Anyone know anything about Dina at TheTopShoppe or OneHeadHair? NYC Salons

[kindasadtbh]

Hi everyone. I'm looking into getting my first hair system and going in for a consultation and was recommended these two spots. I'm in NYC and I'm looking into starting off with salons and then transitioning into doing my own maintenance because I can't afford to perpetually pay $200 for maintenance every 2 weeks. Does anyone have any experience with or information about any of these two salons? Are they good at what they do, etc.? If it helps, I think Dina uses Hairskeen hair systems - are those generally good quality?

In case the title is confusing, one of the places is called The Top Shoppe (run by a woman named Dina) and the other company is called OneHeadHair.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Noah]

The frequent poster here called BaldBearded is a rep for a branch of OneHeadHair (not New York). He should be able to help you there. It's a relatively new and up-market salon-based company, with pretty impressive results.

I can't comment on the Top Shoppe. Hairskeen is a well-known wholesale brand which serves a lot of salons. They make stock "skin" hairpieces - i.e. the bases are thin polythene film, and they come in pre-made standard colours and sizes which the salons cut down to size. It's a fairly unsophisticated approach to selling hair systems, although the results can still look good. As you get more experienced you will likely want to try other features such as custom-made systems and lace bases, which Hairskeen don't do.

I certainly think you are right to plan to move towards self-sufficiency in maintenance as soon as you can. That is the way forward.

 

[kindasadtbh]

The frequent poster here called BaldBearded is a rep for a branch of OneHeadHair (not New York). He should be able to help you there. It's a relatively new and up-market salon-based company, with pretty impressive results.

I can't comment on the Top Shoppe. Hairskeen is a well-known wholesale brand which serves a lot of salons. They make stock "skin" hairpieces - i.e. the bases are thin polythene film, and they come in pre-made standard colours and sizes which the salons cut down to size. It's a fairly unsophisticated approach to selling hair systems, although the results can still look good. As you get more experienced you will likely want to try other features such as custom-made systems and lace bases, which Hairskeen don't do.

I certainly think you are right to plan to move towards self-sufficiency in maintenance as soon as you can. That is the way forward.

Hi Noah,

Thanks for the response! I'd read a bit about this and I'm interested in a lace system - Hairskeen for sure doesn't do any lace systems?
Also, I'll definitely reach out to BaldBearded, thanks for the rec!

 

[HairlessWhisper]

I'm in NYC but not tried either of these companies and can't really recommend anyone, unfortunately. I agree that the sooner you start doing everything yourself, the better.

I had a look at the website for OneHeadHair and fyi, fwiw, their price per hairpiece is about double the max amount I've ever paid for each base type (in some cases a bit more or less than double). if price is a concern.

 

[BaldBearded]

FYI $200 for a maintenance visit, in Manhattan, is pretty standard.

 

[HairlessWhisper]

Yeah, but $500 for a stock STS unit is not.

 

[HairlessWhisper]

wait, "maintenance visit"? You mean just to de/rebond and maybe trim the bio hair? I paid around $200 for my initial cut in and installation the very first time. That price may have even included a perm or the perm may have been additional, I honestly don't remember. To be fair, that was several years ago, but the price she quoted for 'maintenance' was substantially less than the initial cut-in and fitting.

The piece for the stock unit was $150 but in these covid times $250 is 'standard'. Most stylists will let you bring a piece from wherever you want.

 

[HairlessWhisper]

*price for the stock unit

 

[notsohairymon]

There are two "just north of NYC" places that are a little less expensive than that that get a lot of NYC people willing to make a very small road trip.

One is Mr. Carmine on Central Ave. in Yonkers. He has been around for 40 years and though they kind of try to "hard sell" you in the beginning, they have a well known reputation in Westchester and advertise a lot with coupons I believe on their website as well. In terms of being around so long my dad actually went to them in their early days and while I can't speak for them now he was very satisfied with them and they didn't break his bank. I don't know what maintenance was like for him but then again that was the old "you take it off every night and double-side tape it up in the morning" and he went occasionally either for maintenance or a replacement system. Here is their website: https://www.internationalhairsalon.com/

The other one, the one I go to (though I live closer to Carmine) is Unique Hair Concepts in Ardsley, NY just off the Thruway. They are hidden in an office building and emphasize discreetness and privacy, usually they put you in a room right away and you are rarely out in the lobby for very long. They were and have been very honest and not "hard sell" me at all. I believe they charge $150 for maintenance (I don't know Carmine's prices though their systems were slightly cheaper than Unique's, more on that later) if you don't have them dye your hair and $200 if you do. They have me come every 4 weeks and told me they have people who even go 6-8 weeks (but others who indeed come every 2 weeks). I have had to go every 3 weeks the last 2 months for various reasons but will be going back to 4-5 weeks now that the weather is getting cooler and I sweat less. They do have a Hair Club style "package" if you want to keep going to them for maintenance to save even more money but they don't require it and hardly "sell" you on it. I did go for it since it's a 1 year deal and I think it will be at least a year before I'm comfy with DYI. I think they company they use for their "regular" pieces is XTS.

They are not to be confused with Unique Hair Salon on Yonkers Ave in Yonkers, NY, a completely different place that hardly advertises you can barely find them over the Internet) and mostly works off stock pieces by a company called New Man and I have heard are pretty low end and meh (ironically that place on Yonkers Ave has been in business over FIFTY years though....it's where my dad went before switching to Carmine who actually was once a stylist there that wanted his own salon). Here's the website of the place I am recommending: https://www.uniquehairconcepts.com/


I am not sure if either lets you bring your own system in and their systems (Unique does custom only, not sure if Carmine does stock) are pretty pricey. Unique also does some really high end stuff with 3D printing etc that supposedly last 1-2 years without replacing but they cost thousands and honestly told me I didn't really need them unless I really wanted that. Good luck!

 

[fuzzy_musafir]

Hi everyone. I'm looking into getting my first hair system and going in for a consultation and was recommended these two spots. I'm in NYC and I'm looking into starting off with salons and then transitioning into doing my own maintenance because I can't afford to perpetually pay $200 for maintenance every 2 weeks. Does anyone have any experience with or information about any of these two salons? Are they good at what they do, etc.? If it helps, I think Dina uses Hairskeen hair systems - are those generally good quality?

In case the title is confusing, one of the places is called The Top Shoppe (run by a woman named Dina) and the other company is called OneHeadHair.

Thanks for any help.

I went to speak with Dina last week. PM me.