Gentleman, don't let the "salon" title fool you. If you want your hairline to be so crisp that strippers pay YOU to sit next to THEM, go see John and Gene. Yeah, there are a bunch of Spanish-speaking women getting all sorts of cuts and treatments in the far end of the shop, and yeah, there's your typical women's haircare products being sold and advertised in here, too. But a very distinct line exists in Perla, right in the middle of the shop. It's easy to tell where the salon ends (right after you walk across the TV playing Univision) and the barbershop begins (video games being played, random Caribbean guy selling perfume out of a backpack, life lessons being tossed about in a nonchalant manner). If you've ever walked by, especially on a Friday or Saturday, and wondered why there were 18 males waiting in a quote-unquote Dominican salon, it's because of the quality work done by the resident barbers. These dudes aren't just schmucks with clippers, they're masters of the craft. Every detail of your haircut is considered, details you haven't even thought of yet. You might wait a little bit, but you'll leave feeling like your shape-up could cut diamonds. These are not one-dimensional barbers, either. Straight hair, curly hair, almost no hair, white, black, Latin, Jewish, Cajun, Ancient Egyptian, it doesn't matter, you'll get cut. I know at least John prefers appointments, but feel free to walk in, though you might sit for a while. If you've got nowhere to be, who cares? Come join the conversation, we're talking about some wildly entertaining sh*t every time I'm in there. read more

My god-brother was in town and needed a quick line up. Now I don't know much about barbershops however, his hair looks great! The barber took the time consult with him about what exactly he was looking for since it was his first time there and he has fine hair- nice touch. He also cautioned him about some potential thinning he may way to be away of. The guy was professional and efficient so no complaints from me there. Just a note- there was a new movie on for entertainment while waiting. Of course it wouldn't be a barber shop without good convo. There was a very spirited discussion about Tyler Perry's depiction of males in his movies that led to definitions of masculinity in America, Africa, Dominican, China, etc. LOL---good way to wrap up a Thursday & I think you'd be pleased with your hair. read more

I got terrible treatment from Wayne. Walked in, asked how many waiting and he said one. After waiting 45 minutes he says doesn't take walk ins. After asking to make an appointment for the next day he cursed at me and I left. He came highly recommended but I will never go back there and warn everyone I know. read more

Went into Perla today for a hair cut. I wasn't picky on the place since I just needed a simple fade and part. Jean, who sits in the first chair on the right side of the room, was the first to speak so I asked if they took walk-ins. After he was done with the customer in his chair he called me over. After showing him a picture of me with a similar cut he asked a few clarifying questions and began to cut. He even treated my scalp with a spray and hot towel and after each step he made sure I was okay with it/knew what he was doing and I appreciated that. I'm satisfied with my cut and will be back! read more

I came here after reading a few reviews. I called first and asked if I could come a little later. The shop closes at 7. I wouldn't get there until 6:45. There was the one lady left who told me she would wait for me, Rosslyn. She was super sweet and listened to my concerns regarding my hair. She washed and conditioned it, then trimmed it very nicely. Finally, the blow dry and style was on point. 45 minutes later I was out, and ready to hit the town.. But I went to my house to get ready for bed. I'll be back. Good work here. read more

Since I learned about Perla Hair Salon here at Yelp, I figuered it would only be fair to come back and rate my experience. I love the place!!! I walked in today (Sunday) and there were only three people. I was greeted by Melissa who asked me what I was looking to do. She then called Ana who took care of me from there on out. I did not need to wash and set because I had done that at home the day before (after seeing my hair I was desperate for a cut) so I can rate them on that but I can tell you that Ana listened to what I wanted and delivered beautifuly. I walked in there with a picture and an idea to get my hair layered but not cut short (Some dominica stylist have the bad habit of cutting more that what you request atleast in my experience) and ANA DID EXACTILY THAT (plus I was in and out in about 45 minutes with no wait time). The environment was nice and calm. Ana was amazing. Once we discussed what I was looking for she sat me down and worked her magic with no distractions or interruptions. You can tell she was focused. Once the cut was finished she blew out my hair and did an awesome job with the finish touch. Overall I am extremely happy and I can finally say that I've finally found my HAIR STYLIST after 9 years of living in the MD area. read more

Just got my first haircut (paid for money) in 50 years. Jean first on right gave me a fine simple haircut on the spot. Plan to return on 5 weeks. I miss the old simple barbershop for a simple haircut. Perla has lots of this spirit. read more

My first review was filtered so I am writing another one. The two females who styled my hair complained about my texture. I am transitioning from relaxed to natural. My natural hair is curly. I almost left with wet hair because of their negative remarks however I had an event to go to. Honestly in the end I was happy with my hair. If you come here with natural hair be prepared to hear negative comments about your hair. If you don't speak Spanish the comments will not bother you because you will not understand what they are saying. I will not be returning to this salon. read more

