I absolutely love your site. I just did my first roller set last night after many years of trying. I finally did it with your help!!! My question is I have to relax my hair this summer also and wondered what relaxer you use. Thanks for all the help!

Christina, mi amiga…you made my day

I use Mizani for fine/color treated hair. Just got it done at a real, live, bonafide Dominican salon!!! (review coming in a few moments).

Humecto you mentioned is that Kera Care Humecto and if so which one, how often do you use it and is it as a conditioner that you wash out? Sorry for all the questions.

Yes, I use KeraCare Humecto. Between Humecto and Baba…my hair is always happy! (No need to apologize for asking questions – this is about sharing knowledge.)

Sorry you’re going to kill me, do you know where I can get this dryer cheap. I looked on a few websites and I see the new ones are $299
Wait, is $299 for the hood dryer, or a blower? If it’s for the hooded dryer, mija that’s CHEAP! I repeat, CHEAP!

When I bought mine a few years ago (after breaking my original), I believe I paid $349, didn’t include shipping AND that was after spending a hot minute looking for a bargain.

Does anyone have a perm/relaxer they recommend?

Thanks for the help!

I use Mizani for fine hair. However, I’ll let other sound off on what they like. Ladies (and gents), please share your favorite relaxer with us

Hi La Negra. I contacted you…last year, and had some questions, that you never got back to. I understand you’re busy, but that was a little rude to never get back to me when you said you would and then you respond to other questions and concerns.

Amiga, you have no idea how hard I work at answering every question. I do, unfortunately, get hit with a lot, and I do mean A LOT of spam. So, I often find myself weeding through trash to get to legitimate questions. However, if I tell someone that I will get back to them, I cannot imagine not getting around to do so. Your email to me made me feel so bad that I searched through all of my old emails to see if yours may have been one that I thought was spam. What I learned was that I did in fact, address your concerns back in November, but I assumed that you would have known to look for the reply in the Q and A section. So, you are right…I was rude, should have sent you a message letting you know that I had indeed, responded.

Me culpable! Tienes razón!

Here is the link to your question:

Please, accept my apology; lesson learned.

Mil perdones,

LaNegra

Hello. My name is Imari and my hair has been natural for about 2 years (but I do not wear my natural hair.) I am African American and my natural hair type is 4C, so it is very dry, kinky, coily, and shrinks. I mostly wear sew ins & micros, and Im currently using Black Earth products by Talia Waajid. I was wanting to know if you could give me some advice on a few concerns I have about my hair.

Thank you so much

Hola Imari – what a beautiful name

Let me first address the Black Earth products. I have never heard of them. However, if they work for you, keep them. People often make the mistake of switching products because their friend, or someone else is using them. What works for someone else may (or may not) work for you. Me entiendes?

Now, press n curl vs. Dominican blowout… I think you already know what I will say, but I’ll say it anyway.

I never, ever claim that Dominican blowouts are without risks. For instance, some stylists pull the hair WAY too forcefully. Applying too much tension to hair, regardless to whether it’s natural, relaxed or somewhere in between is never a good idea. Some stylists also like to grill the chicken, then deep fry it. What I mean by that is they will do the rolos (indirect heat), then blow out the hair from root to ends (indirect heat). They are like grilling chicken; it’s a healthier way to cook your chicken. Instead of stopping there, they will then flatiron the hair (direct heat), or bump up the ends with a hot curling iron (direct heat); that’s the deep frying.

In plain, old English – that’s just TOO MUCH HEAT! Ya!

So, I turn the question to you. What’s the goal? Healthy hair? or “Pretty hair?”

I do not advocate the use of direct heat, particularly when it is your main styling technique. I also do not advocate a piss-ass Dominican stylist if she’s pulling too much, not conditioning enough, just not handling your hair properly.

I would also be concerned with the health of my natural hair if I were wearing too many sew ins or rocking micros for too long. The styles can be gorgeous, but they threaten the integrity of your own hair. Look, today, you can run out and buy a lace-front wig, change your style in a second, without really messing with your own tresses. This is not to say that sew-ins should be banned. Nor, should you stop getting micros altogether, but you need to be mindful that every styling technique, other than wearing your hair carefree and au naturale, comes with certain risks.

Ultimately, if it were my hair, I’d opt for a Dominican blowout, only straightening my roots and focusing on the health of my existing hair.
The products that I use are Baba de Caracol – this and Chi Silk Infusion are my staples. The only other product that I MUST HAVE is Aphogee two step protein treatment.

I know I probably did not give you the answer you were looking for, but this is a very tough question for me to answer.

Besos,

LaNegra

Hi i love your site and I also love dominican stylist. However I am trying to take over all of my hair care. I wash and do rollersets and all my treatments at home but I still go to the salon for my relaxers every 8 weeks. I am tired of going to stylist who never listen when I tell them the relaxer is burning. So next time I’m planning on my own. Do you have any self relaxing tips to get it as straight as they usually do at the dominican salons… what is the secret? is it the fine tooth comb during the relaxer process?

