The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Egyptian women have complicated relationships with their hair. Many of us grew up with the notion that straight hair is prettier, more professional, and just far more desirable. Lately, however, many of us with curly hair have been learning to embrace our hair as it is. Unfortunately, this doesn’t undo years of straightening, dying, and other harmful hair treatments. Some of us just need a little help with getting our curls back to their former glory – and then keeping them that way! This is where S Hair Studio comes in. The owner, Sarah Abdelrazek, trained and certified in Paris gives each client a highly personalised, and even educational, treatment which is sure to make your curls (and you) happy, healthy, bouncy, and all that other good stuff.

The studio itself, located in a flat in Maadi, is small and simple, with Sarah working one-on-one with each client. Upon entry, we felt immediately at home and were offered water and/or coffee. Looking around, we could already see a plethora of all-natural hair products, both local and from abroad. Sarah began by doing a porosity test – seeing how porous our hair is therefore giving us some insight into which products we should and shouldn’t be using based on how much our hair absorbs. Sarah explained the science behind everything she did, but in terms that we (as non-hair experts) could understand. After determining the porosity, she made a hair mask for our specific needs.

While our hair was washed and the mask was being applied, Sarah made sure to go over every ingredient and product being used, explaining what it does for the hair and where to find it. She was also extremely accommodating: before putting together the hair mask, she asked what ingredients we had issues with and readily swapped them out for something else. After the mask, hydrating treatment, and wash were finished, Sarah also showed us the best ways to brush and dry our hair in order to keep the curls looking intact. By the end of our treatment, we felt as though we had seen our real curls for the first time in years. Not only did the curls look lovely, but our hair felt hydrated, healthy, and so very soft. Before leaving, Sarah wrote down all the details of our porosity test, recommendations for how to care for our hair, and the ingredients used in the mask (most of which are easily found at home or in any grocery store), and some helpful products to buy.

 We were absolutely shocked to find that at the end of the porosity test, deep hair treatment, and styling, the cost came out to be only LE 200 (120-150 for the deep treatment and 80 for the wash and style). She also offers dry curl by curl cuts for LE 140. We will certainly be coming back regularly. The entire experience was a treat, and our curls are VERY happy.