Tucked among the murals and indie boutiques of Bishop Arts, there’s a space where the scent of eucalyptus mingles with the buzz of clippers and where leafy green fronds sway gently over salon chairs.
Photography by Victoria Gomez
Crecer Dallas Hair Salon in Bishop Arts is a Latina-owned, eco-conscious, gender-free priced, unisex beauty salon and plant shop. They offer plant-enriched beauty solutions, botanical hair treatment and an array of houseplants and plant-based retail.
Owner Nataly Medina’s family grew up in Oak Cliff, and she has always felt very connected to the community, which is why she decided to open her salon here.
“My grandmother raised like, 10 kids here, and we have lots of memories,” Medina says. “We’ve always grown up coming here most of our life. We had a granny right down the street, so many family and friends in the area. Since my dad is also from Mexico, there’s a familiarity with the culture.”
Medina has been doing hair for nearly 13 years and is a barber by trade, which is rare as a woman, she says.
“It’s a very male-dominated industry, and I’ve kind of made a reputation here in Dallas with just my style of hair cutting,” Medina says. “And I think it also put us on the map in other ways because we do any and everything. And we’re unisex, which is very rare. You don’t really come across salons where you do any and everything, from barbering to the cosmetology and the alternative stuff.”
Crecer has an all-female staff, and Medina’s stepsister, Cynthia Michelle Jasso, is the “plant lady.” The idea for Crecer came to be in 2020 when both Medina and Jasso lost their jobs during the pandemic.
“I just said, what if we just do a full-blown salon, and then we can sell plants because it’s smart in terms of business, because it creates a kind of never-ending experience. Every time you come in, there are new plants,” Medina says. “We just kind of brought our two ideas together and opened up a hair salon in the plant shop.”
She says they do a little bit of everything at Crecer, and anyone with any texture is welcome.
“In terms of anything hair cutting and color, it doesn’t matter who you are,” Medina says. “That was really important for me, honestly, especially being a woman in the male-dominated industry.”
Crecer also uses all plant-based products.
“We’re very intentional with everything we pick out here,” she says. “Everything’s plant-based from the retail products we’re using, obviously, the plants, even the herbal teas that we serve, the drinks that we serve, everything is pretty much botanical, plant-based, plant-derived, to some extent.”
Medina says in her past gigs barbering, she didn’t always feel welcomed or treated the best. It was important to her to create a safe space with Crecer.
“I think it is important to also highlight that we are very LGBTQ-friendly,” she says. “We’re very accepting of just women, feminine energy, and we love each other, honestly.”
When they first opened, Medina says business was fairly slow. But through social media and foot traffic, things have picked up over the years.
“We’re kind of hidden, honestly. We don’t have a huge sign outside,” Medina says. “So we’re trying to get more visibility, slowly but surely. But I love the Bishop area. It’s pretty chill. It’s a mature crowd.”
One of the most important parts of her job, Medina says, is helping clients feel more confident.
“Energy is a big thing, and hair is super sacred,” Medina says. “ We have meetings, and we talk about how we can elevate the experience because it’s a big deal. When you think about your identity, a lot of it does revolve around your hair; it’s kind of crazy what your hair can do and how it can change a person.”
Crecer often does major transformations, and it’s common for people to come in wanting to go from super long hair to super short, or something not alternative to something very alternative.
“We see the craziest transformations here, and it’s really cool,” she says. “It’s awesome that people feel comfortable here. It’s kind of a different generation now too. A lot of the younger crowds that come in here are able to kind of express themselves more freely. It’s pretty dope to see.”
The word Crecer means “to grow,” and that is just what the salon aims to do.
“I am proud to say all the hairstylists that have worked here are able to really set their careers off or get a large following or have a platform,” Medina says. “Just seeing my staff, especially moms and stuff, be able to buy a car, buy a house, and to see it firsthand and experience it is super inspiring to see, and it motivates me to do more and want to give back more in any way that I can.”
