Cultural Hair Lounge — Local services in Pittsburgh

I'm honestly saddened to write this review but it must be done. I came to Sanoma, Dec 31st for a relaxer. I'm new to city and have been relaxed my entire life. I use a specific salon-based relaxer brand and brought it to my appointment. Sanoma told me she could not use the relaxer because it was brought from an outside source but said that she would purchase the same brand and use that. I was super thankful and we rescheduled my relaxer for the next Friday. In the meantime, we ended up washing my hair and curling it. I have not had a relaxer in 4 MONTHS at this point. I asked her if she would be able to see the line of demarcation at my appointment next week now that my hair has been heat styled. She assured me that it would still be visible. I paid $100 for a wash, style and trim and tipped $20 for a total of $120.

Fast forward to next Friday. I come in for the relaxer, my hair has not been washed since last week when Sanoma styled it. She seemed to have difficulty finding the demarcation line. Before she applied the relaxer, I let her know that I had about 2-2.5 inches of new growth so I would apply that much. She told me that new growth is usually 1/4 to 1/2 an inch. PAUSE! I asked her really? My hair hadn't been relaxed in FOUR MONTHS! She insisted that it would be 1/2 inch. Let's just do the math here. If hair grows an average of 6 inches in 12 months and I haven't relaxed in 4 months, she should have EXPECTED 2 inches of new growth!! The fact that she insisted on 1/2 inch tells me she either does not understand hair growth rate or she does not know math. In addition, SHE DID NOT SMOOTH THE RELAXER AFTER APPLYING. She missed that KEY step to getting straight hair. Application was super slow and seemed very inexperienced; by the time she finished applying JUST the relaxer, 20 minutes had passed. My previous stylist can apply and smoothen hair all within 15.

Needless to say, the relaxer did not take well. She ended up charging me $160 for a relaxer touch up! $20 was added on for a "protein treatment" (btw, the price was revealed as I was paying -_-).

Here's the kicker, y'all. The website listed relaxer touch up as $80. I remember checking before my appointment and re-checked after to confirm. I called her after to ask why I was charged $140 when site lists $80. She said that $80 is the starting price for new stylist and you pay more for the master stylist (which is her). I call BS on that! None of that was listed on the site. In fact, when I made my appointment, I was told Sanoma was the ONLY one in shop who does relaxers so which other stylist was suppose to be $80? I was UPCHARGED on my service which definitely was NOT "master" quality.

Now fast forward 2 months and I had to go to a new stylist to relax and FIX my hair. She used the brand that I wanted and SMOOTHENED my hair which is proper relaxer technique. My hair turned out great and is consistent with the work my stylist back home does. Overall my experience at Cultural's Elite was not pleasant. I was overcharged for novice work. Would...

Since high school I have had my share of barbers and among them Brandon, from Cultural’s Elite. Brandon has a skill and a level of professionalism that has been unmatched in my experienced. Since high school I have watched Brandon grow not just as a barber, but as a man, husband, father, and business man.

Every time I walk into the shop Brandon makes sure he greets me and always seems to have a positive attitude, which helps to create a welcoming environment. He is not just a talented barber, he listens to his clients; he takes interest in things they are passionate about, which makes him a good conversationalist. While I have named some positive characteristics about Brandon, what I like the most is his punctuality, because at the end of the day he is running a business. Brandon’s ability to be punctual is my favorite quality, as this demonstrates how much he respects his client’s time – a quality that most barbers lack in my experience.

The shop is always clean and in order. From the receptionist to the chair every employee occupies, everyone makes an effort to ensure you have a good experience.

I’d also like to give a shout out to my man Khari. While, he is not my barber, he is an asset to Cultural’s Elite. If anyone reflects the spirit of Cultural Elite it’s him. He has a sense of humor that kills and a laugh that is contagious, he adds a special dynamic to the environment that is welcoming. And he’s able to do so while maintaining professionalism and...

Saw this place on Yelp nearby and had to walk in. My bf and I are from out of town, so we came without an appointment & we were pretty close/walking distance to some of the hotels nearby. Entrance/storefront is a little hard to find but not impossible (go through the lobby). I really appreciated the cold water and overall ambiance of the place. It's giving luxurious IG salon & reminds me of LA without the crazy price tags.

Service: ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Taylor helped me out with a cut and color, it turned out so cute. I especially loved the consultation and how thorough it was. Taylor was meticulous about figuring out what I want (bless her, I'm so indecisive) but also making sure my layers were blended/even. She just has such a wonderful energy/aura, I've decided we're besties now.

Jokes aside, we're pleasantly surprised at what a gem of a salon we found, because they really do mean all hair types (we both have straight Asian hair). It's usually kind of hard to find a place that does both men & women's hair well but Cultural Hair Lounge really showed out! Not only are the staff friendly and accommodating, they really know what they're doing and have no problem showing off their artistries. Just wish they offered waxing/threading eyebrow services. Overall, we're excited to go home with new hair do's and appreciate having such a great first time experience in a new city....