Smooth Moves

TAMPA - When Jocelyn Diaz Rodriguez and her partner, Esperanza Tempora Pena, bought a sluggish hair salon in a Brandon strip mall, they banked on their nationality to give business a boost.

The women included the word Dominican in the new shop's name, right after their initials, and wrote it across the awning in bold blue letters.

After all, as Dominican stylists are quick to tell you, "Hablamos un buen blower." Which essentially means they speak a language all their own with a blow dryer. They've got a reputation for whipping even the curliest, frizziest hair into silky submission.

The tactic worked for Rodriguez, 39, and Pena, 40.

"It was phenomenal," says Tina Mitsko, who owned Brandon Cutters, the salon that was transformed when it became E&J Dominican Hair Salon in 2005. "People began calling from all over asking for directions and wanting to make an appointment. Their skill and talent for doing ethnic hair is very well known, and for good reason. I watch them blow drying and my hands get tired. I could never do that."

Dominican salons are popping up across Hillsborough County. In three years, at least seven salons have opened, most of them in the northwest part of the county.

"The climate in the Dominican Republic is very similar to Florida," says Luis Cordero, cultural director for La Asociacion Dominicana de la Bahia de Tampa (The Dominican Cultural Association of Tampa Bay). "When they come from up North, they realize they can do hair the same way they did back home and get the same results. Many want to open a salon or go work at a salon."

Dominican stylists attribute their flair with hair to the racial mix in their Caribbean country, which includes Spanish, African and Taino Indian influences.

Many honed their skills as young girls on the island, learning how to blow dry and roll hair to make money. With few resources, they relied on natural ingredients such as avocado, coconut oil and aloe vera to control frizziness in the tropical climate.

"No matter how poor you are [in the Dominican Republic], your hair is always done," says Ada Terrero, who opened Latin Secrets, a Dominican salon in West Tampa, in 2004. "My aunt taught me to do hair when I was 10 in the basement of our house. If the rollers weren't perfect, she would take them off and make me start all over. I did all the women's hair in my family."

On the Internet, online message boards and chat rooms brim with discussions about Dominican stylists and appeals for help finding a salon.

Big Rollers, Then 'The Yumbo'

Roz Brown searched for a Dominican salon for six years after moving to Tampa from New York. Her search ended when she spotted E&J's sign.

"I come from a mixed family background, and my hair is difficult to manage," says Brown, 28, who visits every two weeks. "My cousin went to a Dominican salon in New York, and her hair was really nice. The condition of my hair is so much better since I started coming here. They care about the condition of your hair."

To get that Dominican look, the peluqueras wash and deep condition the hair before setting it on large plastic rollers (the size depends on the length of your hair). Many of the products they use to condition the hair are from the Dominican Republic, Italy and Spain.

Then, you go under "The Yumbo," an egg-shaped dryer that delivers serious heat. After that, they blow dry your hair using a large round brush and a lot of wrist action.

Bachata music plays in the background, unless the television is tuned to a Spanish station. Cortadito (Cuban coffee) is always offered while you wait.

Worth The Wait

And wait you may, because many Dominican salons don't take appointments.

"Appointments would only slow us down," says Rodriguez, who believes a first-come, first-served system is fairer. But the stylists are quick, and the patrons don't seem to mind waiting - in part because of the price. Let's just say it's not uncommon for a blow-out to cost less than $30 for shoulder-length hair - far less than a high-quality blow-out at most salons.

"I drive here from Tampa because I really like how they do my hair, and I like the price," says Beatrice Dominique, 33, who always visits the salon with son Marvins, 4, in tow. "I've gone to Haitian salons in the past, but I like the products they use here. And everybody's really cool here."

Evelyn Munoz, 33, has been seeing Terrero at Latin Secrets for her silky smooth strands since she moved here from the Dominican Republic three years ago. After a 11/2 hour session in the swivel chair, she checks out her look in the mirror and smiles.

"I love coming here," she says. "If you want silky, smooth, healthy hair, you come here. Just look at mine."

Terrero says most of her clients are Hispanic and black, and she occasionally gets white women who have heard of the Dominican stylists' super blow-outs.

"You will never hear a Dominican stylist say they don't have experience doing a certain type of hair," says Terrero, 47, who speaks little English. "We can do white hair, black hair, Latin hair, any kind of hair.

"And when we're finished, it's all straight."

Watch a slideshow of the salons in action.

SALONS

Here are some Dominican-owned salons in Tampa and Brandon:

Latin Secrets, 4521 N. Habana Ave., (813) 679-5675

Miledy's Hair and Skin, 4202 W. Waters Ave., (813) 881-9644

Tati's Beauty Salon, 2901 W. Lincoln Ave., (813) 870-1716

Areli Beauty Salon, 4714 N. Lois Ave., (813) 879-4799

Solonlly Beauty Salon, 8140 W. Waters Ave., (813) 249-9481

D&G Beauty Salon, 8000 N. Armenia Ave., (813) 931-8098

Tropic Dominican Salon, 1945 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., (813) 250-0452

Acuarios Beauty Spa, 4040 W. Waters Ave., (813) 888-7119

E&J Dominican Hair Salon, 10051 Adamo Drive, Brandon, (813) 681-6626

TERMS

Some Dominican stylists speak little English. If your español is not so good, here are a few key terms you're likely to hear when visiting:

Doobie-doobie: This is the Hispanic version of the wrap that keeps your hair looking fresh. The stylist directs the hair around the client's head in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction, keeping the hair smooth and close to the head (almost as if the head was a giant hair roller). She pins it with large bobby pins as she goes and uses a small-toothed comb (or brush) to smooth all loose ends into the wrap.

Rolos: Stylists roll the hair on plastic rollers before setting the client under the dryer until her hair is completely dry. A wet roller set followed by blow drying is less damaging to hair then if you dry it completely using only a blow dryer.

Secadora: A hair dryer under which you sit after your hair is rolled.

El blower (pronounced BLO-el): A hand-held blow dryer.

Peluquera: The hair stylist.

Tratamiento: Deep conditioner that requires you to go under the dryer for several minutes.

Acondicionador: Regular conditioner

Lasio: Straight hair. If you want it bien lasio, they will make it lie as flat as Florida.