My hair is starting to thin at the crown and I am wondering if it’s from getting blowouts. I have been for the past 5 years and I go weekly. My hair is completely natural…no perm for a year now if I do have any it’s on the tips that I’m trimming off for the most part but very little. Could it be thinning because I blowout frequently? I have very oily hair naturally and I workout so I have to wash every week and my hair stays straighter the longest with the blowout. I would get a relaxer but my hair lays limp after a few days because of the natural oils in my hair. Before I hard of the blowouts…I would wash and flat iron my hair, with great results but it took too much time and now that my hair is natural (it’s naturally wavy) it takes a lot more time to straighten with the flat iron and once I sweat it waves back up, not ready to wear my hair completely natural until it grows out a few more inches.Not sure what to do here.

Natural hair is usually at its optimal health; it’s not weakened by chemicals. However, pulling, tugging and burning can cause damage to both natural and chemical treated hair.
So, now I ask you this. Is your hair thinning or breaking?

Your hair will be less abundant in that spot if if it’s truly thinning and you will see a lot of shorter, broken hairs if it’s breaking. So, what do you do?
First, you have to figure out what you’re dealing with, then implement a plan!

I personally do not EVER blow out my hair more than every other week. I too, spend a lot of time in the gym. The regular visitors know my MO. A healthy head of hair means nothing if the body its attached to is in disrepair. So, I’ll take a frizzy, nappy head of hair over poor health any day.

Now, getting back to YOU. Mamita, you have to slow down on blowouts. Most stylists are not going to tell you to keep your money and save your hair. They do hair for a living and want to see a client in the chair, even if it means the client’s hair is at risk. So, if you want to continue getting your hair blown out, cut back a bit. Don’t hit me…but PUT THE FLATIRON DOWN!! In terms of the health of your hair, the flatiron is the equivalent of frying chicken, while baking is the same as blowing it own. You’re still using heat, but one is less caustic. Mind you, I didn’t say that blowing is without risks, but there is LESS damage if you do rolos first.

Also, since you are natural, how about opting for some flattering, natural, heat-free styles? Remember the beloved curlformers? They work great on natural hair!
Rinse your hair often, and apply a moisturizing conditioner, even if you are unable to shampoo. This will rid your hair of the sodium (sweat) and help you keep some moisture. Pay close attention to your ends.

Also, on the days you get your hair blown out, if you do rolos, ask the stylist to blow only your roots. That will eliminate a lot of stress on your hair.
Document what you are doing for the next few weeks and then determine whether or not you see a difference. You should see some kind of change in 4 -6 weeks.

Keep me posted!
LaNegra

Hola, mi amiga! ¿Cómo estás? Mis amigos y yo estamos esperando para q puedas vender los productos dominicanos en su site. Tu habias dicho q lo pensaría. Has sido un largo tiempo para pensar ….y ….?

Hi, my friend! My friends and I have been waiting for you to sell Dominican products on your site. You said that you would think about it. It’s been a long time….and?

Hola bella! Yo se, yo se…me gustaria ofrecer productos, especialmente para TI, pero ahora es no creo que puedo. Puede ser, en el futuro, pero a esto momento, no puedo. Hay muchas que me peticion el mismo, pero no tengo tiempo….me culpe.

Hi pretty! I know, I know…I would love to offer products, especially for YOU, but right now, I don’t think think that I can. Maybe, in the future, but at this moment, I can’t. I get this request a lot, just don’t have time….I’m sorry

how long does your hair have to be to get a dominican blow out? I have recently started stretching my relaxers out about 9-10 weeks. I was wondering if a dominican blow out just every once in a while would be ok on my hair since it isnt all that healthy?

Hola amiga,

You hair only needs to be long enough to wrap around a roller at least 2 times. So, if your hair is very long, a small roller will wrap around several times, making it difficult for your hair to dry. If your hair is medium or shorter, you need a smaller roller, that allows you to get two full wrap-arounds.

I don’t do a Dominican blowout on my hair more than every other week (sometimes less) and my hair IS healthy. However, that is not to say that you cannot and should not do a Dominican blowout. In fact, I had a good friend from college who grew her damaged, brittle dry hair out, simply by letting me do rolos on her hair. I didn’t blow her hair out every week (she ran cross-country and blowing it out seemed to be a waste).

What also made the difference was the quality of products she was using. She and I used to argue and I do mean ARGUE over the fact that I insisted that my $20 and $30 jars of humecto, and UNA, and Sebastians was of a higher quality than her $.99 Suave. I learned to buy less expensive clothes, rather than sacrifice the quality of my health or my hair (yeah, yeah…I know it sounds vain, but I am not lying).

So, now that I’ve written you a thesis…I have to ask the nature of your damage and ask you what products you are using, or what routine you follow to prevent further damage?

The bottom line is, yes, you can do a blowout, but you really need to keep in mind that you may experience shedding, breakage and thinning due to current damage, not to blowing out your hair. Make sense?

Let me know what’s going on with your hair.

LaNegra

Hola LaNegra,

Thanks Mimmie

Hola mimmie!

