RoundBrushHair! > Dominican Hair Care Blog

Yay! RoundBrushHair.com now sells Round Brushes! I guess it’s only right since we are all about Dominican hair care right and the Dominican technique is all about the Round Brush.  Well, we now offer over 20 different shapes, styles and sizes to choose from! This can seem somewhat intimidating to those who are new to using them (we know because we’ve gotten the phone calls). So,  I’ve compiled a few of the most frequently asked questions we’ve received:

What is the difference between boar bristle and boar bristle brush with nylon quills?

These bristles are made from natural boar’s hair, which helps to smooth the hair without causing unnecessary damage or splitting the ends. These brushes should be used on hair that is at least 80% dry to avoid tangling and breakage as hair is at its most vulnerable state when wet. With every rotation the bristles strengthen and polish by spreading the hair’s own natural oils. This leaves a very healthy shine.  These brushes are also used for stretching the hair which is great for thick, curly or wavy types. They are able to create a firm grip to achieve the tension needed for smoothing, straightening, or curling the ends leaving a sleek finish.

            Boar bristle brushes with nylon quills, also referred to as porcupine brushes, have slightly longer nylon quills in between the boar bristles which are used to help detangle the hair simultaneously while the boar bristles are smoothing.

 Note: (Blonde Boar Bristles are softer and used for fine to medium textured hair and black boar bristles are used for medium to coarse hair. Certain Brushes may have a combination of the two.)

 What size should I use?

As a general rule, your hair should be able to wrap around the barrel of the brush at least 1 ½ times for the best results. Just as with rollers or curling irons the smaller the diameter of the brush, the tighter your curl will be and vice versa.

 How do I clean them?

Brushes can be easily cleaned with warm water and a mild shampoo. You can use either a comb or another bristle brush to remove buildup and loose hairs. This should be done on a regular basis because the dirt and debris from previous uses can be redeposited onto clean hair. Also, brushes with wooden or cork handles should never be immersed in water only rinsed and air dried.

Why are some brushes ceramic or metal?

These are both types of thermal brushes. The purpose of using a thermal brush is to quicken the drying process and to style hair. The barrels of these brushes are vented and retain heat. They act very much like a curling iron when used with a hand held dryer. You may find that some of the bristles on these brushes are tipped with tiny plastic balls. These are for separating the air which aids in more even drying and less frizziness. Just as a ceramic curling iron or flat iron these; brushes can overheat and burn your hair or skin. Always use the lowest heat setting as possible to achieve the results you desire.

When should I use the ones with the holes in them?          

These are called vent brushes. They are heat resistant and have small openings along the barrel that allow air to flow through while drying. These openings help to dry hair faster and usually have bristles that are placed farther apart than those found on other types of round brushes. These are excellent for creating volume as well as curling.

Why use an ionic brush?

            Ionic styling tools are known for conditioning and rehydrating by using negative ions to help absorb water molecules into the core of the hair strands.

I hope this small tutorial has answered some of the questions that you may have had about which brush suits you best. Let me know if I missed a burning question you have about the brushes. Also, we’d love for you to share with us any experiences, comments, or tips that might be helpful to those who are new to the art of the round brush hair.

Check out our round brushes

As the saying goes, “there’s more than one way to skin a cat,” but is there more than one way to go about Dominican hairstyling when it comes to natural hair?

Usually, having your hair done by a Dominican stylist means you’ll get a wash, roller-set, and blow-out. However, when it comes to natural hair, there are some Dominican stylists who forego the roller-set altogether and head straight for the blow dryer.

Speaking with a few Dominican stylists on the matter, they usually asses the hair and use their best judgment to decide how to achieve the famous bouncy, light, swinging hair.  While most of the stylist said they skip the rollers on natural hair, a few will roll the hair no matter how curly or tightly coiled the hair is while wet.

I personally think getting natural hair to stay on a roller is an art (that I haven’t mastered) It’s frustrating to say the least, believe me I’ve tried many times since I’ve been natural and my strands just won’t stick. I usually end up with half of my hair sticking up off of the roller and overly fuzzy roots.  I’d love to be able to use rollers once in a while but it just isn’t going to give me the same result as when my hair was relaxed. So to get the smooth mock-relaxed look I skip the rollers and go straight to the handheld dryer. This is what works for me, but there are some natural hair women who prefer to have their hair set with rollers.

