Kerene Edie walked into Hair By Dee in Van Nest for her 1 p.m. appointment on Feb. 20 in bejeweled jeans and a blush pink sweater. Her demeanor was light and her smile wide as she greeted Denisse Uribe Palin, the owner of the hair salon, before her appointment — but getting her hair done hasn’t always been a lighthearted affair.
That’s because as a Black woman with ethnic hair, Edie has had trouble finding the right products for her — not just shampoo and conditioner, but also products like hydration and moisturizer, combs and brushes and everything that comes with protective hairstyles. In fact, Edie said Uribe Palin is one of the few stylists she feels comfortable with — she’s had friends with ethnic hair who’ve had hairdressers slip relaxers into conditioner bottles.
That relationship of trust with a stylist hasn’t come without years of trauma, trial and error with other people and products.
“I have to be able to entrust my hair care with whoever it is that’s putting their hands in my hair,” Edie said.
Dee
Uribe Palin is well-educated about ethnic hair. She’s got her own curly-hair routine down pat and asserts that each of her clients has their own unique hair texture and personality.
“To me there’s not [one] identity because we’re all the same,” she said. “Different textures, different colors — but that doesn’t affect [you] when you love your job and you do it from [the] heart, and not for money.”
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Uribe Palin first came to New York City in 1993 when she was 21 years old. After she had her daughter in 2002, she returned to her home country, but moved back to the city permanently in 2005.
The curriculum at her high school in the Dominican Republic included a sort of internship program where students could choose to get real-world experience by working in food service, natural recreation, literacy or cosmetology. Uribe Palin chose the latter but didn’t make…
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