Yes, I agree! Chemicals at 4 is a no-no! That’s my opinion and I’m sticking with it!

I recommend you get a clear anti-frizz serum. You all know I’m a CHI Silk Infusion junkie. It leaves your hair shiny, protects it and does NOT flake.

Now, here’s where I often hear backlash. I personally do not believe in blowing out young heads. Don’t forget, heat can be just as damaging as chemicals, if not done properly and even then, kids are going to be kids.

My baby cousin has very thick, kinky hair. Her mother was considering putting in a relaxer when Yahira was only 5 or 6. My mother nearly ripped her mother’s head off!

“Keep the relaxers and heat off of her hair! She’s a baby, put in a couple of braids and let her be!” my mother said.

Of course, I’m loosely translating what my mother actually said, but the point she was trying to make is that there is no value to blowing, relaxing or stressing a child’s hair when they are only going to rip-n-run, as do most kids. I think I was 13 or 14 when I got my first blowout. My mother was adamant about maintaining the integrity of my hair.

She did put rolos in my hair, occasionally, but I never sat under a HOT dryer, it was warm at best. Also, for the most part, my mother didn’t leave my hair loose. The times when my hair was left out, I always regretted later, because it was tangled and knotted.

Yes, coarse hair absorbs oils, sometimes, just sucks it right up. So, you need to deep conditioner her once a week or two and use a serum, or another leave-in that isn’t white. You can also add some shine by applying a little jojoba oil, or spritzing her hair with a finishing spray.

Also, get a nice sheen spray, to give her some shine, without weighing her hair down. Have you considered curlformers? They may be a viable option. You can give her some curls without the heat.

These are just some thoughts…but for me, heat and relaxers are out for tender heads. At the very least, if you consider a blowout, let a professional do it

Suerte,

LaNegra

Hi – I just came across this website when I was looking for reviews for Babe de Caracol. My mother just bought this for me and I have not yet tried it. I am 39 years old and for the past 4 years or so my hair has been thinning ALOT. I noticed after the birth of my second daughter (3 1/2 years ago), my hair changed alot. I used to have curly thick hair and now it is so thin. I have areas in the back of my head where you can see my scalp. The thinness in my hair caused me to cut my hair into a pixie cut 2 years ago. Don’t get me wrong; the short hair style looks great, but I still have the thinning and it looks as if it is getting worse. I have had every blood test you can imagine, and the only thing that comes up is low-normal iron levels, so I am taking vitamins for that. My father passed away close to 2 months ago and the stress from that has wreaked havoc on my hair loss. I was definitely a daddy’s girl . Any advice from you on what I can try? Should I give this Baba de Caracol a try? Anything else I can use? I have heard of Espiritu de Canela, but I heard its strong and I have to use the right amount — any suggestions? I would appreciate any advice you can offer. Thanks in advance –Carmen

Hola Carmen,

First, I’m sorry for the loss of your father. My prayers go out to you and your entire family.

Yes, you’re right…stress certainly DOES wreak havoc on, not just your hair, but manifests itself in countless ways. Couple stress with possible hormonal changes, the possibilities are endless.

Typically, during pregnancy, a woman’s hair is incredible. It’s thicker, glossy, healthy and sheds very little. Inevitably, after the baby is born and Mom’s hormones begin to go back to normal levels, the shedding, that did not take place during the pregnancy, usually commences. What worries me about your situation is the fact that it’s thinner than it was prior to pregnancy. At least that’s what I gathered from what you wrote. If I’m wrong, please correct me.

I was going to ask if you’ve had your thyroid levels tested…but it seems that you’ve taken the initiative to do that already.

I think Baba de Caracol would leave your hair feeling super silky. Yes, I’m biased and think that unless you have stick-straight, oily hair, Baba de Caracol would a great addition to anyone’s hair supplies. I also think that Spiritu de Canela will help with hair loss, as will a host of other products that I can recommend.

The problem I have is making a recommendation for hair loss, without knowing for sure what the problem is.

Again, I think that Baba de Caracol is an excellent product. However, if your hair is not damaged, but instead you are experiencing falling hair for another reason, then the effectiveness of Baba may be limited.

So, let me ask some questions:

1. Do you relax your hair? If so, how frequently?
2. Do sleep well?
3. Is r hair thinning more since the passing of your father?
4. Are you using heat on your hair?

I know that you’ve had blood work done, but if your hair is not damaged, I recommend you see an endocrinologist. If you can rule out stress, and damage, you may have something going on physiologically.

If you can, let me know what’s going on.

Mil besos!

LaNegra

I’m not a Dominican Salon but I do specialize and offer
Dominican Blowouts to my clients. I’m located at: Salon a’ Salon 4804
Country Club Rd. Winston-Salem, NC 27104 and my Tel. is (336)776-8043
Winston Salem, NC

Hola La Negra,
I am mixed, half black and half white, so my hair is very different than both my parents. I can’t go to salons for white people because they dont deal with my hair type. When I go to black hair salons to get relaxers, my hair doesnt seem to change. My boyfriends mother, who is Dominican, wants me to start doing a dominican blowout, so I can stop damaging my hair with the flat iron. Can you reccomend what I should do?

