Hey, La Negra!
I have a question. It’s related to one of the most recent posts (so it’s a little redundant). I was mildly relaxing my hair, but got the *bright idea* to relax full strength. Yeah, it’s even easier to style, but I’ve lost a little too much volume for my taste. It looks pretty when I do rollersets (like, 2x/year lol), but my braid-outs and ponytails look too flimsy. My hair is 2-3 inches from my waist, so it’ll take FOREVER for this over processing to grow out. What do I do in the mean time? I’m going to transition back to “less relaxed” hair…but, I hate the poofy roots/straight ends look (it makes my hair look like weave). Is there any special trick, secret juice, magic formula that I can use to make my hair shaft fluff up more? I miss my volume
Oh, but here’s the other thing…I HATE using heat. I NEVER get close enough to the roots b/c I’m always afraid of burning myself. For me, the relaxer serves as an “automatic blow dry”…I don’t own a flat iron/blowdrier/hot comb. So, I’m entirely dependent on the chemical for straightening. I worry that if I return to mildly relaxed hair, my rollersets won’t be as good. But, with my hair this straight, my braid-outs(which I wear 95% of the time) aren’t as good. What to do???

sorry, for the ramble lol…but I guess I’m asking about ways to increase volume (aside from transitioning to more textured hair) and your opinion…would you keep the hair as is, or transition?

Oh, and are you natural now? You were considering it b4.

Thanks!!
Melonie!!! How are you, bella?!

So, you need some more volume? Try avoiding applying product directly to the roots. Start at the ends and work upward, but don’t weigh your hair down with product.
If your braidouts aren’t as nice as you like them, then try smaller braids, which takes more time, but gives you a little more volume. Also, try pulling a ponytail up high on your head (not tight) and put your hair in braids directly in the ponytail. When you let your hair out, shake and finger comb. You should have some more volume then.

Also, try looking for a volume-adding like Nexxus Nexxstyler Alcohol Free Sheer Volume Spray Gel. I haven’t used it, but I have heard it works well. I have more volume than I know what to do with, so I don’t use voluminizers myself. Remember, the length of your hair is going to weigh it down some, regardless to what you use, don’t use.

Now let me tell you…I’ve been natural since last September, but I’m not gonna lie…I’m going to be relaxing as soon as the first heat-wave hits. You know I get crazy frizzy and my hair revolts, gives me ‘tude’.

Like you, going completely natural is one of those things that’s like watching your hair grow out of a short cut. I have decided to definitely relax in the summer, but not sure what I’ll do come next fall. It’s so much easier to comb, manage when I’m relaxed, even if I just put the relaxer in and rinse out immediately. I have considered growing it out longer, but it takes to long to get my rolos in and takes for ever to dry at the current length. I don’t know how much hair you have (not referring to length), but for me it takes for-ev-er to dry, even with the super huge rolos. Ugh!

Melonie, you have to send some pics I LOVE to see what everyone is doing with their hair.

Mil besos,
La Negra

Thanks for posting the information on Revive Hair Spa in Inglewood! I took your recommendation and tried Tia out this past Friday. I had a great experience! She’s really into the importance of caring for your hair. I traditionally go to Dominican shops but I’ve found that the ones in LA aren’t really on the same level as those on the coast.

While Tia does not use the same method, she did wet set me and used a technique to straighten the roots that used alot less tension than what I’m used it. My hair came out very shiny and its continued to look great through my workouts this week. She did a steam conditioning treatment on my hair and also put saran wrap around my hair while I sat under the dryer to get a cellphane. If I had been thinking, I would’ve had her take a picture so I could post it here, but it looks as good as the pictures she provided to you! Thanks for the recommendation you’ve saved my hair:)

Ohhh amiga! I’m so happy that your experience was positive. I had a feeling that Tia would be a winner.
I really do wish that you had taken pics. Don’t forget to “hook us up” next time you go.

Kudos to you, Tia!!

