​ Assaulted at Divas Salon in Medford, NY

On December 26, I walked into Divas salon (owned by Latoya Russell Ward) expecting a professional braided hairstyle but left with a story of assault, damaged hair, and blatant disregard for customer care. What should have been a straightforward appointment turned into one of the most upsetting experiences of my life.

The appointment itself was chaotic from the start. Despite my repeated requests for pictures to clarify the style, none were provided. This led to a rushed and sloppy final product. The ombre effect I specifically asked for was inconsistently achieved, and the synthetic and human hair curls were poorly integrated, leaving the style looking unpolished and messy. After nearly nine hours in the salon, I was left with a hairstyle that didn’t remotely meet the standard I paid for.
When I returned on December 27 to address my concerns and request either a refund or a correction, the situation escalated into outright hostility. During the conversation, I was physically pushed by one of the stylists and repeatedly poked with a comb in her hand. To make matters worse, my phone—on which I had a family friend and hairstylist with over 40 years of experience available for advice—was grabbed from my hand multiple times without my consent.
Finally they agreed to give me a refund if I removed the braids. The staff offered to cut the braids out themselves, but allowing someone who had already been aggressive toward me to come near my head with sharp objects was out of the question. I also didn’t feel safe remaining in the building for the hours it would take to remove the braids myself.
I booked another stylist to remove the braids and followed Divas’ instructions to provide video evidence of the process to qualify for a refund. The stylist who removed my braids—whom I later learned was a former employee of Divas—confirmed that my edges were damaged due to their braiding technique. Even worse, the expensive human hair extensions I provided were rendered unusable because Divas improperly dipped them in boiling water along with the synthetic braiding hair, causing irreversible damage. Lastly, the stylist confirmed this level of hostility directed at dissatisfied customers was not atypical for Ms. Russell Ward.
Despite complying with their refund demands, Divas has refused to return my money. Instead, I’m left with damaged hair, wasted time, and a significant financial loss. Worse, I endured physical aggression and intimidation from the very people I trusted with my hair.
Latoya Russell Ward and Divas Salon have demonstrated not only incompetence but also a complete lack of ethics and customer care. No one should have to endure such unprofessionalism, let alone violence, at a place of business. If you value your safety, your hair, and your money, I urge you to think twice before stepping into this salon.