Fatou African Hair Braiding de Brooklyn, NY (2025)

Cassia H.

I went to 51 Willouby St at 9:00am. Fatou was nice. However the lady to the right who did my hair came late & continued to complain to me about the texture and length of my hair (sucking her teeth). She didn’t want to work period. My hair was clean, and a suitable length. I didn’t like the style in the end, which was supposed to be a twist not braided Mohawk (the lady saw I wasn’t pleased). I dare not open my mouth, so I paid 70.00 and went my way (several ladies came in to the shop complaining about how their hair was done). I had another lady Aja in another shop (Cisse) do the style (braided though not twisted) however professionally, but sadly she moved. I want you to be the judge and compare my mohawks, the one on my profile picture vs. this one. I had to give this place a shot because Yasmine braiding shop wasn’t answering their phone and I needed a last minute hair do (plus all the good reviews). Well well well.

Phoenix C.

Rude is an understatement. These women have no concept that this is a business and that they are not doing you a favor. The owner speaks down to you, skips over you and has no order when it comes to service. The braider that was braiding my hair stopped in the middle and disappeared. She decided without warning that she was going to get food for the entire shop, come back and take 45 minutes to eat it. The good work that they do I your hair is completely void because of the service. Never again!

Noiree K.

They have 2 locations, one at 71 Willoughby and another at 51 Willoughby. I’ve gotten my hair done here several times. The first time was great. I got so many compliments. But this last time, I had to post a review to warn everyone away from this place. Fatou herself did my hair. Less than two weeks in, my hair looked very fuzzy and very old. I called Fatou to let her know, she tells me to come in so she could see it. I go in on Sunday, she tells me that my hair is loose because my hair was damaged. (side eye) My hair is damaged because of them, if it’s damage, because I’ve been going there to get my hair braided or twisted since May. Also, I’ve been babying my hair because I wanted it to look nice for a long time. I haven’t slept on it uncovered, in fact, I triple wrap it. I put the twisted hair in a stocking, a scarf on the cornrowed part, and a bonnet on both. I keep it covered during showers, I’ve done everything to keep my hair looking good.
So she «fixes» my hair, but talked smack about me the entire time in her language. She didn’t dip the hair to make it look neat, and the braids she did «fix» look so bad, I wish I hadn’t gone at all. Don’t waste your time or money at this place. They won’t do your hair to last and will charge you $ 20 — $ 40 more than they do in Harlem.

Brittany J.

The stars are solely based on the end result of my box braids.
I would definitely go back but be warned the environment is grade c at best

Danielle G.

I will never EVER!!! Go back here. The only thing I like was the time it took her to do my hair. I got Senegalese Twist done on the 8^th of August and today is the 21^st and I already have twist that coming out, twist that are bigger than the other ones, and my hair is coming out of the twist.
For 120 they should do a better job and the clients that comes in

Brooklyn T.

I saw the reviews and thought It was worth a try. This is a great place IF you have time to waste, went there early (830am) supposedly they open at 9:00 no one was there, thankfully the nail technician let us in.1 Braider did arrive at almost 930, by then there were about 10 ladies waiting. Then we find out only 2 ladies can do the crochet braids which I inquired about before coming (but of course they didn’t arrive until later), and then the crochet Braiders are only capable of doing corn rolls for straight back braiding for the crochet (so if you have a certain braid pattern you are hoping to achieve then forget it). So after finding this out from the few braiders that did arrive by 10 am the crochet Braider still haven’t arrived yet. So I was forced to leave and return to my original dependable Braider. Unfortunately this salon is operating unprofessionally, I can’t attest to their braiding skills because I didn’t have time to waste trying to find out, I’m thinking though that the review from the client that did get the crochet braids from there maybe be an omen to not waste anymore time at this salon.

J. C.

Went to Fatou on Memorial Day. It was crazy. I was recommended to wait for Fatou. I got there at 9:30am and with the people ahead of me I was going to wait! I told her I had an appt so she told me to go to Amina. Amina hooked my hair up. If she din’t like it, she’ll re-​do it! I’m going to her… forget Fatou! And people ask me about my hair! I really love it. Its just long! She did it nice in time for graduation. Even said they give me a bun for free on graduation day! Def recommend! Just bring something to keep you busy!

Empress T.

