Ngemvelo made me a natural hair believer

Anyone who knows anything about me will tell you what a sceptic I am. Believing that my hair could be detangled without heat, a comb and pain was quite the stretch of my imagination. But I’m now a believer.

Natural hair is honestly a lot of hard and painful work. I’m often too lazy to do the four knot thing before I go to bed, but when I don’t, I have a tangled mess in the morning. The state my hair is in after removing braids after a month or so is as bad as it can get. It was in this knotty state that I headed to Ngemvelo Afro Only Specialist Salon.

A lovely Layla was not deterred and began with a clay treatment. Yes, clay, as in the soil-type stuff. She worked her fingers through my hair with zero pain, as if the knots were not even there. After 15 minutes she washed it out, and then dried my hair with a cotton-like material – this is the heat-free part.

Turns out towels are not great for natural hair and add to the knotty situation. She advised that I use an old T-shirt at home instead. After that she worked in some shea butter, followed by some hot oil. This took about an hour.

My hair looked and felt healthy. But most important is that it’s more manageable than it has ever been. The two besties who run the show, Khethiwe Phakathi and Mamsy Namane, were warm and patient with explaining the process.

The Katlehong branch I was at is their second salon in about 10 months, the first being in Vosloorus. It was quite the drive, but the two say they have no immediate plans to move to the city because they want to remain where their market is and are all about playing their part in the township economy.

I’m told that after three months of doing a treatment every two weeks, I should be able to manage my hair from home with no difficulty. Given the amazing current condition of my hair, I’m inclined to believe this. The team there are also not stingy about sharing tips on what you can do at home, or answering questions about your hair and what is best for it, so all in all I’m a big fan of the team and their method. Big thumbs up.

Katlehong branch: 140 Kgotso Street, Radebe section

Vosloorus branch: 2439 Jama Street, Dindela section
Visit them on Facebook at NgemveloAfroOnlySpecialistSalon