Thanks so much for all the info on this site!

Hola Michelle!

I know what you mean about doing your own hair. In fact, I just learned that there is FINALLY a Dominican salon in my current area. While I want to support the business I am so used to doing my own hair and don’t want to have to “train a stylist” to do what I want.

Anyway…here’s what I do…

1. I section my hair in quarters.
2. I then section off about an inch or two of the nape area, because my hair is very, VERY fine and cannot handle it if I leave the relaxer on for long.
3. I always start in the back (minus the section at the nape) by applying the relaxer to the main divide line. For instance, I apply the relaxer at the section by my ear, work up to my crown. I go back and apply relaxer from the middle-back of my head, working up towards crown again. this defines the section that I’m currently working on.
4. Then I work in very small sections applying an ample amount of relaxer to each area.
5. I continue to do this until I reach the crown of my head.
6. I follow that up by repeating the same process on the other quarter, in the back of my head.
7. When I get to the front sections, I pull down about an inch around my hairline, as that’s another delicate area for me.
8. This time, I start from the crown and work down towards the ear.
9. When I’m down with both of the front sections I start at the back again, this time including my nape. However, I also use my fingers to smooth out the hair as I work this time. Some use a fine tooth comb. I don’t like to use a comb, as it tends to cause breaks in the skin, which lead to a burning scalp. I do both back quarters, left and right.
10. I then go to the front, starting at the crown again and after I’m done working and smoothing one side, I include the hairline, being careful not to get any relaxer on my forehead.
11. Once I’m done with all four quarters, I work the relaxer in by smoothing out the quarters one at a time. Again, I prefer not to use a comb. I find that my hands get the hair straighter AND prevents my scalp from burning.
12. By the time I’m done with all four quarters it’s time to rinse and neutralize. This is where you take your time, never, EVER rush the rinsing process. I will rinse for 15 – 20 minutes sometimes. Even if I apply the neutralizer, I stay in that shower for a very, very long time. If you don’t do anything else, you want to be sure to rinse all of the relaxer out. I also try to keep 8 oz of vinegar on hand. Once I am close to being done rinsing and neutralizing, I pour the vinegar on my head, leaving it there for 3 – 5 minutes. This ensures that I’m completely neutralized. The relaxers I use are base (alkaline), so the vinegar(acid) acts as a buffer, canceling out the base of the relaxer.
13. When you are done with this…do your deep conditioner, or whatever your ritual is. It’s pretty much the same routine for you after that.

I will have to take pics, because I’m pretty sure this made NO sense, did it? I may relax for the summer, will take pics, otherwise, will use a conditioner to demonstrate what I mean.

Mil besos,

LaNegra

I started following your site about a year ago. My hair is living proof that your tips help! From May 2009 to my last relaxer (March) my hair has grown over 10 inches. My hair has seriously never been this long and healthy before. Of course I still have a few problem areas (Who convinced me to get my hair cut at the “Hair Cutlery”????) but I have patience. RIght now I’m about 1/2″ away from bsl and I’m uber excited!

I didn’t do anything fancy, expensive, or fall for the latest “Grow hair to your butt crack tomorrow” gimmick.

I’m committed to my Triple C Regimen:
Cleanse (at least once a week)
Condition (deep condition at least once a week)
Care (treat your hair like fine lace)

Most importantly I try my darnest to be consistent!

If you ever need help with the site; whether creating content (Articles), answering questions, or design issues (I recently started my own web design company), I’d be HAPPY to oblige!

Besitos!

Click to thumbnails to view larger pic

Krystal, you know that I LOVE hearing these kinds of stories. You took what I recommended and created your own routine. That’s what everyone is supposed to do. What’s even more impressive is your growth and the fact that you were not afraid to do it yourself. Bien hecho, guapa!!!

BTW, good luck with the business!

Embrazos y besos,

LaNegra

I just happen to stumble upon ur site. I wanna say thank u for the great info. I cut off my shoulder length hair one year ago because of heat damage from the blower and flat iron. This doobie style is so much healthier for my relaxed hair. Gracias!

Thank YOU!
I really love hearing from everyone. I try to answer every, single question, even if it’s been asked a million times, because when our hair isn’t the way we want it, isn’t healthy and we get frustrated…we lost patience.

I always say…you have to do what works for YOUR hair and it’s so very important to recognize that. I’m glad that I could be of help, but even happier that you found something that works.

Now…I really wish you all would start sending me some pics…geesh! LOL

Besitos,

LaNegra

Hello,
Im a little confused. Every single person that I have seen has a very soft texture of hair. well mine curls up very very short and the texture is unbearable. How much are the prices to get a blow out?

Hola Nicole,

I’m not exactly sure what you’re asking. Are you asking about the prices of blowouts, or getting one with your hair texture?

