The ladies working there did not know I spoke French and Ewe. They were insulting me in Ewe and making fun of me and other clients as I was getting my hair done.
When you hear them speaking in another language, yes they are insulting you. I am never going back there again for such a poor service. They should be ashamed of themselves!

I was able to get a last minute appointment to retouch my twists. The price was right, so I booked my appointment on Sunday afternoon. I had to wait a little bit, but I’m not complaining since I was desperate. The customer service was non-​existent as it is with most of these braid shops, so I didn’t have high expectations. I just walked in and nodded at the braiders and sat down in the waiting area. The twists came out pretty good, and I will definitely return if there is ever a need.
3 Stars!

I recently tried this place out again! B/​c someone insisted that they did good corn rows? Goddess braids. Well I got them on Saturday and by Monday my hair was coming out. I went to get them «re done» (wed) the next two days it was even worse!!! I took them out by Friday. Paid $ 60 what a waste of my money. Never ever coming here for any type of «service» such bad experiences & then they’re always on their phones… just terrible.

3 years and counting. I’ve recommended about 5 friends over here and everybody loves their hair. Box braids are my go-​to for the blistering summer months June-​Sept! The ladies are quick and I highly recommend coming in early!

I give three stars they do hair good and it looks beautiful but they use there phones more than how they do your hair and they walk off her head without saying nth to you

I brought my 9 year old daughter here to get cornrows during the summer. I chose this place because it was close to home and had no wait time. It’s a tiny little salon, with absolutely no décor and quite unappealing. I didn’t really care though, as long as they did a good job. When I had called prior to arriving, I told them that my daughter had shoulder length hair and they quoted me $ 55. As soon as she yanked the ponytail holder out of my daughter’s hair, I knew this may not go too well. She starts detangling her super thick and curly hair with a BRUSH – just grabbing sections and ripping through it. I asked the stylist if she had a wide tooth comb instead, and she seemed to have an attitude, and went to find one. It wasn’t much better, but she finally got through it. Once she started braiding, my daughter immediately started crying. She’s had her hair braided before, and never reacted this way. The woman was extremely heavy handed and my daughter was in pain the entire time. Also, she used absolutely no products on her hair – no moisturizer, oil, gel, crème… nothing. When she was finally done, it wasn’t exactly the style I had described, but I was just glad the torture was over. When I went to pay, the woman told me it would be $ 75! When I told her I was quoted $ 55 on the phone, she said, «she has a lot of hair, so we charge more.» Whatever, we just wanted to get out there asap, so I paid and left. The only reason they get another star is because the braids lasted a while.

I made an appt and arrived on time-12:30pm. It was packed and all of the braiders were busy with other clients. It was hot, I mean stifling hot. No a/​c just fans blowing hot air around. They took me at 1:40! I wanted 8 french braids and it took 2.5 hrs! I left more Han 4 hrs after I arrived, it was painful and way too drawn out, and it was $ 80. For that price I could’ve gone somewhere else and spent the same money for half the time and torture! Won’t go back.

This was my first time getting senegalese twist.
When I first decided to go to this place, I had relied on their youtube commercial. In the commercial, I saw that they were clean and friendly and interacted with the customers. I said ok I will make my way to this professional establishment.
When I arrived for my appointment, (They couldn’t understand why I would not be able to get to the shop between the hours of 9 – 5) There were children all over the place. (ok maybe only 3). It was dirty. (They just picked combs off the floor and put them in your hair)
I asked for a deep condition. They washed my hair and then tried to blow dry it, a fuse blew. I should have known then. The comb they used was extremely thin and she literally raked my hair.
The first person who started my hair did a good job, but she didnt speak english. The person who started the back of my hair obviously didnt care as the braids in the back fell out within the first three days.
They took my money before they were finished doing my hair and counted it out in front of me. (Rude)
Then the only people who spoke english left the shop!
I had to go back twice to get these braids fixed. When the braids fell out AGAIN (after two weeks) they said they would charge me $ 60. Then the lady on the phone said they are probably falling out because my hair is too short.
Needless to say Frick this place.

