A Dominican Hair Salon Redefines Natural Hair And Beauty

We’ve all heard salon horror stories when it comes to natural hair, and that’s why most of us prefer to treat our tresses at home.

There have been stories of Dominican hair salons using relaxers in their conditioners, causing heat damage by excessive blow outs, or just the dirty looks some naturals may get when they walk in the door.

That’s why many naturalistas, especially those in the Dominican Republic, can now rejoice because there’s a salon that caters to and embraces their natural hair.

Carolina Contreras, the owner of Miss Rizos, spent her life raised between the USA and the Dominican Republic. After going on a personal hair journey from chemically treated hair, she learned a lot about how to care for and embrace her naturally curly hair.

The mantra of her natural hair salon is “Yo amor mi pajón”, which means “I love my big, kinky* hair”, and it’s to show support for all ladies that rock their own curls. She was able to open her salon with funding from her savings, donations, and a successful Indiegogo campaign that raised $10,000.

In addition to her salon, Contreras also has her own blog to document the things she’s learned. “There were many blogs in English but not many in Spanish,” she said about her website, which is missrizos.com.

The website, which is entirely in Spanish, shares some of her videos, press from her mentions in various publications like the New York Times, and a contact number if you’d like to make an appointment at the salon.
Contreras is doing an amazing thing for women with naturally curly hair.

She and her salon are helping women all over to embrace the hair they have, regardless of where they’re from. It’s great to see how far the natural hair movement has spread, and it’ll be great to see where it continues to grow. In the meantime, make sure to check out Miss Rizos if you are able to travel to the Caribbean!