I cannot quote prices, because I’m not a professional stylist. What I can say, regarding pricing, is that it varies from salon to salon.

Oh thank you so much! LOL!! I was looking all over the site…But I am transitioning from relaxers to natural and I have been going to the Dominican salon in Raleigh, NC. I love the results that I am getting but sometimes I just don’t have the time to make it. I have very thin hair with some breakage in the nape area and my hair can be very dry. I am looking for a shampoo and conditioner to make my hair grow and get thicker. Do you have any recommendations?

Hey amiga,

I can relate to dry hair and I have very, VERY fine hair, so I can also relate to breakage in the nape. If don’t detangle my hair on a daily basis, I end up with a bird’s nest in the nape and it’s sheer torture to get out without losing some hair

Ok, so the combination of dry hair with breakage on top of transitioning means that you have to be uber delicate with your tresses. And I mean that!
You have to comb your hair as if it was fine, irreplaceable, golden threads. Think of a tender-headed niece, cousin, friend’s daughter, who cries just looking at the comb

Now let me school you on shampoos and conditioners. Neither helps your hair grow. It’s a misnomer for products to be marketed when they claim to make your hair grow. What many products actually help with is breakage or hair loss, which leads to additional length. Basically what I’m saying is that if your hair grows 3 inches a month, but you are experiencing a lot of shedding or breakage, then you tend not to see the growth. Conditioners condition your hair, preventing the hair from drying, or fortifying it. Me entiendes?

What I recommend is you get my favorite protein conditioner. ApHogee two-step protein treatment (make sure you get the conditioner too). This will help you achieve two goals:

1. Strengthen your hair, especially in the nape area and
2. Prevent breakage as you transition to natural.

Use ApHogee every other month, and use a good deep conditioner (You know my favorite is Baba de caracol) in between. If you get desperate and really need a protein fix, but don’t have an ApHogee, use a few egg whites and mayo on your hair…yep, it stinks, but it works! Apply the concoction to your hair, leaving it for about 20 minutes, rinse and follow up with Baba de Caracol.

To get some volume, tell your stylist to blow ONLY YOUR ROOTS! If she’s already doing that, then try putting one big rolo on the top of your head at night, while wrapping the rest around in a regular dubi. This gives you height and volume. The other thing that tends to work, if you like curls, is to pull your hair up in a very high pony tail, put in a few rolos and let your hair drop in the morning. Because your hair is not flattened onto your head, that should give you some added volume too.

However, it’s very important that you find a protein product that works for your hair. That’s going to be the key!

Mil besos,

LaNegra

Hello La Negra!

I am currently going natural and to get use to my natural hair texture, I’ve been washing my own hair and going to the dominican solan occasionally. This is my routine…
I rinse my hair thoroughly and then shampoo it, then wash it out, then condition it, then wash it all out again (I’m using Italy Linange products). After that, I blow dry on medium heat and then flat iron with temperature about 300 degrees. My question is… Is it okay to flat iron my hair after every wash and blowdry? Or will it damage my hair? I’m planning to wash my hair every week instead of every two weeks.

Thank you!

Hola Chrissy!

I never heard of Italy Linage…hmmm…I see a new product in my future

Flat-ironing and blowing? My sentiment is that flat-ironing hair is what deep-frying is to chicken. It may look good, but may not necessarily be good for your hair. Now, this is just my opinion. Now, flat ironing AND blowing is like deep-frying, followed by grilling.

If your hair tends to be really dry, frizzy, coarse of frizzy, I’m ok with shampooing every other week. However, I think you need to pick your “poison,” for lack of better words. I’m not a fan of flat-ironing, but have a lot of friends who swear by them. I, on the other hand, swear by my blower. I personally, would not use both sources of heat on my hair in one day.

What do I always say? It’s better to be kinky than bald

HTH,

LaNegra

i am an african american. i had a sewn in weave in my hair and this last time, my hair just broke off. bald spots and everything. damaged hair and all. i usually wear my own hair but for whatever reason, i decided to do a sewn in and never again! i would like to get my hair done in a dominican shop. i want my hair cut and i was wondering if they put perm in hair?

Hola bella!

I’m sorry about your hair problem. There’s nothing more stressful than a woman’s tresses being damaged

Yes, Dominican shops do perms (well, I call them relaxers – hope we’re speaking of the same thing). However, you really want to work on getting your healthy before you add chemicals. You may want to consider wearing a full wig while you allow your natural hair to grow and in the meantime nurture it by using deep, penetrating conditioners. If it was just a matter of you having damaged ends, I’d say cut it and let it grow back, but you mentioned bald spots….I really urge you to let your hair grow out before doing ANYTHING caustic to it.

If you have a Dominican salon that you can go to, then I’d suggest that you go for deep conditioning and let them give your rolos and a blowout. I really do not know the full extent of your damage, but if it’s as bad as it sounds…you definitely want to pamper your hair back to health.

Suerte,

LaNegra