This Braiding Salon Is Setting A New Standard For Black Haircare & It’s About Time

By the time Diessou Kante opened JolieDen’s Beauty Bar in 2018, she already knew what she didn’t want. She’d spent years watching her mother braid hair in less-than-ideal conditions, and she was determined to build something different, a space that prioritized beauty but also comfort, care and peace. Fueled by a longstanding love of luxury, she founded her Harlem-based salon in 2018 at just 24.

Fast-forward a few years and a pandemic pivot later. That vision of merging the culture of African hair braiding with the aesthetic and an experience that pours back into you has fully come to life — with white walls, gold accents, custom massage shampoo stations and plush seating to match.

“I love nice things naturally,” Kante tells Unbothered. “And I felt like when it comes to that and African hair braiding… people don't really merge the two worlds together. Getting your hair braided is a long process — so it should be your little escape.”

Renovations wrapped earlier this year. What started as eight braiding stations has now doubled to 18, offering a level of design that goes beyond what many expect from a traditional braid shop. It's not just the scaling of the business that keeps clients coming back to the upgraded salon. It’s the vibe.

Robes to keep hair off your clothes. The scent of fresh coffee in the air. R&B and WizKid blaring over the sound system. Every detail at JolieDen’s Beauty Bar was designed to feel like a retreat, a spa-like atmosphere and not just another hair appointment.

And the best part of it all is that you don’t even have to come with your hair pre-washed and blow-dried because guess what? The salon customizes your wash based on a pre-appointment survey. And the shampoo stations? Custom-made to deliver a full-body massage while your hair gets cleansed, detangled and treated as the water penetrates your scalp. 

“My favorite detail definitely has to be our washing stations, which were custom-made,” says Kante. “They give you a full-body massage while you're getting your hair washed. Our clients definitely love that.” 

“The entire experience was centered around luxury, and I'm really big on luxury and self-care,” shares Crystal Suggs, a full-time content creator who traveled from Dallas for an appointment. 

“I literally did not have to worry about anything, and this is all being encapsulated inside of an experience that allows me to rest even more by not having to do my hair anymore for like a month or a month and a half…however long I decide to keep the style in,” she says.

With all the thoughtfulness and intention the salon provides, it was only a matter of time before it hit social media and went viral.

After posting about her experience, it didn’t take long for the internet to catch on. What felt luxurious in real life came across just as clearly on the timeline. After sharing a short video from her salon visit, her post took off (and fast). Within hours, the likes were rolling in. Since then, it's racked up more than 3 million views.

“You can treat yourself to luxury in so many different ways,” Sugg says. “This shows what luxury can be…instead of going to a salon that may rush you or be rude to you, you can go to a salon that actually cares about your experience. That in and of itself is luxury.”

Let’s be honest — posts like that don’t stay quiet for long. So what’s part of the reason it took off? For a lot of us, this kind of attentiveness isn’t what we’re used to. The typical braiding appointment is a long day, sitting in a stiff chair, maybe someone eating over your head and possibly no clean restroom in sight. But JolieDen? It’s giving the exact opposite.

“This whole salon is giving. It's really cute in there,” says Faith Harper, a full-time NYC-based content creator. “The ambience is amazing. There's a tree in the middle of the salon which is just crazy. It's just a sick vibe in there.” 

Harper booked boho braids after finding the salon online. She was planning on getting her hair done, whether she went to JolieDen’s or not. But the difference was the setting: same style, elevated energy.

“They're bringing hairstylists [in] who would be in a shop where it might feel unorganized or you might not be getting the best service, and they're bringing them to a space where they can execute their work,” she says. “You can come there and you will get good service, and you don't have to worry about all that extra [ness].” 

Not expecting much, Harper was also surprised by the response when she posted about it on TikTok.

“TikTok just kept going up,” she says. “People were asking what kind of hair I got, how much I paid, and if they provided the hair. My random hair videos don’t usually do numbers like that. So I was like, 'okay — people really are f*cking with the salon.' And I know why, but I was surprised.”

According to a survey by All Things Hair, 21% of Black women say they spend more than 25% of their monthly budget on haircare — compared to just 5% of white women. And 18% of us are spending more than three hours in the chair. That’s not just maintenance — that’s a major commitment.

For many of us, braiding has always been a rite of passage — done in kitchens, garages, small shops and even back rooms. It’s tradition, and during enslavement, it was used as a survival tool. But that doesn’t mean it has to be uncomfortable, especially in a world where many beauty salons often feel rushed or transactional and are becoming notorious for poor customer service. However, there is a rise in shops, such as JolieDen, that are hoping to change the narrative by setting a new standard — one where the appointment itself becomes a form of self-care.

There’s no reason to pack your bag full of snacks, your favorite magazine/books and your headphones if you prefer not to. These salons are handling it all, making the experience feel less like an appointment and more like a wellness ritual — a moment to disconnect and recharge.

“I don't feel like myself if I don't have my hair and my nails done. So, I feel like having that appointment is something I look forward to, whether it be every other week or a few times a month,” Harper explains.

And for Kante, that’s exactly the point.

“I'm somebody who's doing a million things at once, but if you don't rest and take care of yourself first, you will not be able to take care of anything else…it doesn't matter what it is. That's something that I'm learning myself. I'm not all the way there yet,” she insists.

Black women deserve more than “making it work.” We deserve experiences that pour back into us — that honor our time, our energy and our edges. JolieDen’s viral success is a reflection of just how starved we’ve been for spaces like this.

And while Kante once called JolieDen a “luxury hair shop,” she’s no longer interested in framing it that way.

“The goal is to really set and normalize the [new] standard,” she says. “When I first opened, I called it a ‘luxury hair shop,’ but I'm trying to steer away from that because again…it should be standard.” 

Black women have always known how to make haircare sacred. But what Kante is doing is reclaiming something deeper — a space where peace, ease and intention aren’t just available, they’re expected. And that shift? That’s how you change the narrative. That’s how culture moves forward.