RoundBrushHair! > Dominican Hair Care Blog

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?

Product: Tropical Bano de Crema Negra (Black Cream Treatment)

Price: $9.99

How to use:  Apply Tropical Black Cream Treatment on wet hair massaging gently. Rinse with plenty of water and repeat application if necessary.  

Personal Rating: 3 out of 5 

Tip: Be careful when you applying this conditioner. I used it on for the first time in the shower and some of it splashed onto the grout. It was a really difficult to remove. On the bright side, it does wash out of clothing pretty easily and it doesn’t stain skin or nails 

            The Crema Negra conditioner is a black (no, I mean, really black) jelly-like consistency. It’s extremely thick with a strange smell that lingers after you rinse. It reminds me of the Dax black tar grease my grandmother used to straighten my hair with.  It’s not oily or greasy and, to look at it you’d probably think it would alter the color of your hair by making it darker but it doesn’t. 

            I applied the conditioner after shampooing. The conditioner is so thick that I had to use a good amount of product to fully saturate my hair. I let it sit for about 10 minutes with a shower cap on so it could do its thing (steam from the shower allowed me to forgo the dryer). After rinsing, my hair was soft, but still slightly tangled with little to no slip. It was also pretty dull looking - even while wet. I decided not to apply it a second time as the instructions suggested because with certain products I can tell instantly how my hair will react – and I wasn’t feeling this one. I did, however, repeat the procedure on my daughter’s relaxed hair and my niece’s naturally curly hair. I noticed no difference in results between the first and second applications.                       

            While not one of my favorites, I must say that this product does soften all hair types pretty well. If you decide to use this conditioner, I recommend following it up with a rinse conditioner just to restore some of the shine and slip. Normally I suggest using a rinse only as an optional method of detangling, but with this product I advise everyone to use it. For those of you that usually skip the rinse, the softness you get from using this product is well worth the extra step. 

Note: With many hair products the manufacturer’s instructions are merely suggestions of how to get the best result from the product. Just because a bottle says ‘shampoo, rinse and repeat’ it doesn’t mean you have to repeat. Use your judgment. Your hair tells you what it needs and what it does not. 

Certain chemicals like hair dyes, perms and relaxers are the exception. Always follow those instructions for your own health and safety. Still, when in doubt ask a professional or refer to the instructions on the label.

A big thank you to all the RoundBrushHair Members for stopping by our booth at the 10^th Annual For Sister’s Only Event at the Washington Convention Center Saturday November 1st!

We had a great time introducing Dominican hair products and Dominican salons to women across the DC/MD/VA area. With over 25,000 people in the building, celebrities walking around (did anybody else except me catch Terrance Howard walking around with his shades), and performers on stage – the excitement inside the DC Convention Center was electrifying.