Latest news with #CrownChasers
News24
01-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- News24
Braid styles and tips for the tender-headed girlies
Sitting in the salon chair as the hairstylist tugs, pulls and combs through your hair to create the perfect parting, you keep telling yourself that 'pain is beauty'. If you've ever felt like the hairstylist took their frustrations out on your scalp, there's a reason for that. While tender-headedness is more of a cultural term than a medical one, scalp sensitivities are real, especially for those who like to do protective styles like braids and cornrows. READ MORE | Hair Inspo | Koroba braids - the trendy style with African roots Thandekile Mziyako, a natural hair specialist and founder of Sandton salon BraidsByThandekile, explains to TRUELOVE, 'Some women naturally have more sensitive scalps – often referred to as being 'tender-headed.' This can be due to genetics, skin conditions, hormonal changes or a lower pain threshold. In some cases, it's also due to tension from prior hairstyling, scalp dryness or inflammation. 'Additionally, the skill and technique of the stylist play a huge role – poor sectioning or excessive pulling can cause unnecessary pain, regardless of the client's scalp sensitivity.' Thandekile's salon has been the beauty partner for Miss South Africa and its reality show Crown Chasers for the last few years, and she knows a thing or two about creating long-lasting, stunning braiding styles while protecting the scalp. If you're looking for a long-lasting protective style that won't leave your scalp on fire for days afterwards, Thandekile recommends a few styles that are low tension, lightweight and don't need small, tight sections. Knotless braids Knotless braids have become a popular technique that does without the tension and pulling of regular box braids that start with a tight knot at the base. Thandekile explains that knotless braids 'start without a knot at the base, making them gentler on the scalp' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nande Mabala (@nande_mabala) Lightweight crochet locs Crocheted faux locs are a protective style where synthetic hair is wrapped around or crocheted onto natural hair using a crochet hook to mimic the style locs. Using thinner loc extensions for a more lightweight feel – and an experienced stylist – will give you the best results with minimal discomfort. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lesedi Matsunyane-Ferguson (@sediimatsunyane) Human hair braids and locs Oftentimes, a synthetic hairpiece is the culprit for pain and itchiness, especially for those with sensitive skin. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bohemian & Goddess Braids specialists👑 (@jullz_hairstylist) Flat twists or cornrows Plaiting cornrows, especially with added hair, can be notoriously painful for some. Thandekile recommends using your natural hair with no extensions in the styling and minimal tension. If colour and length are non-negotiable, Thandekile's braiding method is a go-to. 'The key is using what I call 'firm but not tight' method, to create clean parting, perfect size and tension or pain-free styling based on the client's comfort level.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by RENATE STUURMAN 🎭 (@renatestuurman) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nambitha Ben-Mazwi (@ladynam_bm) Thandekile's tips for pain and itchiness after braiding Prep the scalp with a moisturising treatment before braiding – healthy scalps handle tension better. We have our in-house products that soothe the scalp and soften natural hair before braiding (help create seamless, painless parts and sectioning). Avoid tight styles and speak up during installation if it's too tight. Use a soothing scalp mist before and after braiding with ingredients like peppermint or aloe vera to reduce itchiness and inflammation. Sleep with a satin bonnet or pillowcase to reduce friction and irritation. For discomfort, a warm compress or light scalp massage with natural oils like black castor oil can also help ease tension.
SowetanLIVE
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- SowetanLIVE
Luyanda Zuma: The new It-girl
'When she steps into the story, she steps in as a very naive girl, but very strong as well,' Zuma offers, without giving away spoilers. 'She is not interested in marriage because she sees herself as the Mkabayi [Dawn Thandeka King] of her generation. She goes through so much that South Africa will just feel for her. Her story brings in a different element of Shaka. She changes the narrative about what we have always read, that Shaka is this strong soldier, unbreakable and dehumanised. Liyana's character comes in to bring out his human side and vulnerability.' Zuma sees being on the show as a full-circle moment. She remembers taking a tour of the Shaka iLembe set during a visit to the Cradle of Humankind when she was a Miss SA finalist in 2022. She felt like she was home. Zuma has again entered Miss SA this year. 'I was in a bad space in 2022; I was coming from a heavy relationship. People would watch Crown Chasers [Miss SA reality TV show] and be concerned about me because I was always crying,' she says. 'Mentally, I was not there. I was in a space [where I] needed comfort more than competition. I learnt that you need to block out the noise and chase your dream. The one thing that was constantly on my mind cost me my dream.' She credits Miss SA Teen 2011 Celeste Khumalo as her biggest inspiration for entering beauty pageants. 'My brother was going crazy over her the night she won. I looked at her and thought we looked similar; she's just as skinny as me,' Zuma says. 'Then, when I started researching Miss SA and what it stood for with all its pillars, I realised I was the right fit.' While she's one of the most beautiful women in the world right now, growing up in Pietermaritzburg she didn't fit in or connect with her feminine side. 'I was a tomboy and that energy came from the fact that I didn't feel beautiful,' she says. 'I looked like my dad and puberty had not kicked in yet, so I had very masculine features. I wasn't deemed feminine enough because puberty hit later and all my friends started to get their boobs; I didn't get that until later in high school.' In grade 9 she fell in love with drama. She later studied live performance at Afda and never looked back. 'In my second year, my lecturer wanted to kick me out of my live-performance class because she felt I had a director's eye,' she says. 'But I insisted that I wanted to learn performance. I respect the craft so much — I would like others to respect us for studying it too.'
