Marisol's Dominican Hair Salon

Communicating :P

In the Dominican salons in the USA, they speak Spanish of course, but they know the English hair terminology. If you know some Spanish, it will be helpful, and for Spanish hair terms you can consult my ENGLISH-SPANISH HAIR SALON GLOSSARY. But anyway, if you show them a picture of what you want in their sample book (muestrario) or a magazine (revista), they will know how to take care of you, and they will do a very good job because they want you to come back again and again, and you will, and soon it will feel like family. Communication comes naturally because for us women, hair is the universal language!

What is a Dominican hair salon?

A Dominican salon is a very special place for women to gather and “let their hair down”. You will make a lot of friends there! Dominican music – Merengue, Bachata, Reggaetón – is playing, everybody is talking and laughing... and eating! LoL

In the salon they use the Dominican or Italian or Spanish hair products – shampoos, rinses, treatments, and conditioners – that are the very best for our kind of hair, and also for brittle or damaged hair (you can see some on the wall in the picture: Alter Ego, RR Line, UNA...). Healthy hair is the first priority of the Dominican stylist! She won't put anything in your hair, or do anything to it, that is not going to make it more healthy.

Who can go to a Dominican salon?

Everybody can go – Black women, White women, and everybody in between; Asian women, Indian women (both kinds!)... Every Dominican salon will want your business and will be glad to serve you, no matter who you are or what your hair is like, or whether you speak Spanish or you don't. But since Dominican salons specialize in textured hair, and especially textured hair that is overprocessed or damaged, they are especially popular among African American women.

I get a lot of questions from Black women about whether they should go to a Dominican salon, or use Dominican hair products. The answer is Yes and Yes! Most people in the Dominican Republic – about 85% of us – are Black or part Black, mixed mainly with European Spanish and Indigenous Taíno people. Most of us have the same kinds of hair as African Americans (such as 3b, 4a, 4b, etc, in the Andre Walker system), so Dominican hair care techniques and products are just as good for African American women as they are for Dominicanas.

How do Dominicans know how to do hair so well?

Dominican people
Dominican people come in all colors.
Most Dominican women have textured hair (el pelo texturado), which needs a lot of attention! And therefore almost every Dominicana goes to the beauty parlor once or twice every week. The beauty parlor is called el salón de belleza or la peluquería. In the Dominican Republic, and wherever Dominicans live, the beauty parlor is a big part of our culture.