2216 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218 410-235-1660
© 2026 WYPR
WYPR 88.1 FM Baltimore WYPF 88.1 FM Frederick WYPO 106.9 FM Ocean City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

A 24/7 Bowie salon is reshaping the local hair-braiding business

Lovelyn Assaba, a hairstylist, braids a customer visiting the salon for the first time. The speed of service is one of the draws at the 24-hour salon in Prince George’s County.
Wambui Kamau
/
WYPR
Lovelyn Assaba, a hairstylist, braids a customer visiting the salon for the first time. The speed of service is one of the draws at the 24-hour salon in Prince George’s County. Stylists wear scrubs— purple on weekdays and gray on weekends— while managers are dressed in business casual.

Hair braiding is big business. The global industry generates billions of dollars in annual revenue.

And a quick search on Google Maps shows just about a dozen places to get your hair braided within a half-mile of our radio station near Charles Village. But Black women have typically faced long wait times for this kind of styling.

One local hair salon, a little farther away in Bowie, is trying to address that problem by offering something unique: 24/7 braiding services.

WYPR’s own Wambui Kamau recently visited the salon, and she joins guest host Gabe Ortis in Studio A.

Stay Connected
Amy Walters joined the Baltimore Public Media team on February 24th as Midday's executive producer.
Sam Bermas-Dawes is a producer for Midday.
Rob is Midday's interim senior producer.