Sooo, my friend gets her hair done in Silver Spring so I went along seeing that I needed to find a decent hair dresser here. I first went to my friend's salon around the corner from this one, asked her how much for a wash & set, and she told me $50... Ummm no. So I went down the street to Perla. I NEVER go to a hair salon without recommendation from someone else to play guinea pig first...but eh, there's a first time for everything. $35 for a wash and set, not bad. My hairstylist was... I think it was Maribel? I'm prolly making that up.... but there were two stylists in the shop & the other chick's client's hair looked good, so you'd probably be safe with either. Anyhoo, she did a pretty good job... spent a lot of time shampooing my hair. Conditioned at the sink. Roller set to dry. Blow-dried it straight. etc. She did burn me a couple of times with the heat from the blow-drier.... almost turned around and smacked it out of her hand... but when I looked at how fly my hair looked straight, it all went away. They have a frequent customer card, if you go like 10 times, you get one free, but I usually rock the natural & dominican's aren't known for their hair care with all that heat styling so I probably won't be back anytime soon. But when I want long flowing hair again, I shall return. Yay for saving money! There are a bunch of dominican hair salon's in the area, so if you walk around you can compare prices & such. I think this place is a barber shop too, so if you're a dude, you're covered too! I'm pretty sure the owner is the barber. Lastly, there is street parking, or you can park in the garage for the shopping center/thingy. Free on weekends and I think .75/hr or something on wkdays. There's a whole foods down the street also, with a parking lot that I never knew about! So you can probably park there for free.99 also. read more

I try to come here every Tuesday or Wednesday they will do a wash and set for $25! I never have to wait. I usually get a wash roller set and wrap and I'm out in an hour. They pay attention to you and you don't feel like they're secretly talking about you. They don't talk your head off and the owner is a very sweet woman. I have had a blow out and it hurt just like all the others so I try to just do the regular. Its very close to the Silver spring metro. Right next to a nail salon and food places, so its perfect for a day of cheap Pampering! Ive also gotten a hair cut here which I don't usually do at Dominican places, and they did a good job. Fast service, healthy hair, cheap prices, friendly people! Love this place. read more

I love this place! Melissa is the best!!! I needed a touch-up & she did an amazing job!! She took her time shampooing & not once did she wet me below my head. Have to love that because I'm usually completely wet by the time I get to rollersets. She trimmed & blowdried also. I got so many compliments for the bounce, touch-up & just how healthy my hair looks! I've been in so many Dominican salons & this is the best by far. read more

Just moved to the area and decided on this place after reading the reviews. The two young ladies in the shop don't speak much English to begin with. I was given to Melissa to do my hair so I can only speak for her work. She washed it very well! It almost felt like a massage and she kept checking on me to make sure she wasn't being too aggressive. I had my hair roller-set and then just had the roots touched quickly with the blow dryer. The roller-set was excellent, done very tight! All in all a wonderful experience. read more

Went to this barbershop today after my friend called the barber and told him i was coming for a cut. Took me 2 hours to get there since I wasn't driving but the barber (Wayne) was very disrespectful in the way he addressed my tardiness. Can't talk to a paying customer anyhow. He could have been cordial about the situation. Never going there again. read more

I found this salon on Yelp...so I figured it's only fair if I give back and give my thoughts. I have tried many dominican salons in the area and have been unhappy with the expensive prices...this wash & set cost me $35 which I believe is fair. I am Black with natural hair and love to leave a Dominican salon with with cute curls and straight roots. well, this place did just that...I went at 10:30 am and did not wait, although the chairs were full when I left. The stylist didn't speak much English but were very nice. The only reason I did not give it a 5 is because I wasn't totally happy with the quality of shampoo they use, next time I may bring my own. Overall, good in salon experience and my hair lasted quite a while. read more

I went to this salon today. I was served within 5 minutes of walking in the door.....on a sat at 12:30pm!!! Service was great and I had the best hair wash I have ever had in my life. The blow out was great too! I will probable come about once a month due to the damage that the heat can due. read more

I got my hair done here today and I was very happy with the outcome. I have natural 4c hair and this was my first time getting it blowout since I have gone natural. They were very sweet and I will definitely be coming back. The only reason that I didnt give 5 stars is because a blow out for natural hair like mine is $75 and the trim is an extra $10. But besides being a bit pricey, it was a job well done. read more

My hair cut and blow dry came out great. The prices aren't super cheap, it was $60 for cut and blow dry but she did an excellent job, and I'm a frugal person anyhow. The staff was friendly. read more

I used to go to Perla's about 2 years ago when I had still had a relaxer. I went for the simple fact that Louisa's (the original Dominican salon) was always booked. I walked up the street and discovered Perla's. I liked it back then because it was cheaper than the other Dominican salons in the area and it wasn't packed. Fast forward two years later. My hair is natural and I was looking for a good blow out that would not cost a fortune. The girl asked me if I wanted my hair straight or curly. She spoke every little English. I told her curly. She gave me these really small spiral curls which I did not want! I was disappointed, but came back several weeks later because they only charge $35 for a wash and set. I was really happy this time around. Since my hair is natural, they actually didn't set my hair in rollers. They washed/conditioned it and then just blew it out. I ended up getting a trim which was about $10 or $15 extra. My hair looks great and it has lasted. This place is never packed which can be a good or bad thing. It's also a barber shop and the owner is really friendly. If you're looking for a cheap blow out, come here, but practice your Spanish before you come. read more

