What Do Dominicans Do To Get Their Hair Straight & Silky?

Dominican women are renowned for their ability to style their naturally tightly-curled hair straight and silky, no matter how coarse the texture or how resistant the curl. The famous Dominican Blowout is a temporary, 100% chemical-free styling option, available to natural women who want to add straight to the variety of looks achievable by their inherently versatile hair, as well as to women who relax, who can use the method to add that extra silkiness and swing to their hair, and even stretch the time between relaxers.

                            So how do they get hair so silkily straight and keep it that way?

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The success starts with the condition of the hair. Damaged hair simply doesn't straighten well. On some hair types, it will simply refuse to straighten or the end results will look frizzy and burnt. Often, women mistake stubborn ends that defy any number of passes with a flat iron as part of the “resistant” nature of their hair. It's not. What it actually is, is hair that has been damaged beyond return, its structure so badly distorted that it simply cannot be straightened, let alone look smooth. Dominicans avoid this outcome by keeping their hair in superlative condition. As well as having hair follicles nourished by the abundant natural plant sources of a Caribbean diet, Dominican women rely on their native superconditioners, rich, glossifying treatments packed with tropical botanical extracts as the foundation of their excellent haircare. Their well-conditioned hair is hair that is less prone to damage and, with a smooth surface that reflects light fully, it looks scintillatingly silky. But it's not just the products; it's the ritual. Haircare is an important rite throughout the African Diaspora, and the Dominicans have it down to a science.


Usually, there are not just two but four conditioning steps. Some routines include a pretreatment which takes the number up to five. Typically, however, it goes a little something like this:

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                              Shampoo

           Rinse thoroughly with warm water

               Deep conditioner (with heat)

          Rinse thoroughly with warm water
                                                                                                                                    Conditioner

          Rinse thoroughly with warm water

                      Leave in conditioner

                              Roller set

                        Hood Dryer time

                        Scalp conditioner
                                                                                                            Blowdry
                                                                                                                              Serum

                          Doobie (wrap)

Once your Blowout is complete, and your hair silky and shiny, keeping it that way is in your hands. Dominican women will often leave the salon with their hair in El Doobie, the beehive-esque wrap that is used to keep the hair straight overnight. Adding a small amount of serum everyday and being smart about your exposure to water should help you hold on to the gloss and gleam for the week to week and a half it is intended to last.