I went in for Senegalese twist. My appt was for 9 am, they started about 9:15 — 9:20.
Let me list the pros and the cons:
Pros: It was two ladies working on my hair, they were gentle enough (I’m not tender-​headed), they didn’t take any breaks, the price was good for the thickness of my hair.
Cons: It was was two other women that were there and they kept touching my hair randomly (one women was eating and came and ran her fingers thru my hair. Gross!), speaking very loud in French and I couldn’t have a phone convo.
It took about 6 – 6.5 hours for the whole process, which I was happy about that! Normally, for one person it takes 8 – 9 hours because of my length and thickness. Overall, it was a good visit. If they couldn’t turn down the convo that they were having it would’ve been a better visit. Would I go back or recommend this location to someone? Yes, but I would worn them about the loud French talking.

I chose this spot based on a friends recommendation. Needless to say, I will never do that again. I called a couple of days ago to make an appointment for Saturday for Kinky twist. I spoke with the manager who was extremely nice and very helpful. She informed me that she could schedule me in for 3:30, however, if I could come earlier that would be great.
I ended up coming around 2:30 and still waiting. Which I didn’t mind, because I figured I was early anyway. This is not why I gave them 2 stars.
Staff:
So the staff only spoke French to each other, the entire time I was there (6 hrs). I found this to be rather rude.
The MAJOR problem:
So I showed the stylist the design that I wanted, length, color and style. The picture was on my ipad, and came from their website. She looked at me smiled and proceeded to put the twist in my hair. I stated on several occasions that they were way to tight, I felt as if she was twisting my brains. Once she completed the back row, I pointed at the picture stating that I wanted my braids short, as shown in the picture, she smiled and said yes. Once she did hte next row, it didn’t seem as if she comprehended so once again, I pointed at the picture and then my neck to show her I wanted them short. At this point she starts speaking french to one of the other techs who tells me oh no they will be no worries. The tech on my head then states in half english and half french that she only speaks french. SMDH. A couple of hours go by and another tech gets on the other side of my head, yanking and pulling so now I really feel like my braining is being ripped out of my skull. Despite my repeatedly telling them that it was way too tight. One time the tech told me she knows its tight but its pretty. REALLY!!!
When it was all said and done, the braids were supposed to come down to the nape of my neck, as per the pic I showed them. However, the braids came down past my shoulders. I told her that they were too long and asked her to cut them, at which point they all got to talking french again and she turned and said she couldn’t make them any shorter, despite another tech clearly trying to explain to her through hand gestures how to do it. She was just too damn tired.
Tired indeed, was my whole experience. I would NEVER recommend this place to anyone. I ended up going home and cutting the braid short myself. Find another shop, preferably, one with some professionals.