Hola Essence,

Yes, you’re hair is probably very different from either of your parents’, however, it’s probably much like that of many Dominicanas. We have mixed hair: straight, kinky, coarse, and everything in between.

I am not trying to be biased, but I agree with your boyfriend’s mother. I had a very good friend in college, who was mixed too. She flat-ironed it all the time, never conditioned it. Her hair was extremely dried out and looked very frayed on the ends.

I am willing to bet that your boyfriend’s mother could probably put a relaxer in for you. If not, you may be able to find a black stylist to put in your relaxer and then do your OWN hair if you must. In the words of Foxxy Brown, “Ain’t nobody gonna do me, like me!”

I mean it when I say that there are very few stylists who can handle my hair just they way I like. The one that I love is too far away, so I do my own hair and although it takes me all day, I manage to keep my hair on my head…it’s healthy and that’s what’s most important.

I recommend you at least try a Dominican blowout. What’s the worse that can happen? And at least, you have someone who can go with you, translate, if that’s an issue.

Whatever you decide…keep me posted!

LaNegra

I’ve been in the process of transitioning since April of 2009. And I cut my hair in a bob cut so you can imagine what a bad idea that was! My hair is maybe less than a year away from being all natural and I can’t stand it. It’s super frizzy and even though I cut a bunch of hair off, the ends are still super dry. I’m seriously considering doing the relaxer again this Saturday. Not only does it frizz from the weather but it frizzes because I sweat during volleyball practice. A guy commented on my hair asking me if I’m trying to grow an afro! How embarrassing. My question to everyone especially La Negra is after soooo long of not doing the relaxer, would doing it again cause hair breakage and serious damage? I don’t wanna be in high school another year going bald!

Hola Natalie,

I have to tell you that I was boiling when I got down to the the, “Are you trying to grow and afro?” comment.

Let me address this, then I’ll answer your question.

There is NOTHING, NADA wrong with rocking an afro. It pizzes me off that people think that wearing natural hair is unflattering. Even worse, there’s an implication that it’s unnatural to wear natural hair. Ugg! Don’t get me started.

How one chooses to wear their hair is a matter of preference, but as I say time and time again…it’s better to have a head full of healthy hair, than none at all.

If you have decided to go natural and find that it’s a better match for your lifestyle (playing soccer, sweating a lot), then embrace it and learn to condition your hair. However, do NOT let some stinky, dude in your school, or anyone else for that matter, make you feel that the hair God gave you is not beautiful.

**stepping off soapbox now**

Now…should you decide to relax your hair, you are going to be faced with how to maintain it when it’s all sweated out after soccer practice. Too much heat will not be kind to your tresses.

I suggest you condition faithfully, consider trying flexirods or curlformers so you don’t have to apply heat, but I don’t know that I’d encourage you to relax your hair again.

Remember, coarse, kinky and curly hair is naturally fragile. When you relax it, it makes it even more delicate. With that in mind, think about your daily activities and try to determine whether or not it’s worth it to relax your hair again. You may be able to get someone to loosen up your curls a bit, but I don’t recommend relaxing bone straight.

Get yourself a good deep conditioner, or whip up a homemade recipe, but be kind to your hair and never stop loving yourself…

Mil besos,

LaNegra

Hello La Negra,

I have twin girls and tried to save some dough by trying to do there hair myself(single dad), but after the roller set, there hair was really frizzy, what can I do for that? By the way, keep it coming you have an excellent site!

Hola Serg,

Before I address your question, I just have to say it warms my heart to know that there are men out there like you! Not only are you stepping up to the plate, taking care of your girls, but you are actually doing their hair. You ROCK!!

Ok…on to the frizzing

Anytime you get frizzing after putting in rolos, you have:

1. Dampness – the hair, even if just the ends are still damp. This is usually the culprit.

2. However, you can also have a combination, which involved not getting the hair smoothed out over the rolos.

In order to help you out a little better, tell me…how long is their hair? What size rollers are you using? How long are they sitting under the dryer?

Also, if you have to…send me a pic of their hair (no their faces – we have to protect the babies). If can see their hair, may be able to offer better advice.

Lastly, I notice that you did not mention blowing their hair. I don’t know how old the girls are, but I do not encourage blowing the hair at an early age. They will have PLENTY of time to play with heat and get their hair straight. The priority it to maintain healthy, manageable hair.

Hope this helps,

LaNegra

I am Felicia Guzman Lankford and I am Dominican. I am a stylist at Lourdes Beauty Salon, in Sanford North Carolina. I was born and raised in Santo Domingo, the capital. I came to NC in 2003 and am pleased to offer my services at 1809 South Horner Blvd, Sanford NC 27330.  I specialize in the Blow out, and Dominican deep conditioners. I work with relaxed/ chemically treated hair and natural hair. I offer Highlights, Lowlights, Perms, Roller Sets, Keratin treatments, relaxers, and much more. If you would like to see what the salon is like visit my flickr page at www.flickr.com/photos/36060402@N02/