Ever since I decided to go back to my
natural hair, I think I’ve only been to the hairdressers once. Mind you, it wasn’t out of choice, but simply
because when I tried, most hairdressers would stare at my natural afro hair,
and you would see literal expressions of panic fly across their faces as they
tried to figure out how they would handle it. It was either that or they would
try to convince me to relax my hair.
Fed up with the whole process, I have
mainly managed and treated my hair myself for the last couple of years.
However, I recently attended an event with
Phytospecific at Errol Douglas, and was invited to try out a complimentary hair
treatment at the salon. When I quizzed them and was informed that yes they do
offer treatments for natural afro hair, I was intrigued.
Now Errol Douglas as a salon is not new to
me, I have heard many people rave their professional service and treatments for
a mixture of hair types, and some of my friends go there to get their hair both
relaxed and treated. But I just assumed it was restricted to relaxed hair. I
love it when I stand corrected!
I arrived for my appointment a couple of
weeks ago and hidden behind the hustle and bustle of Knightsbridge, is Errol Douglas.
A beautiful salon, located on Motcomb Street. With a chic and spacious space,
the décor is stylish and warm, inviting you to settle into one of their comfy chairs
and get your hair done.
Errol Douglas himself is a legend in the
industry and has won an MBE for his services to the hair industry.
On arrival I was offered a drink and a food
menu, which has a selection of actual meals and juices to choose from. Do note that there is a charge for these as
they work with a private chef.
I was then led downstairs to the dedicated
afro hair area. Enter in Eve, the miracle worker who is the Artistic Director
and Head of the Afro hair team at Errol Douglas.
Eve is extremely experienced and
knowledgeable about all things hair, having worked as a hair stylist for the
last 20 years, with 11 years specifically at Errol Douglas. Sporting a very
stylish natural fro hawk style herself, I knew I was in safe hands.
Hair tips
Now sitting in Eve’s chair, there was no
way I was leaving without a few tips from her. I asked her what some of her key
tips were for taking care of textured hair
- Wash your hair regularly. For healthy hair growth your hair and scalp needs to be clean. Also try not to overload it with products
- Natural hair is quite delicate so try not to manipulate or massage your hair too much
- When washing your hair, it is better to use soft stroking motions.
- Finger detangle your hair to avoid pulling or putting stress on your hair
- Use a silk or satin scarf at night
- When using a moisturiser on your hair, apply it in sections so you can get to each strand
- Regular moisturising and protein treatments are key. Although you shouldn’t over do it with the protein treatments otherwise it can make your hair brittle
- Follow a protein treatment with a moisturising treatment to put the moisture back in
The Treatment – Using Phytospecific
Eve started off with a consultation to assess
my hair. She then advised that she would be using the Phytospecific range of
products for the whole treatment.
She started off by wetting my hair and using
the Baobab Hair Oil as a pre poo treatment which she left on to soak into my
hair for 10 -15 minutes.
She then shampooed my hair with the Rich
Hydration Shampoo followed by the Rich Hydration Mask, to deep condition my hair,
which she left on for 20 minutes under a heated dryer to deep condition my
hair.
After that, she twisted my hair using the
Moisturising Styling Cream and two strand twists and pinned my hair up to
stretch it out. I then sat under the dryer for another 30-40 minutes to dry it.
The final result was soft, moisturised, defined
and stretched curls that lasted for a few days, although inspired by Eves
stylish updo, I opted to wear my hair in an updo as well, which was a great
protective style to keep my ends tucked away.
Errol Douglas offer a range of treatments for
textured hair which include moisture and protein treatments, weaves,
extensions, natural hair blow dry, relaxers, twist outs etc.
You can view their site here or contact
them on
Would I recommend them for natural and
relaxed hair? With their hair experience, professionalism and customer service
– I most definitely would.
Have you
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