I mean, you kind of lose the Dominican hair salon experience if you don’t get the rollers right? For some, sitting beneath a scorching hood dryer (with a towel tucked around the dryer or at least some ear guards of course) and a head full of brightly colored plastic rollers is a huge part of the “Dominican way”. For others, the use of Dominican hair products and the roundbrush make up the Dominican salon experience.

What are your thoughts? For those with thick, dense, or extremely curly hair that can’t get a smooth roller-set to save their lives, do you feel like you’re missing out on the Dominican Salon experience? Or is the finished product of gorgeous, healthy hair satisfying enough?

And to my relaxed ladies – pressed for time, have you ever skipped the rollers and just had your stylist “blow-out” your hair? Were the results the same as if you had sat under the dryer with rollers?

This weekend while cleaning out my garage I came across a box of old photos. There was everything from baby pictures, to prom pictures. A few of them I could have sworn I left in the storage room of my mom’s basement before I moved out. Needless to say, these were the embarrassing ones from my teenage years. I was extra tall and super skinny. My clothes were okay but, GOOD LORD! Was my hair was atrocious. Don’t get me wrong. It was styled to a T with every hair in place but when I think back on what I had to do to get it that way it’s a wonder I have a single hair left on my head. 

 Back in those days I could care less about a hair care regimen. Truthfully, I didn’t even know what one was. I used any shampoo and conditioner (rinse) that was within reach. Usually Suave or whatever my mom found on sale at the grocery store. Deep conditioners were a foreign thing. And a leave in conditioner, what was that? I used to keep my curling iron plugged in at all times because I knew I’d be using it in the morning before school and again in the evening if I needed a touch up.  

One of my favorite styles back then was the fan. If you never had one, you probably knew someone who did. It was quick easy and all the rage in the 90’s. Right after washing my hair I would grab my economy-sized jar of brown gel and a rattail comb. I’d cake the gel on with the comb and force my hair up into a high ponytail. I’d also leave a little piece down on the side for a dramatic effect as if I needed more drama with that style. I‘d secure it with a doubled up non-coated rubber band. . At this point I’m sure my hair was just begging for mercy but, that didn’t stop me from moussing the sides along with the hair in the ponytail. In my world there was no such thing as too much product. After all of that I’d use a toothbrush (yes, that thing you brush your teeth with) to apply even more gel to sculpt the baby hairs. No style was complete without that. I didn’t even get to the worst part yet: my hair was on the thin side back then because someone told my mom that I should be re-relaxing all of my hair with every touch up. So every six weeks I’d get the kit and go for it and if it didn’t burn it wasn’t working was what I was told. Anyway, back to the fan.   

I probably should’ve bought stock in the Stiff Stuff company because as much as I used to buy I could’ve used that money to open a salon. I’d spray the hair in the ponytail and comb it straight up then I’d start cookin’. While each piece of hair was still damp from the hairspray I’d fry it with the curling iron set on its highest setting. I can still hear the sizzle. After I raked through my crispy strands to shape them into a sky high hair-don’t I still needed one last healthy spritz of hairspray. Ahhh a masterpiece. All that was missing was some glued on rhinestones and a cloud of oil sheen spray.  And that concludes my frightening tale. I hope you’ll all be able to sleep tonight after reading this. I would love to hear stories and see pictures of some of your hair nightmares. Before and afters would be even better. Until next time…

(Did you miss me? I want to apologize for being M.I.A. for so long but, Chaka has returned! I would love to hear some of your ideas on topics that you’d like to see blogged about. Please e-mail me your thoughts at Chakalopez@roundbrushhair.com)

No one loves a home remedy more than I do whether it’s eating chicken soup to fight the common cold or using oatmeal & honey for a face mask. We forget that all the chemical concoctions taking over store shelves today weren’t available years ago. People had to be very resourceful back in the time of my grandmother who’s now in her late seventies. Being resourceful was part of everyday life. Even in the 50’s and 60’s, when my parents were young, things were very different. I remember when baking soda toothpaste was first introduced to the market. My parents didn’t warn us of the horrible flavor because for them it was a step up from the pure baking soda they brushed their teeth with as kids. Believe it or not, it was also used as deodorant. Back then, the only staples they had in their medicine cabinets were Castor oil, Vicks Vapor rub, Watkins Liniment and Vaseline. If that didn’t cure, what ailed you then you’d be off to the doctor for a shot of Penicillin. If that didn’t do the trick, it was time to start picking out headstones. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that serious but sometimes when older folks try to make you see how good you have it compared to when they were, “comin’ up” the stories can go from a life lesson to a tall tale. The older I get the more I find myself telling those same stories to my kids as well as looking for more at home health and beauty fixes.