So i have been braiding my hair myself for 4 years in order to save money, but I hadn’t braided my hair in a long while, and i just didnt feel like taking 48 hours to do my hair myself. And so for the luxury of having someone else braid my hair faster for me, I went to this place yesterday to get medium-​length, thin Senegalese twists. I called before going (good thing I did). The phone was answered right away, by the owner I think, who was polite and answered all my questions. I got a price quote of $ 180, and the hair extensions would be provided at the shop, and included in the price. Fine. I asked if they had any open chairs and what time should I come. She told me to come around 2 pm. (mind you, «African time», which translates to 2:30ish/3…)
I got there at 1:50 pm anyway, I was greeted at the door, and the women were still braiding hair (there were about 5 other clients getting their hair braided – dang, i should have come earlier in the morning) but it looked like a couple women were nearly done. They asked me to have a seat and wait. I was finally attended to around 2:45.
PROS
1. Multiple women working on your head to speed up the braiding. There was one braider who did the back – and note, you gotta speak up and monitor what they’re doing. I asked to check and make sure the back braids were the same thickness as the front. Didn’t want a surprise when I got home… — there was another braider who did the front, and another braider who finished off the ends of the braids. (the one who did the back braided 3-​way a little, and then proceeded to twist 2-​way, while the one who did the front knew exactly what she was doing, and braided 2-​way at my roots from the get-​go.
2. THEY ARE FAST! (I left at 9 pm, given that they took a «short» lunch break in between– I’m sure if I got an AM appointment, I would have been done by noon, ugh. Oh well, next time…)
3. Price was reasonable. I had a friend that also got Senegalese twists at Wheaton Mall for $ 250. And I couldn’t imagine what I’d be paying in downtown DC…
4. MY BRAIDS CAME OUT BEAUTIFUL! This was definitely worth it! they took their time at the end to trim the flyaways and neaten the edges. (make sure you pick the right color you want from the get-​go so that you’re fully satisfied)
5. They DO accept credit/​debit card payment (good thing their machine was working that day!)
CONS
1. Although the braids are beautiful, they are so darn PAINFUL! I told the braiders my scalp is sensitive. At least the woman who braided the front part cared, but the one at the back did not. She kept yanking and pulling. It was such hell and I couldn’t wait to be done. I know the tightness makes the braids stay in longer, but I don’t want any hair loss or breakage – planning to keep these in no longer than 3 months. After that, giving my hair another period of rest, so won’t be coming back to this shop for a while. Like I said, it was definitely worth it though.
The good thing is, to ease up the pain, when I got home, i took double dosage ibuprofen, went under a semi-​hot shower so the steam could loosen up my tensed braids, and I oiled my scalp a little. I slept with my braids loose and flat on my stomach with head up and chin resting on my hands (not comfortable, but in the morning, the pain was alleviated)
2. The women are chatter boxes. It can get loud as conversations and jokes are thrown across the room. I’m used to this, but if you find this annoying, it would definitely be a con for you. The women did not know I could understand French. When one of them made a playful comment about me shutting my eyes in the chair as they worked away, I answered her in French saying I was tired, but probably not as tired as them, who had all probably been there since 7am, and she was surprised and laughed.
Overall, they did a fantastic job, but know what to expect before you go there.

Came back for Fluffy twists this time and had the same great service :) The ONLY complaint I have is that they are litterally just a braid shop. Dont expect them to be able to maintain your hair (mine is natural.) I was getting a little worried when I came in to get my braids taken out and they didnt have the proper products to comb through natural hair.

I chose Djama on a whim because it was the closest braiding salon to my home and I doubted I’d have much luck booking another appointment short notice on a Sunday afternoon. When I called the salon, I spoke to a stylist who quoted me a price of $ 150 for nubian twists (similar to kinky/​spring twists).
When I arrived at the salon, I walked inside and stood in the doorway for a good 1 or 2 minutes before one of the stylists actually greeted me – they all seemed to be with clients. I told them I had a 3:30 appointment and surprisingly I was seen immediately. My stylist then informed me that the price would be $ 170 – $ 20 more than what she quoted me on the phone. She claimed the hair I brought was «very long» so the price would be higher which confused me because the hair I supplied was barely shoulder length (which is the standard length of nubian twists). I disagreed but didn’t have the energy to argue nor did I plan to leave so I agreed to pay the higher price.
The braiding experience itself was absolutely miserable. I had two stylists working on my hair (thankfully cutting down on the time it would take to complete the braiding) and one of them was incredibly heavy handed. It was like she didn’t realize that my hair was attached to my head and you can’t just yank it around haphazardly. I was also alarmed to not see one single barbicide container. It also seemed like the actual styling supplies were in short supply. During the course of doing my hair, neither stylist could procure a hair clip or even a RUBBERBAND to tie my hair back. Apparently there were no combs either because my stylist parted my hair with a metal clip. Ridiculous!
The atmosphere wasn’t great either. All the stylists were incredibly loud holding conversations in French. And there was NO A/​C – so it was absolutely stifling in the salon. The ceiling fans only served to blow hot air (and the synthetic hair covering the floor) around.
In the end, style turned out okay (I wasn’t exactly thrilled with it) although I wish they had made all the twists the same size. The twists in the back were larger than the twists in the front/​around my face. I feel like they rushed through and didn’t take their time to do the best job. I don’t think I’ll return to this salon.

