A Look At The Dominican Blowout Technique On Natural Hair

If you lived in any of the Boroughs of New York, chances are you have either been to a Dominican Salon or you have heard about one. I lived in Brooklyn for a minute and during that time I had my fair share of Dominican roller sets and the occasional blowout!

Isn’t it amazing how they can get your hair bone straight just using a blow dryer* and a round brush? Honestly it took a minute for me to find the best salon, I was very cautious because my hair needed ‘healing’ at that time. I loved going though it was fast and cheap and when I left the salon make no mistake, my hair was laid hunty!

Below we’ve got two videos of women, getting the typical Dominican blowout treatment on their natural hair. Prepare yourselves because there is A LOT of heat involved so try not to cringe, they looked great after we promise!

Here’s the thing not all Dominican Salons are created equal, so if you’ve had a bad experience at one it doesn’t automatically mean they are all bad, here are some tips if you decide to visit a salon.

1. Know what salon is about going in – The best way to determine if you want to go to ‘that’ salon is through references, honestly trying a bunch of them until you find the right one might not be a great idea because you run the risk of your hair becoming seriously damaged along the way.

2. If you are natural and the stylist suggests that you relax, just pack it up and go – Most salons especially nowadays know how to handle natural hair and if they are really good, they know how to heat style your hair without causing any damage.

3. Know that they do not enhance your curls – Do not expect suggestions on keeping your curl pattern like a natural hair salon would probably be focused on. They are designed to change your curl pattern and get your hair straight, just not permanently. *wink*

4. Speak up – Be clear in distinguishing if you want a wash and set or a full blown straightening job. The Dominican salon can get your hair straight, they know how to do it, and so if you prefer a less ‘damaging’ option you can get a roller set with a blow out only to your roots, so that you get that straight look without the possible damage. If there is a language barrier, do not be afraid to demonstrate, they deal with the English language daily.

5. Bring your own stuff – If you like sulfate free shampoo* you better have it in your purse, if you use a particular brand of heat protectant*, have that with you as well. I have never been to a salon that did not accommodate my product needs and neither should you.

6. Proceed with caution – We have seen women do a traditional wash and set without the blow drying and flat ironing and actually retain length maintaining healthy hair. However if you are subjecting your hair to consistent heat, you will run the risk of heat damage.

If your strands are fine/thin then be warned that the amount of heat used during a Dominican blowout will likely change your curl pattern permanently so don’t even think about it!

The blow-dryers they use are very powerful with heat above 300 degrees at times, so don’t be fooled that because it’s just a blow dryer* it won’t cause any damage. If they opt to use a flat iron* after that, it can end up being too much for your delicate strands.

Honestly it’s a technique that I am not able to wholeheartedly recommend simply because of the amount of heat involved but perhaps seeing the videos will make it easier for you to make up your own minds.

Here’s the Dominican blowout on looser kinky* hair.

And here is the same technique on very tightly coiled kinky* hair.