When I was younger, we would laugh at our grandmother telling stories about how she’d use bacon grease on her children’s’ ashy knees and elbows and they’d cry because dogs would chase them all the way to school. They swear it’s true but I refuse to believe it. Well, then again, this was coming from the same woman who told me I should always keep a bottle of Peach flavored Schnapps in my house in case of a cold or a teething baby. I don’t know about using it as a liquored up Orajel substitute but, it’ll surely knock the cold right out of your chest.

Lately I’ve been reading up on the many health and beauty secrets from around the world. I read that some Mediterranean women use an olive oil and sugar scrub to smooth and moisturize their skin. I’ve also learned that in India some use an uncooked white potato to deodorize their hands after cooking. It also softens them, which is twice as good.

Writing this blog has introduced me to people from various backgrounds and cultures. I know some of you have some really good kitchen cures and natural beauty secrets that have been passed on to you by your friends and family. Maybe you’ve invented a few on your own. Once upon a time, women in my family used brown paper bags and soup cans as rollers. Talk about making things work! I’m very interested in hearing your thoughts and ideas. It’s about time we go back to basics.

As I browse through some of the comments on the Dominican salon locator, I see a common dominator with a few disappointed customers: the price. Does a Dominican salon in your mind automatically equal a $25 or less blow-out?

With Dominican salons popin’ up everywhere outside of New York , it looks like some stereotypes are following them. When you hear ‘Dominican Salon’ what comes to mind? Here are some assumptions and misconceptions that I have come across over the years regarding Dominican Salons:

1. $20 blow-outs
2. Straight or a flip is all you get – so don’t go looking for a “style”
3. No English is spoken (refer to my past entry ‘they must be talkin’ about me’)
4. Only located in black neighborhoods
5. Fast service

What are your thoughts about these stereotypes? Have any to add to the list? Are they true?

Dear Mr. President,

Today as a nation, we request your condolences for those of us who have been forced to skimp on hair care due to the recession. This mania has caused us who don’t even know how to turn on a blow dryer to become kitchen beauticians. Stylists who once were booked solid months in advance are now sitting at their stations reading trashy novels and folding towels. We’ve gone from weekly salon visits to buying a box of drugstore hair dye and crossing our fingers for the best. On another note many of us have gone natural not by choice but by circumstance.

Back when I purchased my first vehicle gas was $1.09 per gallon. Now the national average is somewhere around $4.10 for regular. Do pardon me Sir but, that’s just bananas!

It’s a sad day when we have to choose between filling up our tanks to get to work and getting a touch up. Just the other day a dear friend broke two acrylic fingernail tips scratching her head. Yes, her roots were just that overgrown. She works an hour from her home and has been forced to forgo fill-ins and relaxers. What is she to do?

Our men are being affected as well. You may think they are growing their hair long in protest but actually, they just can’t afford the barbershop. Last week I saw a desperate man begging anyone to give him a shape up. He had to resort to doing it himself. I’m sad to inform you that he cut himself, got an infection, and had to miss work for 3 days. On top of this, he has to pay medical bills as was left with half a hairline.

Can you sympathize with the plight of your people? We seek a resolution. We are willing to stand up and fight for this cause as a united front. Please help us to restore our pride and dignity as citizens of this fair country. We’ve gone nappy, our roots are showing, and we can’t take it anymore!

One nation under a scarf,
Chaka Lopez
Copyright ©2008 Chaka Lopez

Once again, I find myself (the insomniac) awake at 3:30 am. I’m watching yet another infomercial and begin think hmm…What is it that attracts us to a product? Is it the packaging or the person selling it to us? Is it because it’s something new and different or because everyone else is using it? It’s hard to tell, especially when you’re awake in the middle of the night for the third night in a row.