LaNegra

Hello!
My hair has been a MAJOR Problem for as long as I can remember. I
kept them in braids throughout my child hood, tried to do the chemical
thing and had to cut it out for breaking my hair off, weaves, tracks,
you name it, I’ve probably done it…, All except a Dominican Blow
Out. I’ve heard that once you get one done, it will be hard to get the
natural state back. I have VERY coarse, stereotypical African American
hair. What are the real risks of me getting a blow out??

Hola mi querida Sophia,

Before we address the “risks” associated with getting a Dominican blowout, we need to address your chronic hair issues.

Do you condition your hair? If so, what are you using? Is your hair coarse, but fine, which is typical of coarse hair. Many assume that coarse hair is tough and can handle anything, but nothing could be farther from the truth! Do you tie your hair down with a silk scarf? What about thyroid levels? Have you had them checked? What are your specific hair problems?

There is nothing stereotypical about African American hair. In fact, I find that African Americans can have hair that is very, VERY harsh looking, but can be very gentle to the touch. On the other hand, I have me African Americans who have very straight hair that doesn’t require a relaxer, or any chemicals to relax the curls. African American hair can be very unpredictable, but if you understand what is causing you to have problems, then you may be able to get a relaxer, should you choose to, or Dominican blowout, whatever it is you decide to do.

I have heard women in salons ask the stylists about what will happen to their naturalou texture if they get a blowout. I will say that I have blown out my hair without a relaxer and did not find that I lost any of my natural curl after the next washing, HOWEVER, the amount of heat it would take to straighten very tightly curled, coiled hair may actually cause damage.

Think of African American hair like old, fashioned linen. You know how linen is super wrinkled and requires a lot, and I do mean a LOT of heat to remove the wrinkles? Well, that’s kinda what happens when you try to straighten naturally kinky hair by way of a blower. I recall a time when I was trying to get a linen shirt to look “less wrinkled” and nearly burned it! I could smell the scorching fabric in my apartment for several days. When I recognized that I was close to ruining my expensive shirt, I put a halt to applying heat, but realized that I had one area on the shirt that was very glossy, very stiff and it never looked quite the same.

Regardless to what anyone tells you, I don’t think it’s possible (mind you, this is just LaNegra’s opinion) to get naturally kinky hair straight, without potential damage. The reason why coarse hair that has been blown out losses it’s curl is usually because the hair has been intrinsically damaged. I know we all like a little versatility; we want to be able to wear our hair straight one day, natural the next, but coarse, kinky hair is very dry and cannot withstand some of the elements that straighter hair can endure.

You know my motto…there’s no hair style worth having that’s going to put the health of your hair at risk. So, I stand my ground…yes, you can find a stylist to give you a kick ass Dominican blowout. You will have swayyyy and swagger when you leave her salon, but you may spend another year trying to nurse your dry, brittle hair back to health.

Damn, did I just talk you out of a Dominican blowout? Well, my intentions are not to talk you out of something, but to let you make a better decision for yourself, based on the pros and cons.

Mil Besos,

LaNegra

Ever since I started college, my lengthy hair has been
breaking and falling out due to stress. My dominican hair stylist told
me that my hair isn’t really that coarse and that I should go natural.
I have been natural for over 8 months. I know my relaxed ends are
gonna break off, but I’ve been watching youtube videos concerning this
topic and most of the girls on there went natural with no heartache or
anything. They kept their relaxed ends healthy and their hair grew
long! But they did their hair by theirselves by flat ironing the
roots. Should I continue to go to the Dominican Salon or should I do
my hair? The blow dryers are very hot and I feel like that is going to
due even more damage to my transitioning hair, especially to my ends.
I could be wrong tho. I really don’t want to loose my long hair. Are
blowouts safe for my transitioning hair or should I take a break and
due my own hair by flat ironing my roots? Please help me with an
honest answer. I am very worried about my hair.

