Best hair salon for Afro or natural hair in Johannesburg

From my experience most hair salons have staff that is well trained in dealing with processed or otherwise known as relaxed hair. This comes from observations made in my experiences as well as that of other people in my community. As an example, in a typical black salon, (i.e) a salon that 'knows' how to handle black African hair, you tend to find LOTS of chunks of hair on the floor and shoulders of the client who would be doing her hair if it is natural/Afro hair. This is caused by lack of skills in handling our type of hair! Sadly clients without knowledge on appropriate hair care accept this and actually believe it is normal to have so much of their hair breaking. The same manner of handling the hair isn't as fatal to relaxed hair because the hair bonds and shape of relaxed hair and can handle such manipulation.

What to look out for and do when at a salon if you have natural or Afro hair

• Never allow a hair dresser to do anything to your hair without detangling the knots in your strands
• Detangling should gently be done using fingers and a detangling conditioner, not with a comb!
• A wide tooth comb (real wide) should be used to comb your hair(some salons have good hair brushes ideal for Afro hair). Run away from thin tooth combs as this is what contributes to most of the breakage. 
• Don't allow the hair dresser to wash your hair in circular motions that are vigorous, this causes knots and your hair will break when combined. Ideally Afro hair should be washed in movements that are directed in the same direction.
• If your hairdresser doesn't apply a heat protector before blow-drying your hair eventually your hair will get damaged from the heat and become susceptible to breakage. This contributes to the big balls of hair that end up on the floor.

Best hair salon for natural hair in Johannesburg

This is based in MY experience and is by no manner advertisement for the salon, however the best salon that has the right products and skills for natural hair is Lajawi Hair!! They used to operate from Melville but are now in Melrose Arch. Today I went for a scalp treatment and a blow dry, these are the results:

How to soften Afro hair without relaxers

I never used to believe that natural African hair can become soft, and grew up with the believe that my natural hair/Afro was hard work and would require way too much attention and time that I would rather save.  Trust me, many African women and girls choose relaxers as an easy and less demanding method of maintaining hair. A notion I have since learnt is based on lack of education on healthy hair habits and lack of building a hair regime.

Since my natural hair journey begun, I have had people making comments such as "you are lucky your hair is soft", "you aren't pure black African because your hair curls are soft and not hard like mine", "are you sure you aren't mixed race", "my natural hair is much kinkier and harder than yours and that's why I'd rather relax it" etc.....  The truth is, I am 100% black African and have coarse hair too, BUT building a good hair regime that includes lots of moisturising has softened my hair. Deep conditioning regularly with hydrating treatments changed the 'tough', 'rough'  and unmanageable hair I had. Do not under-estimate the power of moisturising. For info on building a hair regime visit my post from January 2015 that is called "basics of hair care".

Here is a photo of my hair before I started a healthy hair regime:

Before my healthy hair journey I also had unmanageable hair that wasn't soft at all, as you can see below: this photo was taken early 2014 around March. If you zoom into the front, you'll see the knots on my edges that were formed from braiding my hair and keeping the braids for 2-3 months! Obviously with no care for my hair and no regime, I used to have braids all year round, and kept them in intervals of 2-3 months!

Why does your scalp itch: Part 2

It is very common in the world I live in to see women tapping their heads hard using their fingers and palms. Most of the women tend to have some sort of artificial hair and I believe the itch is due to lack of washing and moisturizing the hair&scalp. This is not to say artificial hair causes itchiness but I know that most women DO NOT wash their hair while in braids, weaves, cornrows and other plaits, and that is the main reason for their relentless head tap - an attempt to alleviate the constant itch.

REASONS FOR ITCHY SCALP AND SOLUTIONS

• Synthetic/artificial hair: chemicals used to make the braids, hair extensions, weaves etc could cause allergic reactions and therefore unbearable itches. To solve this problem try to avoid very cheap quality synthetic hair and listen to your body - if your scalp wasn't itchy before the hair extensions it is likely that they are the cause
• Temporary scalp exposure: sometimes when you braid your hair and the scalp isn't used to be as exposed as it would be in that state it reacts by becoming itchy. In this case the scalp is merely telling you it is adjusting to 'new' conditions although this might only be a temporary hair do. So with time it should go away. Remember to moisturise the scalp as it might also get too dry when exposed to air and therefore cause itchiness
• Dry scalp: some people naturally have dry scalps and others get dry scalp due to:

                  *harsh weather conditions (very hot or very cold)
                  *not washing hair (dirt build-up and therefore clogged pores)
                  *over doing hair washes - yes it is possible to 'over wash hair'. Your scalp naturally        produces sebum in order to moisturise your scalp. If you over wash it, you strip the hair and scalp these good oils and cause dryness that leads to itching and even dandruff or flaky hair
                  *using shampoos with sulfates: sulfates strip hair of good natural oils as well as oils you may have applied, therefore causing dry itchy scalp.mto solve this problem use light density oils that mimic the natural sebum produced by the glands under the skin/scalp. Oils such as Jojoba, Coconut and Grapeseed are great for moisturising the scalp and preventing itchiness. Apply directly to scalp and massage gently, also apply a reasonable amount to the hair to moisturise, especially if you have curly/coily hair such as Afro. Also incorporate a consistent hair regimen, I find that when I miss my washday and the deep conditioning treatments I normally perform, my scalp is the first to complain through itchiness!

• Medical reasons: you may have fungus/bacteria/other medically related reasons. So seek the help of a professional doctor! It could be lice, eczema, chronic dandruff amongst many other illnesses. Could be something you can't treat at home, don't be shy, consult with a doctor!