[0:00] (upbeat music)

[0:03] - Just wanna get a touch up?

[0:05] - Sure.

[0:06] - [Mouna] Oh, that's my

passion, I love doing hair.

[0:09] I just love when a client walk in,

[0:12] the smile that comes out of

their face is very pleasing.

[0:16] My name is Mouna,

[0:17] I'm the owner of Mouna's

Hair Braiding Salon

[0:20] here in Bloomington.

[0:21] I started back home in Africa,

Togo, that's where I'm from.

[0:25] So I had a hair salon there

before migrated to US.

[0:29] So then when I came here, I

decided I'm gonna continue.

[0:32] Went I had and did my

cosmetology, got the license,

[0:35] and then opened up this salon

[0:37] and started doing the braiding.

[0:39] We do all kind of services,

[0:42] braiding entails of box

braid, corn rows, twist,

[0:47] we do also men hair,

men corn rows, twists.

[0:50] We also do crochets, sew ins,

[0:53] and also I started doing

a hair detox treatment.

[0:58] - [Sabrina] I have alopecia,

it's kind of where hair loss,

[1:02] some African American

women suffer from that.

[1:05] So when I meet other women

and they have alopecia,

[1:08] then I recommend Mouna.

[1:10] because Mouna, it's the technique she uses

[1:14] and she doesn't make you

feel ashamed about it.

[1:18] - [Mouna] Trichology is

where we study hair loss

[1:21] and scalp maladies.

[1:23] So with that certification,

[1:25] I started doing hair loss treatment.

[1:28] We do make wigs, so some

clients will come in

[1:30] with the very fragile hair,

[1:33] and then they will ask

for hair braiding styles

[1:37] which will not be suitable for them

[1:39] because of the trying to

prevent the hair loss,

[1:42] so we will recommend for them to just have

[1:44] a soft plaid, that's

like a corn row version,

[1:48] and then we'll make custom wig for them.

[1:51] I love Bloomington, yeah.

[1:53] Because it's close to the mall,

it's close to the airport,

[1:56] because I do get a lot

of out-of-state clients

[2:00] that always come back, they're very happy.

[2:03] I really, really love my clients.

[2:06] Because most of them have

become like a family to me.

[2:09] - [Talea] I love the service.

[2:11] You're always welcomed

with a friendly smile,

[2:13] you get your hair done

the way that you want it.

[2:15] Mouna is a perfectionist,

so if you sit in her chair,

[2:18] you are going to leave very satisfied.

[2:21] - There has been maybe two times

[2:23] that I went outside of Mouna,

and I didn't like it. (laughs)

[2:27] Because, you know what I'm saying?

[2:29] But Mouna has care, and

concern, and compassion.

[2:32] But no one can do my hair,

style my hair like Mouna.

[2:36] And Agnes, she's my favorite,

one of my favorite braiders.

[2:40] (Sabrina laughing)

[2:43] She is one of, and she

knows, and like Mouna,

[2:46] she knows how to braid my hair.

[2:49] - [Mouna] My slogan is,

"Mouna's hair braiding salon,

[2:51] "where every woman is beautiful."

[2:54] Because some people might feel that,

[2:56] "Oh, I look certain way."

[2:58] No, that's not true, we all

beautiful in our own way,

[3:00] that's all.

[3:01] But then at Mouna's Salon,

[3:03] what we do is to emphasize that beauty.

[3:06] It's not just about doing

hair and making money,

[3:09] but it's about making the

whole community be happy.

[3:13] Because if everybody is happy,

[3:15] then the world will be very

beautiful place to live, right?

[3:19] So that's my own little way

[3:21] to contribute to the world happiness.

[3:23] (upbeat music continues)

[3:31] (Sabrina laughing)