Hola Guapa,

First of all, you want an honest answer. Now really, would I give you anything BUT an honest answer? Never (muah!)

So, here’s the deal…

It is a little easier to go from relaxed hair to natural if your hair is less coarse, simply because coarser hair is way more delicate to begin with.
So, by relaxing it, it becomes that much more fragile. That means the coarser the hair, the more difficult the transition, usually.
However, that’s not to say it cannot be done, just requires a whole LOT of patience.

Now, if you are trying to pick your poison…blower vs flatiron…you have to decide how much confidence you have in your stylist.

Hard pill to swallow, right?

I LOVE my stylist, back in NYC. However, I have become so comfortable doing my own hair that even when she does it, I’ve been known to take her blower and do my OWN hair. I know my hair; know what works for my hair and know how to care for it myself. That makes a huge difference when you are considering transitioning.

Here’s why…

Consider the fact that most Dominican salons are first-come-first-serve, no appointment necessary. They make more money when they can complete more heads of hair. So….if you walk in and you’re transitioning from relaxer to natural, you are going to require extra time while their putting in your rollers, or when they are blowing you out.
As the natural hair grows longer, it requires the stylist to be more patient and perhaps work through the knots a little slower, otherwise there will be more breakage.

Also, as the new growth takes over, it will be thicker than the relaxed hair, so the stylist may blow a little longer, and possibly apply a little extra tension to the hair in order to get the same slick results.

You know that I’m a huge advocate of avoiding direct heat, such as hot curlers and flat irons, but depending on how thick your hair is and how often you intend to wear your hair straight, the flat iron may be a viable option, as won’t require tension on the hair. The downside is…you’ll have the direct heat on your hair.

Ultimately, you have to weigh your options. Unless you can learn to do your hair and love the results, you may be at someone’s else’s mercy, but again…it goes back to how much confidence you have in your stylist.

Gee, I really didn’t answer your question, did I?

Amiga, it’s a tough, personal decision. At the end of the day, I can only set the pros/cons before you and pray you make the right choice. I try to steer clear of misleading anyone. I just share what my thoughts and tell you what LaNegra would do in that situation.

Just remember, it’s possible to maintain your length providing that your hair is managed properly, conditioned regularly and handled with kid gloves.

Suerte amiga!

LaNegra

Hi Ladies,

So if you don’t know of any salons, can you give me some tips on doing my hair?

Hola guapa,

I cannot recommend a salon in Washington, perhaps someone will come to your rescue. However, I recommend you spend some time working on your own head of hair.

Split ends? Have you always been natural? If so, that rules out lingering chemical damage.
Are you drinking water? It’s not enough to moisturize hair from the outside, you need to hydrate your body on the inside too. Drink your H20.
Then in addition to drinking water, go to bed with a treatment and rinse out the following day.

Are you using protein treatments? If so, you may be over doing it. Protein is great, but when used too frequently tends to cause the hair to become stiff.

Are you getting your ends trimmed? I know, I know…you don’t want to cut your length! BUT, you have to get regular, consistent trims, particularly when you are experiencing a lot of split ends to begin with. I typically associate split ends with some type of damage. Damage does not always have to be chemical. If you leave your ends without trimming them for a while, you may begin to see splitting, which can lead to breakage on the ends. So, if you haven’t had your ends clipped in a while…you know what to do

Also, keep in mind that the environmental changes impact your hair too. For instance, long, hot summers cause my hair to frizz, dry out and protest violently. Dry heat in the house during the winter has the same effect. So, I try to make sure that I never skip a deep conditioning treatment, even if I’m too busy (or lazy) do put in rolos.

In the meantime, I’ll see if I can track down a salon in Washington for you.

Besos!