I am new to the area so went online to find a place to get my hair colored. Salon Perla has in overall positive ratings, so I decided to give it a try. The place is in need of major repairs and upgrade but I that is not my priority, as long as I come out of the place with a smile. I talked to a lady that walked towards me and ask me what I needed. I said hair coloring. She then pointed me to Rossyn, who in her words, is the best expert for coloring. Rossyn asked me to take a seat and handed me 2 different sets of color charts for me to choose the color. I was surprised that she did not get a feel of my hair before preparing or applying the hair color. In all other places I have been to, the stylist always chats a bit and asks questions about what I need, when was the last time I colored it, what color should I get, give suggestions, etc. Once I choose, she went into the back room to prepare the color and came back. She put on me what looks more like an over-sized bib and not a protection cape/rope. I am very glad I took off my cardigan, because she splashed color all over the place, some of it landed on my jeans. Plus, my ears, left cheek and forehead were full of product. Again, in many other places, the stylist would apply cream on the skin at the hair line so to protect the skin from getting stained. When I told her to please hand me something to clean my face, she replied, that once she was done she would apply a product to clean: she took a towel, wet it with water and tried to clean but at this stage I was stained. The color she gave me is a nice one, albeit a shade lighter than the one I asked, so I wonder if the salon had run out of the color I asked as she kept on asking me if I liked the color; moreover, I wonder if she is actually trained to be a hair colorist. She almost ripped off the top of my ears when brushing me, blow drying was excruciating as I was burnt on the forehead, as well as my ears with the hair straightener. Every time she pretended like it had not happened, but it happened and very often! Then it looked like I had a balding spot on the back of my head because of the way she brushed me. I am also not sure that Rossyn is used to working with hair that is naturally straight. She told me at one point that my hair was rebel because the hair pin would slide off. Someone who knows straight hair would know that this happens! Plus she need to used a small pin rather than the large one she had. Like I mentioned before, the place needs a big upgrade, but that is the least of the problems they have. They need clean up the place. At the washing station, the large containers were full of dry shampoo and conditioner that had dripped from when it is used to wash hair. The sitting station is stained, full of dusty bottles and a wax machine with dirty wood sticks full of hair. The drawers have lots of brushes that are in serious need of cleaning: they have so much hair that you can hardly see the bristles. I have to say, Rossyn seems like a nice lady but she needs to learn to do a clean application of the product, and use of hot tools without constantly burning her clients. This was my experience. Perhaps if I had a different hair texture, it would have been a different one. I will not come back. read more

Was a walk-in today (Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.) and was taken care of by Maribel. I speak spanish so I could communicate with her. There was no one else in the salon although several walk-ins appeared while she was working on my hair. I am white and have very long, straight hair. It was getting too long to be manageable and all of the layers had grown out, so I told Maribel to just make it look good and that I wasn't fussy about the particular style. Anything would be an improvement. I told her maybe a side-bang. She said no problem and took great care and time washing my hair. She put a LOT of layers in it toward the bottom, but managed to keep most of the length. Then she blow-dried it. The blow-drying took a long time, the majority of my appointment, but she was very gentle and really attentive to detail. When she was finished I was stunned. It is absolutely one of the most beautiful hair cuts I have ever had! She gave a lot of body to my naturally straight and flat hair and the natural color just shines beautifully, shown off by all the layering she did. It was a little expensive, $60 for a wash, cut and style, which is more than I have ever paid for the same service, but she did a really great job with very little direction or input from me. Will most likely go back. read more

I was torn between 3 & 4 stars; had to go with the 4 because of the price. Fresh off the road from Chicago, I was confounded that a wash/roller set was $25, but a wash & blow dry (my usual) was $45. I still don't get it. It's far more work and more time, but whatever..... I could not have a clear conversation about it since I don't speak Spanish (yes, it's my language issue, not theirs). Came out great for a $25 do. Guess I'll be back next time I have plenty of time, patience and no money. We'll see if my hair can hold up to the frying and drying. read more

i got my hair done for a wedding here, and i have never been impressed on how well some one could straighten my hair before!!!!! i have african american hair, the only comment the women made was on my burnt out part of my hair which i had bleached and the hair broke off, but other then that they loved the texture!! again with the i have never been so amazed on how well some one could straighten my hair, i basically had Caucasian style straight hair in the end, the entire cost was about 60$ which is not bad for my volume and length. I got so many complements about my hair afterwards it was amazing. The man at the cashier that i paid was so polite and he complemented me on a job well done!!! i felt so great going to perla salon i will defanitly be going back!!! i recommend this place to anyone who wants a good straightening and good service read more

Worst and Unethical stylist (OWNER). She put permanent color in my hair without my knowledge, until after the fact. My hair had to be cut after drying out and falling out. She has a tax business, and it seems more for taxing than hair. read more