I don’t normally write reviews but this one is a must. I read the reviews about this place, some good and some bad but I still wanted to give it a try since it’s close to my church and conveniently located downtown Brooklyn. The owner, Fatou has two locations. 70 Willoughby Street and her larger location, 51 Willoughby Street. I came to her previously to discuss the style I wanted. I got a good vibe from her and decided to come back in two weeks for service. When I came back yesterday morning around 11am, there were 6 people ahead of me and they were all waiting for Fatou, even though their were like 10 stylists. I figured she must be the best since everyone was waiting for her. I sat and waited patiently as she styled style after beautiful style for crochet braids. Finally it was my turn. I came in with my old crochet style from another place and told her I wanted it the same as my new crochet style. I had the hair that I wanted to achieve the style but she said that hair wouldn’t achieve the style that I wanted but mind you, I had the style as a previous install somewhere else. Fatou recommended different hair to achieve the style I was looking for, against my wishes. What happened to the customer is always right? Anyway, like a dummy I let her install the hair she recommended. Fast forward 4 hours later and see the picture of my scalp. The hair she recommended doesn’t match my hair texture. It’s way too shiny like Asian hair or Brazilian hair and I am African American. The next issue was that the part was crooked and the hair was very bulky around the part like she pulled too much for closure and/​or looks like she used thread to close the hair. She said she didn’t use thread. You are not supposed to use thread to close hair for crochet braids. I don’t know what she did because this is the only salon I’ve ever been to with poor lighting and the seats are so low and cant be raised and you can’t see the style you’re getting until you stand up when it’s done. A good tip, if you must come here, is use your front facing camera on your phone to see their every move. I didn’t do this yesterday and didn’t realize that the hair was fucked up to that extent until I got home and used better lighting. I called Fatou immediately and told her my complaints. She said to come back 9am today to fix the issues, free of charge. I came back at 9. She didn’t open until 930. To heighten my frustration, she and her staff took 3 ladies ahead of me. I’m still waiting. I hope she fixes the issues. I really don’t want her to touch my hair again but they don’t do refunds. I’m going to let her fix it, if she’s capable by using the hair I purchased and then I’m leaving and never looking back. Don’t come here. There are plenty of African Hair braiding shops that are professional and knowledgeable. Unfortunately, they don’t all do crochet braids but search for a high quality salon that does. I thought this was one but I was misled. I love crochet braids but not from this place. The search continues… smh
Update:
Finally got in the chair after 3 people were put ahead of me. The style was removed by Fatou after some snickering amongst the other stylists. (She was explaining why I had returned and what the issue was) Fatou then told me someone else was going to do my hair. I explained to Minka what I wanted. She used the hair I purchased and went to work. When she was done, I asked her to blow dry the hair to straighten it out. She said OK but was quickly told no by Fanta. I almost didn’t tip her but Fanta is the owner, not her. I left, vowing to never return. I went home and blow dried my own hair and loved the results until I went to work the following day and realized that I bought 4 packs of hair but Minka only used 3 and it seemed like it was enough but when the wind blows you can see my braids under the install. Not sure why she didn’t fill in the gaps since she had enough hair. The gaps in between the braids make me look bald. I paid 135 total for this install after tipping Minka for the so called fix. I can’t afford to get my hair done again this soon so I’m stuck looking bald with the gaps she left in my head. Stay clear of this place, both locations! Run like hell!

A A.

Me and my sister have been going to Fatou’s for years. I have always had a nice experience, alway satisfied. All of the ladies are pleasant and very skilled in hair braiding. The place is one that I recommend to friends all the time. The location is nearby all trains and buses, and the price is also right.

Claudenie P.

I went back and I explained to fatou my hair and she stopped what she was doing and fixed my hair

Nasima A.

first time braiding… my head is killing me lol
ok as far as know what their doing I would say yes. but 8 hrs for braids if I had know i t wouldn’t go through with it.
why they only get three stars… the endless gossip and they talk about you right in your face. and they must check in you to make sure you don’t speak Africana French… so insulting. Oh and i love how they can talk for hours and the minute you talk on the phone or to other customer its dead silence. A bit of attitude as well :/

Tiffany R.

Was just there sitting for 1 hour waiting to get my nails done. So when the lady was done it was suppose to be my turn she took someone else. I said something and she said the other lady will be doing my nails. Wtf thats something they should have been told me

Tanya R.

Fatou African hair braiding is a hot, stuffy, very UNglamorous, sometimes crowded little braid shop but they DO NOT disappoint as far as the services offered. The African braiders here are extremely skilled and even if it takes three sets of hands to complete the job your hair will look as neat and pretty as requested. They also do weaves, relaxers and other styles for MUCH less than a lot of the fluffier salons. Fatou’s isn’t a fancy place. There’s no 50 in. flat screen TV hanging from the wall and no one’s going to offer you a glass of champagne while you’re being styled but they get the job done and that’s really what it’s all about.

Nikki S.

I’m a major fan. I used to go to Fatou’s salon all the time years ago, and now that I’m back to the braids, I made a beeline for her new (bigger) place. The stylists are all nice, my hair looks great (box braids to the waist) and the braids have stayed neat for weeks now. They were a bit tight the first few days, but no real complaints. They do listen to you (you might have to get Fatou to translate) when you specify the size of braid or length, which I know is not the case everywhere.
I have always been more than satisfied with the style, the effort, and the price.

Synthia N.

The place is convenient to the subway at Jay St. and Borough Hall in Brooklyn. I had medium box braid extensions in 5 hours. The bathroom was decent and stocked. The braids are too tight and she refused to make them looser. I am in pain now but I am looking cute.

Ashley F.

Good job by the stylists. I got Senegalese twists done yesterday in a total of 5 hours. not bad at all.