LaNegra

can i buy a blow dryer for my personal use if so where can i
buy it.
Hola Kesia,

I bought mine used from craiglist, but I KNEW that I was buying it from a girl from NYC and I also knew that she was using it to do her own blowouts, Domincan style

I use a Turbo 1500 made by pibbs. I used to give out their link, but it’s been down for awhile. I recommend that you shop around on the Internet, see if you can find one made by Pibbs, because I know that they have the horsepower you need. I cannot speak for the ones at Sally’s, because I tried only one or two and they weren’t hot enough for me and neither had the concentration nozzle. I’m not sure why Pibbs doesn’t have their site up anymore, but I’m really disappointed. I sent a LOT of people to their site to get blowers.

Let me know what you end up buying!

Mil besos,
LaNegra

Hi. I am new to your site, and I love it, it is very helpful. I have a question, I have been natural for a little over a year and have been wearing braided extensions. I am planning on going to a dominican salon soon and I was wondering when I get there what should I tell the stylist i want. I there a difference between a wash and set, and a blow out? Is a treatment usually included in the processes or would I have to specifically ask for one? Thanks for your help.

Hola princesa,

You’re going for your first blowout? Typically, when you ask for a wash and set, assume that you are going to get your hair blown out. When you ask for a blowout, they usually blow you out, without putting in rollers, after a shampoo.

As for a treatment, that varies from salon-to-salon. Because many patients have a weekly arrangement, the stylists already know what they want, don’t ask. However, I never assume when going to a new salon that anything is included or that they will know what I want. Even if I’ve gone to the salon before, if a different stylist is doing my hair, I make sure to tell her what I want.

So, when you go for you appointment, remember IT’S YOUR HAIR. Don’t be afraid to tell the stylist that you’d like a deep conditioner (if that’s what you want), or to tell her that she’s been a little harsh, whatever the case is. Never take for granted that all stylists do the same thing, regardless of the salon.

Hope this helps,

LaNegra

Hola mujeres!

I have to share a little gem I found out about in Inglewood, CA.

Revive!  A Hair Spa is spot owned by Tia Danielle and she can ROCK a wet-set!!

Tia Danielle opens her shop to her clients at 7am. Have you EVER heard of a salon that opens at 7am?!

She is not Dominicana, but I would definitely recommend giving her a try.

See for yourself…

Mention DOMINICANBLOWOUT.COM and new customers will receive 25% off any and all services.

Hello, Just found this site by chance and have found the contents very helpful. I want to comment about The Brazilian Keratin Treatment and formaldehyde. I am an African Woman with very curly hair and have the treatment to soften my curly tresses. I understand the controversy about formeldehyde used in the treatment but also want to inform you that many products that we use daily contains formaldehyde, i.g., soap, body wash, lotion, toothpaste, cleaning products( used with different names but formaldehyde none the less). Even the furniture in our homes are treated with formaldehyde. Why, you might be asking? Formaldehyde is a preservative. We can’t escape it but we can of course be educated about the amounts of formaldehyde that we are exposed to.
I love my Brazilian Treatment and use a brand that gives me the same results but without the formaldehyde.
Food for Thought.
Moi

Hola bella,

I enjoyed reading your commentary, regarding formaldehyde. I totally agree that formaldehyde is used in a bevvy of products and you’re also correct in stating that it’s used as a preservative. For me, the fear is based on the fact that when Keratin treatments first came out, face masks and industrial face masks had to be used during application. That did not set well with me. However, I admit that you do have me intrigued. I wouldn’t mind trying it once

Are these the right rolos:

I finally decided to put the flat iron down in honor of the New Year.
Also, what size should I get? My hair is about to the middle of my
back, but the front is layered (my bangs are about chin length now)
and I’m not sure what size to use.

I heart your site!

Hola Querida!

Yes! Those are the right rolos. You will need clips to keep them in place.

I recommend 2″ rollers if your hair is mid-back. You need to be able to wrap your hair around the rolo at least twice in order to get the proper results.  For your bangs, you may be able to get away with using the same, 2″ rolos, but may end up with loser curls. If you want a little more body, go with a smaller roller.

And I heart you for stopping by!!

Gracias,

LaNegra