Maribella Salon — Local services in Wilmington

I came in with 4B African-American hair, fully detangled and prepared, expecting professional care and a respectful experience. From the moment the stylist, Maribela, touched my hair, the appointment turned degrading and hostile.

What happened: • She trash-talked my hair from the start—calling it “so difficult,” suggesting I should get a straightening treatment, and saying she used to want my type of hair but not after becoming a stylist. • She accused me of not detangling (I had), dismissed what I said about tools that work on my hair, and kept asking how long it takes other people to do my hair and how much I usually pay, treating my natural hair like a problem to “manage,” not care for. • She applied a treatment while I was sitting at the sink, left it on for only 15 minutes, and never put me under a dryer—not appropriate for my hair type. • She barely washed my hair—just ran shampoo through quickly—and my hair still smells. • She complained about my hair’s volume, kept checking the clock, and told me she had a 7:00 p.m. client, saying she “didn’t expect me to have this much hair.” She even asked me to check the time while I was in the chair. Salon time should be my time—a chance to feel cared for and connected with the stylist. This felt like the opposite of a professional salon experience. • I ended the appointment early because of the ongoing disrespect. When I politely offered to pay for the shampoo and conditioner and shared (calmly) that calling African-American hair “difficult” is offensive and rooted in bias, I was told it was a “cultural thing.” • When I said that if she doesn’t know how to do my hair type she shouldn’t advertise that she can, she got offended and told me to leave the shop.

I left feeling degraded, disrespected, and traumatized about my appearance. This wasn’t just poor service; it was texturism and racial insensitivity on full display. And to be clear, what service was even provided? My hair was neither properly cleansed nor properly treated.

Bottom line: If you are African-American or have tightly coiled hair, avoid this salon. They are not trained to care for natural 4B hair and they do not show respect for it. A salon visit should feel like supportive, dedicated time with a professional—this was not an experience; it was an ordeal.

For management (if you read this): • Stop advertising expertise with natural/4C hair until your staff is properly trained in natural hair care. • Provide anti-bias and cultural competency training so clients with textured hair are treated with respect, not as an inconvenience. • Implement basic professional standards: thorough cleansing, correct processing times/heat, and no clock-watching at the client’s expense.

Pictures:

1st is the day of appointment after my “wash” 2nd is it looks when I typically wash and dry and put a curl cream in 3rd one is her attempt of blow...

I can’t say enough great things about Maribella Salon! the atmosphere is warm, clean, and welcoming. Maribella herself is so professional —she takes the time to really listen to what I want and gives me expert advice on what would suit my hair type and complexion best.

I get my hair highlighted by her, and I’m absolutely in love with the results every time! The color is always vibrant, perfectly blended, and looks so natural. I’ve gotten so many compliments already! She’s clearly a master of her craft and takes pride in her work. And she takes her time to apply the products with her technique where it causes less to no damage to my hair, I truly appreciate that. No one else has taken their time to take care of my hair throughout the process of highlighting as much as she has.

If you’re looking for someone who’s skilled, detail-oriented, and truly cares about making you look and feel your best, Maribella is your go-to. I’ve been getting my hair done by her for 2 years now and it has been the healthiest despite the years of damage prior to coming to her. She has brought my hair back to life ! Her hair treatments are amazing and I recommend coming to her to get treatments done as well ! She uses quality products that always has my hair feeling...

So first I want to say how accommodating she is I never have to wait longer than a week to be seen. Customer service is great she is always pleasant and friendly. When I came to her I was so nervous because it would have been the first time she would give me a shortcut but I’m happy to say she did awesome she cut my hair with the razor and I was skeptical about that as well but OMG it looked so good when she was all done. I also brought my daughter so Maribella can do/fix her hair that was damaged from past highlights and again I was surprised and happy with my daughter’s results. I love how she is patient and takes her time and pride on her work. I will continue to come back to her and continue to also bring my daughter. I don’t have a good before pics but here is after pics. The left is my daughter with the razor cut and right is me with razor cut and highlights. The last picture was my daughter’s second trip to Maribella was...