HAVANA – In Havana’s Guanabacoa neighborhood, Gloria Toledo started to teach her daughter how to cut and color hair when she was a little girl.
She has been running a beauty lounge for about two decades and Toledo and her daughter Dayne Gonzalez have been keeping with the times. They now offer hair and eyelash extensions.
"Some of the hair comes from Asia," Toledo said in Spanish.
Toledo and her daughter said they can get anywhere from 20 to 25 customers in one day. Gonzalez is part of the new generation that is introducing international hair culture as demand in Havana grows.
They are also among the many owners of hair salons who wish there was a specialty wholesale store. Their biggest struggle remains getting the supplies that they need.
"We have to figure it out the Cuban way," Gonzalez said.
This means they have to buy some supplies from abroad or buy them in the black market. But Garcia said that in Havana being resourceful pays off.
"If you like to work, you can make decent money," she said.
