Very sketchy business practices. I met Dina in Sept and was quick to get hand-tied extensions put in. I paid close to $2k for the hair and installation which I thought was an okay price for good quality hair and the time it took to install.
I liked the extensions for the first few weeks. I had never had so much hair in my life and appreciated the way they looked. But the extensions need to be tightened frequently and making an appointment with Dina quickly became an ordeal. She would frequently move or cancel my appointments with no notice or communication. I felt like I was chasing her down in order to get my hair done- which wouldn't be an issue if I was getting a standard cut or color. The issue was that I had extensions tied into my hair -which she installed- and when they were falling out or needed an adjustment, I could not do it myself or wait much longer than my originally scheduled appointment to get them fixed. I had initially trusted Dina to install them and felt reliant on her for these appointments, only to feel like I was an annoyance when they were changed around.
The hair started to go downhill. It didn't hold the same oomf as it did before and I started to not like the way it looked. The last appointment I had with Dina was in November. She retied them in a different configuration because you could noticeably see the corners of the extensions through my natural hair and the ends needed to be trimmed. We had an appointment to fully take out the extensions on 12/19.
Between November 19th and December 1st, the extensions started tangling. Really bad. I was doing all I could to upkeep- brushing, sleeping on silk pillow cases, wearing it in a low braid most of the time- but the consistency of the hair was not holding up. I reached out to Dina when it got so bad I physically couldn't get the tangled extensions to brush out myself. She replied curtly and told me to contact an alternative stylist. A few hours later, I got a notification that my appointment on 12/19 was cancelled.
Fast forward a few weeks later- I was able to make an appointment with someone who did not install hand-tied extensions like Dina did, but was thankfully able to remove them. She was my saving grace as my hair looked atrocious I had not been able to get a hold of Dina.
Turns out after everything, I was duped by Dina. The hair that was installed a few months prior, while "real" human hair, was not of good quality hair consistent with what I had paid for it. It was not the kind of hair that you can maintain for long periods of time- and it showed. The hair had to be cut from my head and left terrible patches and thinning hair underneath. The hair stylist was in awe of how the hair was installed and in what shape it was in.
When you spend time and money on something that is supposed to make you feel good about yourself, it is absolutely terrible to find out someone took advantage of you. Dina advertises herself in such a way that makes you believe she is the best in the business- but what I believe now is that she pushed me to an alternative stylist at the end because she knew that she had not been truthful about her business practices.
I would not recommend Dina for new clients. While I believe she probably does decent hair on her long-term clients, I do not think that I am the only one she took advantage of in this way. She is very selective and it made me extremely uncomfortable by the end of it. I am happy my experience is over but want others considering getting these extensions installed- especially by Dina- to do extensive research. This would include what kind of hair is being installed (I would ask for the package the hair came in, which I did not) and the rates and timeline for the hair upfront. I would also make sure you have a backup stylist in the event that appointments cannot be accommodated and you are in a bind, like I was. read more