Special Touch International Hair Salon

If you’re not Dominican, I wouldn’t recommend it. Not to mention I had MAJOR hear damage. My curl pattern was almost gone. I’ve been Natural for 3 years and never have I had a hairdresser insist on me getting a relaxer so much! There’s WAYY better places around.

I’m white and have very curly thick hair that i have had a hard time finding salons to handle. Not a problem here what a relief. I am often a minority here and that’s cool everyone is nice… they will apply heat to your scalp for sure and it will feel intense but the results are amazing.

The staffs complete and utter indifference towards the clients request and time is very disappointing. The last 3 times i’ve been here I’ve waited at least an hour, after having made an appointment. I’ve overlooked that because the haircut was decent and the location close to my home. Today was just the absolute worst experinece ever. I waited over an hour for a 9 minute haircut. (yes 9 minutes!)The hairdresser literally butchered my hair, cutting off 5 – 6 inch, after making it clear that I wanted a trim. I had to go to another hairdresser and pay more money to get the haircut rectified (not only was it to short, but uneven). Ugh. WORST PLACE EVER.

I will NEVER go to this place again!!! I am shocked beyond belief. I can in for just a trim. I keep my hair healthy and as many have said before, they asked me if my hair was permed. I said yes. She said sit in the chair which i waited until about 15 min. I really wanted my hair trimmed so i waited with my daughter. Some lady comes up to me and starts brushing my hair hard and rough then starts trimming it. She didn’t give me her name say hello or anything. She was rough the whole time and she seemed like she was in a rush. I doubt she even trimmed it correctly. She seemed unsure of how to trim it. She gave me layers and my hair in the front is short. She never asked me how i wanted it trimmed or what kind of cut. When the receptionist rang me up, she says,…$$$$$ 30. I was confused. I never had my hair washed or anything. Just said in the chair and had it trimmed for about 10 min. This is highway robbery. I regret that i came here. I could have gotten a better trim at the Ethiopian salons at skyline. The parking is bad since its soo busy there so i just came here. I told them i could have gotten it styled for 35 not just trimmed!!! They charge by length, man or woman, thickness. Its unfair to judge someone and others pay less when you pay more. My hair is not even shoulder length and $ 30 is a LOT. Another woman had longer hair and had a blowout and was charged $ 80, she was European and was just as confused as i was when she was charged as well. I WILL NEVER GO BACK TO THIS SALON!!! EVER!!!

I believe there should be different categories for the stars. I’m going to break it down to you based on my previous experience with this place. I used to go to this place not every two weeks but I went at least 3 to 4 times. The ratings I give are below:
Time Management — 1 Star
rationale: every single time I got my hair done, I felt like I sat at the dryer forever. I would be looking around trying to figure out who was next and question why certain Girls finished before me when they walked in after me. If you plan on going, don’t expect fast service. Especially if you have natural 4C hair.
End Results– 3 ½ Stars
Rationale: my hair was always pretty decent and straight and silky. I did get a trim one time and they messed up my hair so I wouldn’t go there looking for a cut. Maybe your ends only but not a full haircut. Overall they did get my hair straight even though it was painful.
Health of your hair — 0 Stars
As time progressed, my hair started breaking off and my curl pattern was just gone. My hair was not healthy and thick as it used to be when I kept coming back to this salon. My advice is don’t go often if you want keep the thickness of your hair. If you don’t care about your curl pattern, atleast care about the thickness of your hair.
Customer Service: 3 Stars
No one was ever rude but no one was ever over accommodating either. It was fair service.
Overall summary: you have to determine what is important to you before you sit in the chair. Do I want a defined curl pattern? Do I plan on coming every two weeks or is this a one time thing? Am I willing to wait to get my hair bone straight? Do I care about thinning? All of these things you need to ask yourself. Once you know what’s important then you won’t be disappointed with their service.

Have been here multiple times and never had an issue Rainia does my hair wonderful and provides education on how to maintain your hair.

Friendly staff who does a great job.

I have 3c natural hair. This is my first time going to a hair salon in over 5 years (since I big chopped). I wanted to pamper myself. I came in for a Dominican blowout.
My shampoo girl spent the whole wash time asking me why I didn’t have a relaxer, telling me my hair would be so long with a relaxer, and was I sure I didn’t want a relaxer. YES I’M SURE!!! This was incredibly annoying and anxiety-​inducing. I had this chest tightening, paranoia that she was going to sneak in a relaxer. lol
My hairstylist was still working with a previous client after my shampoo. When she finally got to me, she didn’t feel she’d have enough time to give me the full blowout, which consist of shampoo, conditioner, roller set, blow out, then flat iron.
Instead of this I received a rushed blowout and a flat iron. My hair was unnecessarily damaged afterwards and I believe it was because she skipped the roller set and rushed through the blow dry. I wish she would have told me there wouldn’t be enough time for a roller set instead of jumping straight from wet hair to a harsh blow dry.
In the end I was still charged full price ($ 100) for half the activity. Time management is not a strong suit at this salon, nor it seems is ethical behavior.

I am giving this salon 2 stars because they don’t know how to manage time and they don’t care. I went to get a retouch on March 11. My appointment was at 5:30. I arrived at 5:25. My stylist didn’t see me until 6:15. I should have left, but being new to town and in need of a retouch I stayed. The delay was due to a few things… not the least of which is the fact that the stylists all chat, gab, walk around and do each other’s hair instead of focusing on what their customers. When I was leaving I told the manager/​receptionist that i was really disappointed in the time it took to get started. He just said that they sometimes run behind on Wednesdays. No apology… no customer service.
I will say the retouch was good (which is why I gave 2 stars)… but I won’t go back. Ever.

