Candice Thurston, founder of the ‘Candi & Co’ hair and beauty salon, shares tips on how to care for your hair during lockdown.
With all hair salons shut down amid the COVID-19 pandemic, beauty entrepreneur Candice Thurston, believes it must be a very difficult time for ladies. Having to care for their hair for such a long period without getting their favourite hairstyles done. Most of them probably rely on salons to get their natural hair on point, to get fresh box braids, and some to get new weaves, but the lockdown seems to have hindered all that.
While being housebound has given your hair a break from all the damaging styles, it really doesn’t mean you should just neglect and stop caring about how it looks or simply its health. Thurston advises that ladies should wash their hair very often, no matter the style.
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She also advises against letting the boredom of lockdown tempt you into becoming extra creative with your home hairdressing skills, as you may later find yourself regretting the mistakes or bad decisions you might have taken with your hair.
The beauty entrepreneur, Thurston shares some expert hair care advice for different hairstyles:
If you have natural hair:
- Try to stay away from heat styling and use deep-conditioning hair masks to moisturise and strengthen your hair.
- Do an overnight hair mask. Wash your hair the next day, then plait or braid it; this is very beneficial to achieving healthy hair.
If you have braids:
- Do a deep cleanse. Wash your scalp and braids using shampoo, condition and rinse thoroughly. Do this in the morning so that your hair has the entire day to air-dry. Alternatively, dry it with a towel or an old T-shirt.
- Use a scalp lotion and a moisturising spray on your braids. You can then rub over a hair oil or cream. If you don’t have any of that, mix a little bit of a hair mask or some conditioner with water in a spray bottle, shake well and apply.
- Wrapping your hair in a scarf (ideally a silk one) while you sleep will also help to prevent breakage and moisture loss.
If you have a wig or weave:
If you’re on week four to six of your wig or weave, Thurston says you should remove it and wash your hair and scalp.
An important tip is to first detangle your hair with a deep conditioner and then wash it; follow these steps:
- Section your hair into four or six parts, then use a water bottle to wet it.
- Add lots of conditioner to each section and, using a wide-tooth comb, comb hair from tips to roots in small sections. Don’t rush; be gentle on your hair to ensure you don’t break it.
- Shampoo each section of hair separately, ensuring you give your hair and scalp a deep cleanse. Do not use your fingernails against the scalp when working in the shampoo as that will inflame it; rather use the balls of your fingers and apply pressure.
- Apply a hair mask and leave it on for the time recommended on packaging. For more moisture, cling-wrap your hair and let the steam of the shower work its magic.
- Wash the mask off, apply a leave-in conditioner and plait hair either in two-strand twists or knots (small buns).
- Let your hair air-dry, or alternatively blow-dry it at a cool temperature and wrap it in a scarf (ideally a silk one) while you sleep.
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Thurston also recommends that ladies should have in their beauty arsenal: shampoo, conditioner, hair mask, leave-in conditioner, scalp spray or lotion, wide-tooth comb and a scarf (preferably a silk one). In all hair care products they buy, they should always go for the ones which have the words such as “repair”, “hydrate”, “moisturise” on the label.
For more hair care tips during lockdown, follow Candi & Co on Instagram.
