The interview with Dilone was conducted in Spanish and translated into English by a member of our staff.

Among the bustling chaos of Allston’s downtown, there exists a port in the storm: a refuge for women whose hair starts to frizz in the rain, where the sound of blaring hot air never stops and steam rising from the flat irons paints the air in foggy white.

Teresa International Salon is owned and operated by Kenia Salazar Dilone, a first-generation immigrant from the Dominican Republic. Dilone has not only been doing hair for 20 years, but also owns and creates her own line of products for her clients.

Dilone’s hair journey began at nine years of age when her cousin brought clients into their home as an entrepreneurial hairdresser. Ever since then, Dilone knew that, despite her father’s wish for her to pursue engineering, God’s path for her resided in the art world. In Santo Domingo, Dilone studied industrial arts, obtaining a degree in fashion design.

“When I immigrated to the U.S. in 2001, English was really difficult for me. I couldn’t see a way to work within that industry in this country, so the second option was this job: beauty,” Dilone said.

Even though it was not her first choice, becoming a hairstylist set Dilone on the path to becoming her own boss. She takes liberties with her work, such as setting up her own schedule and working close to home. Additionally, her role has also allowed her to become more than “just a stylist.”

“This job helps me become very close to people. Not only are you a stylist, you’re a counselor, you’re a friend. Every day is something different. People come here, they sit down beautiful, and they leave even more beautiful. That is what helps me always maintain in earnest the love for my job.” Dilone said.

Dilone’s work has not only helped her connect with individuals, but has shown her the beauty of entire cultures, allowing her to develop her craft even further as she moved around the U.S..

“I connected the most with African-American people in North Carolina. There, I learned new techniques and a new mechanism for doing hair, and I gained all this confidence from the work that I did on them,” Dilone said. “I am Dominican, but I haven’t only worked with Dominican people: also Colombians, Venezuelans, African-Americans, Americans and Chinese people. I have the privilege of variety.”

After moving from North Carolina to Massachusetts 14 years ago, Dilone became one of the first Dominican salon owners in Concord. Though she has encountered many successes in the business field, Dilone continues to prioritize her connection with clients and her vision as a counselor and teacher.

“Part of my vision is to be able to help people love themselves just as they are, so that they don’t have to imitate or become someone else to feel good. Today, the ethnic woman or Latina woman has an opportunity; they aren’t categorized as being women who are not beautiful. Today, we are beautiful,” Dilone said

To help achieve this vision, Dilone worked on her own hair care line during the pandemic, and is now in charge of both Teresa’s International Hair Salon and KD Hair. After beginning to work on Type 4 curls, Dilone realized the majority of African-American women use lots of oil, and she wanted to introduce a different medium for providing hydration that complimented natural beauty.

“Something awakened during the years of the pandemic, when one has such time and isn’t so busy. That made me think of a lot of things. I said, ‘it’s time.’ I knocked on doors and, little by little, I went searching for options,” Dilone said. “At that time, that was the only one of my plans that had not been executed. Now, I am launching a new business that’s in my name. It’s made of natural ingredients and it’s especially for curly hair.”

Throughout this journey, Dilone said she has remained true to her core and community as a Latina woman, even though she has become proficient in English. Her dream of empowering women with natural hair comes true every time a client sits down in her salon chair.

“Natural hair is beautiful. It is what God has given you. Many people cover up that identity, wearing wigs, doing braids,” Dilone said. “Today, it is not a necessity to do all that. It is a luxury and a pleasure and extremely powerful to be able to show your own identity.”