As Americans, we have been groomed to buy into hype. We see this in everyday things like the repetition of the same three songs on the radio and kids recognizing the McDonald’s sign before they can recite their ABC’s. The beauty industry is no different. There are companies that are solely in the business of grabbing your attention with catchy slogans, fancy packaging and money back guarantees. Whether we’d like to admit it or not, we trust the people who market these items without ever doing our own research. For instance, through very creative advertising tactics the industry has lead consumers to believe that a hair texturizer is something different from what it is but, if you compare the list of ingredients on the labels, they have the same chemical makeup as mild-strength calcium hydroxide relaxers. Somehow, somewhere we’ve been lead to believe that pictures of happy kids on a box of chemicals and the addition of an ingredient native to another country makes it superior. It doesn’t matter to us that the product only contains a tiny amount of that ingredient.

I’m sure that by now you’re asking yourselves how I can be such an advocate of Dominican hair products and feel this way simultaneously. The answer is simply because these products have higher concentrations of, “the good stuff” than most of your everyday, run of the mill products. When a Dominican product claims to have let’s say…olive oil in its contents, 9 times out of 10, you can actually feel/smell it. They don’t need to plaster that the olive oil is from some exotic place to entice you into a sale. The proof is in the pudding as they say. I can’t say the same for some other olive oil containing products I’ve tried. Another thing that has built my confidence in these products is the fact that the manufacturers seem to focus more on description and instructions than glitz and glam like their American competitors. Now, I’m not knocking all American products. It’s just that the market is so congested that companies will go to extremes to promote themselves sometimes to the point of dishonesty. To tell you the truth, a few ‘no-name’ companies that barely advertise have made some of the best products I’ve ever used.

Basically, my point is to do your research. Take the time to read labels. Check out a few product reviews. The extra time spent will save you dollars and in some cases your hair.

Do we all just assume that our beloved stylists follow the many rules of sanitation? Or are we just blind to the facts? Now I’ll be the first to admit that our state’s board of cosmetology has some pretty rigorous rules. And from what I’ve seen, most are blatantly ignored.

When I was younger, my cousin used to wash our hair, in her filthy kitchen sink. We were taught to respect our elders and be grateful. So we kept quiet. Nevermind the macaroni and Rice Crispies stuck to our foreheads. I would’ve preferred she just fix us a plate to take home instead of sending it with us in our hair.

I’ll never forget how, day to day, in beauty school my teacher would drill sanitation rules into our heads to the point where it was aggravating. I didn’t see then why she did this but, after stepping out into the real world of salon life I understood why.

When I first started working in a real salon I was in for quite a shock. There were no glass jars of blue liquid (Babercide) on each station as the law requires. All they used was a Kool Aid pitcher sitting by the sink in the dispensary/kitchen. The stylists just dipped their combs in without even rinsing. This quick fix, in no way, killed germs. The icing on the cake was when on of the, so-called, “top stylists,” cut her finger while doing a routine haircut. Accidents happen to the best of us of course. I was her apprentice at the time so to her I was ignorant to salon procedure. I watched her put her shears down, politely excuse herself form the client, and proceed to thoroughly disinfect and bandage her wound. Upon her return to her virtually immaculate station she picked up right where she left of with the cut. NOW HOLD UP! Didn’t she just cut her finger with those tainted scissors!?! Her client was oblivious to what was going on. All she did was ask, “Are you okay?” while never looking up from her magazine. I was appalled. Did they not learn the same rules of sanitation that I did?
At another salon, I was laughed at and labeled a newbie when I asked where the spray bottle of alcohol was to clean out the shampoo bowl. In school it was regular practice to do this to the entire bowl, neck rest, and seat between clients. Yes, it was time consuming but, I’ve washed my share of nasty hair on less that fresh people in my day. Once a classmate had a sweaty woman come in who’s hair was so grimy under her wig that the whole salon smelled like feet when she removed it. YUCK! The alcohol spray sure came in handy that day.

Before I was formally educated on this subject I saw nothing wrong with my girls and I sharing combs and brushes. Hey, I heard black people didn’t get lice so what was the problem? This however is untrue. We can get lice it’s just rare,. We’ll explore that topic more at a later time. The point I’m trying to make is that you don’t always know what lurks on a person’s scalp underneath their hair. Or, what’s in their hair for that matter. I suggest that everyone clean their styling utensils accessories often. Using a dirty comb in clean hair defeats the purpose. In addition, please never be afraid of calling your stylist out on her hygiene habits, mainly regarding your hair. Many beauty professionals who are well seasoned in the business get lazy with the rules but, remember those rules were made for everyone’s health and safety. So let’s keep it clean!

