Wesley Styles

Wesley Styles NYC describes itself as a curl and texture specialist. The stated goal is healthy hair of any type, with each session customized to the guest. Owner and stylist Tamika D. Wesley started the studio to offer a more personal salon experience.

Three New Guest packages make up the core of the menu. The Silk Out Works ($450, 3-4 hours) suits guests who wear curls smooth, straight or silky, or who are moving toward their natural texture. The Short Curl Works ($495, 3-4 hours) is for short hair that the guest wants to wear curly, or curls that have become dehydrated and need a new shape. The Curl Works ($625, 4-5 hours) follows the same goals for medium to long hair.

New guest visits start with a scalp analysis that looks at how the client has been using products. Next comes a detox step that draws out surplus oil and product, followed by a clarifying wash and a hydrating cleanse. The SOS Restoration Cocktail, which conditions and fortifies the hair, goes on through an Aquatic mist steamer. Each visit ends with a curl-enhancing style (wash and go), a tailored haircut for curly hair with a lesson on styling at home, and take-home products.

Before a first session, guests are asked to do The Curl Detox for at least 14 days. It is a shampooing routine meant to remove oils, heavy butters, excess silicones, resins, micro-plastics and wax from the hair and scalp, using a clarifying or deep cleansing shampoo, a detangling conditioner and Uncle Funky's Daughter Curly Magic, which is sold at the studio. New Guests also complete an intake questionnaire and upload four photos of their hair and an image of the desired haircut. Hair should not be pulled into a puff, tied or wrapped in a scarf beforehand. If hair does not meet these requirements, a $65 detangling fee per half hour applies, or the visit is rescheduled and charged the full no-show fee.

Existing Guests can keep ongoing pre-booked sessions on a daily, monthly or quarterly schedule. Color is handled separately: a color analysis consultation is a different appointment, held at least one week before a color service, and color is not done on the same day as an analysis or offered to New Guests.

For a visit, guests should arrive no more than 15-20 minutes early, text on arrival, and go upstairs when asked. Only the guest being serviced may attend. Phone calls and eating are asked to wait until after the appointment, and outside products are not allowed unless a doctor has prescribed them. Cancellations need 24 hours notice, and later cancellations are charged the full service price. Arrivals more than 10 minutes late are rescheduled with a 50% service fee. Appointments must be confirmed 24 hours ahead. Guests who are unhappy with a service can contact the owner within 7 days for a complimentary re-do, subject to conditions. Guests are asked whether they consent to before and after photos and possible marketing shoots, and they may decline.

The studio aims for healthy hair of any type, with a customized session for each guest, and the process is built around a routine the guest can keep at home.

The waiting area is cozy.