I have been going to this salon for several years now. It was under another owner but they are still very good. The new owner Sitou is very very good. Her English is perfect and she is really ready to please her customer.
She asks her employees to speak English as much as possible, to looks presentable (not the typical «hair dresser hair» and she does not have a television in the shop. She said she thinks it slows the braiders down if they are distracted by the television. (I agree!)
They salon is clean, easy to find and they do a great job.

Well… I was really excited to go to Djama after reading the prior review. However, my experience was not as… glowing.
First Impressions: My experience began with a postive phone call to explain what I wanted (tree braids), what kind of hair I planned on bringing, credit card policy (yes, they’re accepted) and how long the ordeal was expected to last (2 – 3 hrs). The person I spoke with was knowledgeable and very helpful. She let me know I could come in within the next 2 hrs. Perfect!
I find the place pretty easily and manage to get a close parking spot. It was 95 degrees and humid that day, so I was expecting at least a little AC in the shop. I even bought a sweater with me to avoid freezing. I was wrong. There are only ceiling fans. ARGH. I also noticed hair strewn everywhere– on chairs, on the floor and generally flying through the air due to the fans. Ewww. Eventually I see one of the ladies wielding a broom. I guess she read my mind.
The Ordeal:
Ok, so I sit down and the woman (we will call her Lady 1 since she doesn’t tell me her name) first blowdries my hair to make it straighter. It’s 85 degrees minimum in the shop and she’s blowing even more hot air on me. I feel like I’m going to pass out. Luckily it’s quick. Lady 1 starts the braids and I realize that the color hair I bought is a little more purple than anticipated. So I ask her to remove the 5 or 6 braids and stop using that hair. Since the ladies do not speak much english, I have to harness my best 5^th grade level french and explain that I don’t like the color and will need to either get more hair, get a different style or come back another time. I ask for cornrows instead. Lady 1 seemed to be upset — marked by the french-​ish yelling that ensues among all present braiders. They talk amongst themselves for about 10 mins and I ask them whats going on… No response. I ask again for a different style and Lady 1 brings out hair in an appropriate color and gives me the cornrows that I asked for. They don’t charge me for the new hair. Luckily, the braids go in quickly since it’s 2 braiders per head. I’m very happy about this since I did not planning on dying of heatstroke that day.
The End: Finally, my hair is done and it really looks great. I give her my credit card to pay. I get a look and a «no no no». Everything stops in the shop. Other ladies say «no cards». One other lady says «machine broken». Me: I was told by the manager that credit cards are accepted. I look at the door with the Visa and Mastercard symbol. She says yes, they do accept credit cards, but there’s a $ 5 fee to use it. Fine, I say. Then she says no, I must use cash b/​c Lady 2 needs cash to take home. She directs me to the nearest ATM. I pay in cash. The End.
Pluses: Fast, high quality braiding technique, reasonably priced.
Minuses: Inconsistency between management and on-​site staff, little english fluency, unsure if cash only (visa and mastercard sign on door), messy, no AC.

fantastic job. Really professional and quality work. I have been going to Sitou at Djama for about a year. I HATE going to the hair salon. However, the women at Djama are always really professional and quick. The prices are really affordable (I am afraid to put it out there, because I think they are underpriced). More than anything, I appreciate that I can go to a braiding place, where they keep the appointments, are on time, are quick, do a quality job and a BIG PLUS– the braider does not talk your ear off!!!