*Here are a few phrases to help you along:

Por favor sanitar el equipo antes de usarlo? (Please sanitize the equipment before using it?)

Es esa peinilla/ese cepillo limpia. (Is that comb/brush clean?)

Ya has usado esa peinilla/ese cepillo con otros clientes? (Have you already used this comb/brush on other clients?)

This morning as I saw my better half getting ready for work I noticed that, once again, his hair looked as if it had a mind of it’s own. I asked him, “why is it that guys don’t take care of their hair the way that women do? Is it because it’s short or do you find it feminine taking time out to care for it?” He looked at me as if the answer was obvious. He said, “it’s girly to play in your hair. We grow up seeing you guys doing it so we don’t.”

From what I’ve seen, the only men who actually take the time to maintain their locks are the ones with locks and, on occasion, a bachelor that’s trying to snag a chick. I believe it’s a combination of laziness and being macho that leads to such hair-neglect. I literally have to hand my husband the jar of (deep) conditioner before he gets in the shower just to make sure he uses it. My sons are no different. I do all I can to keep their hair conditioned and styled properly.

Initially I thought that was the reason you find more balding men than women. This of course is not the reason but, I’m sure they could help the situation along at least a little bit. Perhaps if companies used more neutral pictures on the labels they’d feel better about using them. My boys have told me that if they see a bottle of anything with a picture of girls or flowers on it they don’t touch it because it’s probably for either my daughter or myself. They decide by the picture alone whether it’s manly enough or not. I can’t single them out though; like many guys, they assume without ever reading the description or directions. This is why some of us have pink laundry that, once upon a time, was white and upside-down light switches. I can’t be alone in this.

So what are your opinions on why guys are so carefree, or better stated, careless about their hair? For those who disagree please share your thoughts too.

Does anyone out there ever turn on the television and see a male or female with a very distinct hairstyle and say to themselves, “Hmm he/she must be from…..”. Well I sure do. I’m a B-more (Baltimore) native born and raised.
Remembering some of the crazy styles that I’ve worn such as the fan or a French roll with lifted finger waves (don’t forget the glitter and rhinestones) I look back and wonder how my parents ever let me leave the house. Come to think of it, how’d I get that tall hair through the doorway? LOL.

Back in the 90’s the Doobie gained popularity in NY. I went to visit my Titi (auntie) Carmen in the Bronx and couldn’t believe they wore their hair so flat and boring. Now I love it!

Something funny happened the other day while my husband and I were watching the movie, First Sunday. The movie is set right here in my hometown. I don’t know who did the styling for the film but, they had the Inner Charm city look down to a “T” (at least as far as Ice Cubes baby’s momma was concerned). She had the Kelis cut with bright colors and the lil’ hang-down piece glued on the side (probably some #2 Yaki). Let me tell you, she even had the gold Bamboo name earrings (those never went out of style here). We love us some gold especially on our teeth.

The point is, we Baltimoreans have no fear when it comes to hair color - neon pink, electric blue, or platinum blonde (thank you Sisquo). Many refer to as the Baltimore Balloons because our hair is colored so brightly that when we gather at the Inner Harbor on holidays we look like a sea of rainbow balloons . You either hate it or you love it. And Chaka loves it!

To me there was more of a noticeable difference in styles from city to city years ago. Now we, for the most part, all have the same Milky Way and Motown hair pieces to choose from thanks to our lovely neighborhood hair suppliers.

Nowadays Dominican salons are all the rage here in B-more. This is fairly new to us you see. And finally, after all these years I see why those New York ladies had that smooth flat hair. It’s because they knew the benefits of the Dominican stylists and products while we were still using a half bottle of Stiff Stuff every morning. Now when I visit NY I don’t feel like all eyes are on me and my far-out-do. They can just stare at my outfit instead because around here we love to dress like we’re going clubbin’ at 12 in the afternoon, stilettos and all.

So that’s the wrap on my fair city. We’re not all alike and I speak these words with true endearment and not to offend anyone. Now let’s dish about where you’re from where your going, or where you’ve been and the many hair trends you’ve come across both old and new.