** In December 2006 my cousin Yvette introduced me to Dominican Hair Salons.  They charge 1/2 of what the average American stylist charges and do an excellent job, especially if you're in between relaxers (as a rule this applies to Black people hair). I prefer getting a relaxer every 4 months (typically the rule is 6 to 8 weeks) and the Dominican process makes this possible.  Dominicans can do ANYONES hair because of their African and European ancestry the texture of their hair ranges from the straightest Caucasian texture to kinkiest African texture. People always compliment me and ask me about my hair and when I tell them I go to Dominican's they ask "whats a Dominican?"  Well the article below spells it out perfectly. The only thing the article leaves out is that 98% of the stylist in the salons only speak Spanish or Spanglish and communication is challenging.  You will need to be patient, but their blowouts are incredible. Luckily I have a great primary stylist in Norfolk, VA,  LaDonia Lassiter (she gets the credit for my Snoop Dogg/Prince inspired locks) but I will miss the Dominican Salon in New York that I go to in between visits to her.  Hell in this economy who wouldn't miss  $10.00  shampoo and sets and $5.00 extra for the conditioner on Tuesday and Wednesdays, thats cheaper than a mans haircut!  
Google your area and find a Dominican Salon and see what day they have specials, you will  become a fan.  **


What is the Big Deal About Dominican Hair Stylists?
By Kenia Morales  Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenia_Morales

Dominican hair products and hair stylists are quickly earning an outstanding reputation throughout the United States. I am sure that many wonder if this is just a new fad or if the products and stylists actually deserve their reputation. To determine their credibility lets analyze their hair treatment process.

What hair products do they use?

Dominican stylists like others use the popular name brand products such as, Sebastian, Biolage, Paul Mitchell, Nexus etc. However, they also use the traditional Dominican hair products made out of natural fruits, vegetables, or animal protein.

What is their styling process?

After washing the hair they apply the hair conditioner. Then cover hair with a plastic cap and let you sit under the bonnet dryer for ten to twenty minutes. Later they will rinse it out and do hair rollers. After that you will probably be sitting on the drier anywhere from half an hour to one hour. This depends mostly on your hair type and length. Afterwards, they will move in to styling your hair. If you just want your hair straight this is the time when they will straighten the curls or waves left by rollers with a blow dryer. They rarely like to just blow dry hair without doing the rollers first.

So, besides using different styling techniques and products what is so special about their service?

If you take a good look at both their styling practices and products they are both quite beneficial to the hair. They deep condition your hair before doing anything and secondly they use the dryer that it is a lot less harmful than blowers and irons. Even if they use the blower after taking out the rollers, they last less time blow drying it. Therefore, they would do less damage to the hair. Meanwhile the natural hair products contain the vitamins and proteins that come from the fruits, vegetables etc. This nourishes your hair by giving it the necessary nutrients for a lustrous look and feel. However, the most important thing is that the hair is healthy. Many find that after using their hair treatment process their hair gets healthier permanently.

What type of hair can benefit from their styling process and products?

All hair types (curly, straight, wavy, and coarse) can benefit from their hair process. Due to the history of the Dominican Republic the population is pretty much mixed. Some are white like their European ancestors while others resemble their African antecedents. Then there are many that have mixed traits such as coarse hair and light skin or dark skinned with curly/wavy hair. This means that the products are fabricated maintaining everyone in mind. And the stylists are pretty much experts in the treatment of all different hair types.

Another Reason why their products and styling process fit everyone is because their main focus is the maintenance and treatment of hair. By deep conditioning it, they diminish the amount of harm that we do to our hair with harsh chemicals such as hair color, relaxers, perms, highlights, etc.. They also control the amount of direct heat to individual strands by limiting or avoiding the use of blow dryers and hot irons.