Dominican salons have been staples in our communities for quite some time but somebody told the Wall Street Journal about it and now it’s news. Why is the WSJ concerned about Dominican salons? Apparently Black* salons are seeing red in their bottom lines because Dominican salons are cutting into business. There’s probably a little bit of that curiosity the media has for Black women’s lives lately kicking in.

I left a comment on a Clutch Mag post about Dominican Salons v. Black Salons but long and I realized I had started blogging in the comments. Isn’t that annoying. They can cut it if they like, but I figured I shouldn’t just waste my thoughts all over someone else’s space, right? Especially when I’ve written about Philly Dominican salons in the past. Check out the WSJ article which says in relevant part:

Armed with a blow dryer and brush, deft wrist action and shrewd promotional tactics, immigrants from the Dominican Republic are snipping away market share from African-American stylists whose mastery of black women’s hair ensured for generations that their customers wouldn’t, or couldn’t, leave them. Promises of seemingly healthier hair, swifter service and far lower prices are wooing away a growing number of black women. [...]

African-American stylists typically use a curling iron to unfurl the hair, while Dominicans use a two-handed method of unraveling the strands with a round brush, followed by a blow dryer in the other hand to smooth the curl to a straight finish. Dominicans do so by pulling from the hair root, often forcefully. That, along with applying the second round of intense heat, leads to breakage, say black stylists and some customers.

and check out my comment reposted below:

I used to frequent Dominican salons in Philly for about 2.5 years. During that time, I visited a Black owned salon about 3 times. Since I was a grad student, price was a big draw. I haven’t relaxed my hair since 2000, and the Dominican salon was recommended by a fellow natural lady when I said I wanted to get straightened. In the past, wearing my hair straight sucked because the Black salons would pull out a straightening comb! I felt like I was back in my grandma’s kitchen. The result was poufy and didn’t last long. At the Dominican salon, my hair was light and lasted longer for way less money. Many other Black American women frequented the place as well.

I stopped going once I left the country. I paid attention to what they were doing and came up with my own technique for a nice blowout. Practice made perfect and now I do my own hair exclusively, often others ask me which salon I went to.

I will say there are cons to the Dominican salon:
They’re not on time either. You can’t make appointments at most places so there’s a crowd. I’ve waited hours to get in a chair and hours more to get out of the place. The heat IS high. My natural curl pattern is permanently disrupted because of it. They might be talking about you. Better brush up on your Spanish. Same goes for African braiders though or Asian nail techs. *shrug*
They don’t really talk to you about your hair and you don’t have a lot of styling options.
Black stylists don’t have a monopoly on stopping to eat. I’ve had the same experience at Dominican salons. Even saw some folks take a beer break.

Just go where you like the service and you can afford it. I might hit the Dominican salon for the basics, but would definitely seek out a Black stylist for a cut and more complicated styling.

So is this just healthy competition or are Dominican salons creeping in on Black turf? Isn’t there room for all kinds of stylists? Black women have always complained about experiences at salons, especially the wait and the cost. We spend a lot of money caring for our hair but that doesn’t mean we ought to get gauged just because there aren’t any other options. Why is it that Black salons charge so much more? Space? Products? Insurance? Salaries? A better question is how do Dominican Salons subsist on so little and how can Black salons adapt to fit that model? If what Black salons have to offer us is a sense of community, high quality products, welcoming environments and individualized hair care, well they should do their best to meet those standards and show us that it’s worth paying tens more dollars for.

Me? I’m going to keep blowing out my own hair in the comfort of my home. I can’t deal with sitting under the dryer of an African American woman or a Dominican woman anymore.

*I recognize that many Dominicans consider themselves and are considered by others as “Black”.