Jazlyn Rodriguez, 20
Hair Type: 3-C, 4-A
Products:
M: What do you do?
J: I do a little bit of everything. I make clothes. I make one on one pieces. I do modeling. I’m trying to get into DJing also. I kind of do anything I really want to do, wherever the wind blows.
M: Talk to me about your hair. Do you have any routines you have any products that you use specifically?
J: I literally love hair so much. So I have 3-C to 4-A kind of hair, which is high porosity. And your porosity is what matters! Your hair type does not freaking matter, your hair porosity dictates your hair products. I use Mielle deep conditioner, it smells really really minty. I use that conditioner because my hair gets really, really dry. She needs so much love. My routine is generally shampoo, conditioner, deep condition, cream, gel and then I oil the next day because oil traps your hair. When I was starting out Shea Moisture’s Jamaican Black Castor Oil hairline was really really good for me. My hair right now is on like Camile Rose kind of vibe. So I use their gel and their cream. But right now I’m kind of trying to find new hair products.
M: You’re half Hispanic?
J: Dominican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Jamaican.
M: White mom? Black mom?
J: My mom’s very fair. She’s the one that’s Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Jamaican, and then my dad’s straight Dominican. My mom’s very fair. She used to have like nice, pretty big hair growing up. But then she had surgeries and stuff. So her hair is totally different now. But my dad had very big hair and then he went bald. Now I’m left with all the beautiful hair.
M: When did you start learning how to do your hair?
J: This June it’s probably either my third or fourth year. But somewhere in quarantine. Quarantine, 2020, June. I cut it all off because I was letting it grow. I was like, let me see what my curl pattern looks I’ve never seen my curl pattern and you know, every person has that story. ‘Oh, my mom cut my hair when I was young.’ I’m not gonna lie, it took me a good six months to learn. I was doing a lot of research about hair prior to that. I really was so ready to do it. But it took me six months even with all that research, to learn what products are going to work for my hair
M: Your hair is bleached, which for some people with our hair is usually fried. How’d you do it?
J: Literally I bleached it. I’m not gonna lie. I don’t let anyone touch my hair. Even though I’m Dominican. They just fry my hair. I feel like they don’t care you have to pay extra for a heat protector. I would go for maybe a silk press but I bleach, cut, and dye everything. I actually need a touch-up. I give my hair so much time in between bleaches which is a key thing. I haven’t bleached my hair in six months, five months. It’s been like a while now but it doesn’t even have to be that drastic. I’d say like even like three months.
M: Do you get any comments or compliments overall about your hair?
J: Yeah, it kind of sounds a little like ‘you’re hair! you’re hair!’ and when I get some from other people that also inspires me. Like when you came up to me, I’m looking at yours is gorgeous. I love when other people do because I know it takes one to know one. I know you probably really struggle. So I’m very appreciative of other people and everything in general. I just like supporting like ‘Oh, beautiful hair queen,’ ‘Oh, I love your big hair,’ ‘Oh, your hair is nice.’ It’s kind, respectable nice comments, which I love and I enjoy
M: Do you wish there was anything people knew better about black hair?
J: That it’s not as difficult as people think it is. Just manage. If you take care of your hair, no matter if you’re my texture or people with looser curls. I’ve touched hair that’s ‘hard to manage,’ and that’s somebody who in the past didn’t take care of their hair. It takes me hours, it takes me the whole day. But that’s because usually, they don’t trim their hair. They don’t even comb their hair. I feel like people just need to know if you manage your hair and you love your hair, It will love you back no matter what hair type you are.