Definitely the best!!! I wouldnt change my stylist not even to try something different… all of them are really good but i go with maricarmen, she is the best! She does a really awesome job and gives you feedback without any questions. Thats what i was looking for! Ive seen some people complaining about the price but hey if you are satisfy with the work they are doing then is worth it, they charge what most beauty salons charge. I dont mind paying whatever they charge bwec im a very satisfied customer. Cant leave negative comments here about this salon. highly recommend it.

I went into this salon with a co-​worker of mine, whom has been coming here for over 7 years. Marinela is her go to stylist. At first I was a little nervous on how my hair would look. The setting of the rollers and then the heat treatment, then the blow dry left me speechless. I LOVED MY HAIR. My hair has never felt so smooth before, and I have been to a couple of high end salons and neither one have ever been able to match this. I will be back soon, with my sister and niece.

Go see my girl raina. She gives the BEST Dominican blow out ever. She is the only thing I miss about living in the DMV! When I leave her chair I feel like a straight easy breezy cover girl!

LOVE LOVE LOVE this salon.
I’ve tried a number of different Dominican salons in the DMV area and this is by far the best. I’ve been going since 2008 maybe even before then. Make sure you make an appointment though if not you will be in there all day long.
As soon as you walk in with an appointment they send you right back to the bowl. The process of wash/​rollers/​dryer is pretty fast. The only thing I don’t like is how I have to split my tip over the multiple people that touch my head. They don’t burn you like the typical Dominican salon either
Atmosphere is great. Very positive and friendly. I’ve never had a bad experience. When you leave EVERYONE will be ask you where you got your hair done and if they can touch it. lol Watch what I say.

My hair is neck length and I just got a keratin treatment a month ago (which means my hair is as manageable as having a relaxer) and they were asking $ 55 for a wash and set. Absolutely not!

This Hair salon is located in a very good area, and with lots of parking. I was recommended to come to this beauty salon. After a long time I decided to give it a try. Overall the service is good. Oneida is a great hair stylish, she does a great job on my hair, is healthy, growing and looking beautiful.

I started going here in 2008 when I moved to the area and was always satisfied. Then I started going somewhere closer when I moved to Maryland but it was never the same. So I went back to Special Touch and now I know it’s worth the drive.
The owners are great and she is great with selecting a color that goes with your skin tone. After getting my hair done and people saw it I get so many compliments on my color. Especially with me being natural my hair was the healthiest when I went to Special Touch so now it’s time to get my hair back to healthy.
Everyone in the shop is very friendly and take time to make sure everything is okay. I love getting my hair shampooed there because they massage my scalp and it feels so good when they are shampooing my hair.
If you want a blowout then this is the place to go.

When I arrived and walked in I realized that I visited this place a couple years ago when I lived in Maryland. Just knowing this was a sigh of relief. Of course the dominant language is Spanish but that didn’t bother me any. I got a wash, roller set, flat iron and a trim and I really like it just as much as I did the first time I visited. Oneida did my hair and I would definitely request her at another appointment. Looking around at the results for the two hours I was there, I did not see anyone’s hair I didn’t like and everyone walked out with a smile. The prices are not posted anywhere that I could see but when I got to the check out counter I was pleasantly surprised. The salon is neat and clean which is a plus. I arrived 10 minutes before my appointment and was taken to the wash bowl immediately… Another plus. I would recommend this place to anyone who has natural hair and does not put any chemicals in their hair. Oh, this place does more than blow outs. Color, relaxers a variety of things. The clients were of multiple ethnicities which proves the stylists are familiar with types of hair.

The best I can find out here in VA for a Dominican hair salon. Not everyone can blow out my hair nicely. Raina is great. She speaks English very well.
Very pleased with my service here.

This is my first time at this salon, and I really like it. I have been looking for a salon that actually blows out my hair since i moved here from Florida. I am clearly African American and my hair is thick, so having straight flowing hair is ideal.
I walked in on a Friday, and was greeted by a lovely lady who asked for my contact info on the spot. After that, my hair was washed… just the way I like it. If you are looking for dainty washing techniques, this is not the place for you. They are intense and very thorough with the washings. I love that they actually scratch the scalp.lol. After that, my hair was set in rollers and I was placed under the dryer. It didn’t take long for my hair to dry.
These ladies are about their business and know the craft of blowing out your hair… because the technique will scare many. If your hair is curly and wavy… be prepared for some heat near your scalp. It’s a common practice for these types of salons, but your hair will love it at the end! Soft and smooth without all the chemicals. Perfect for people who are transitioning to natural hair or blowouts between relaxers. The stylist that is doing my hair is gentle and actually takes her time.
Everyone will be speaking a different language in here, so be prepared for that. But they all know English and they speak it very well. The salon is in a strip mall, but it looks rather nice inside. Someone is constantly cleaning the floors and taking care of customers.
I will definitely be a regular customer here.

I have to write an update here and clear up some past reviews and perceptions some people have about this salon. I’ve been coming here for more than a year now and have seen great results, but let me just put it out there — this is NOT a natural friendly salon. I have 3C hair so I slide by, but if you have 4A type hair (kinky hair) they don’t really cater to your texture here. I’ve seen some of the hair washers catch an attitude when a girl with 4A texture hair is next in line and the poor girl looks like she’s ready to cry when they’re raking a comb through her hair to add curlers. It’s also true that they charge more for natural hair (4A+).
Like I said in my previous review, I haven’t had a bad experience and like the results I get. I try to go to Raina if I can, she’s my favorite of the stylists. By the way, do yourself a favor and go on week days. Saturday is like an all day event even with an appointment.