Candi & Co salons are a must visit

Forget the run-of-the-mill salons to which you take a picture of a celebrity haircut and hope for the best. This week I visited the Candi & Co salon in Randburg in Johannesburg and was surprised at how well they know hair. Hairstylist Tatenda can talk for hours about all things hair related and I found that there is way more to hair than curly or straight and thin or thick. The owner, Candice, spoke about how she intends to change and “deracialise” hair in South Africa. Her aim is to create a space with a special focus on ethnic hair but not limited to race.

“Protein is what defines our hair, not race. I wanted a place where people could engage on hair issues both for clients while also making sure we run our salon ethically.” In addition to creating a salon with professional stylists, she also wanted a one-stop shop focusing on all things beauty related. The salon offers hair removal treatments, manicures and pedicures.

After a lengthy hair analysis, Tatenda said that because I have coloured my hair, vital protein had been stripped from it. She took the following into account:

• Density evaluation: hair abundance, texture where the strand diameter is evaluated.
• Porosity: moisture in the hair. If it is dry a cysteic acid treatment is applied.
• Elasticity is also taken into account and involves the breakage of the hair.
• Hair formation measures the shape of the hair.

A density test showed that my hair is fine and moderately abundant. She said I have combination hair which is porous at the ends but healthy at the roots. Using the Moroccan Oil Hair Care range, she applied a protein-enriched product to add protein, repair damaged hair and add essential moisture to my hair without weighing it down.

She then applied a deep penetrative moisturiser which worked wonders on my evil split ends. She rinsed the conditioner off and did a blow wave with magical results. The ends of my hair felt like they were alive again without the roots feeling heavy or weighed down. She applied Moroccan Argan oil to finish off the look.

The Candi & Co salons have been operating since 2014 and have three branches in Johannesburg. They intend to open branches around the country.