Follow These 10 Tips When Braiding Your Hair. Braids are a great hairstyle for any season. They are versatile and go with any attire, mood and event. But they eat our hairlines, sometimes difficult to style and maintain. Follow the following tips if you are thinking of this protective hairstyle.
1. Know What You Want
You want braids OK cool cool, but what braids? Box braids, Marley twists, Senegalese twists, micro braids, tree braids. There are dozens of options and it’s important you nail down the style you want so you can buy the right texture synthetic hair and find the right braider for the style
2. Know What You Can Have
Talk to your braider about what would suit your hair before you start. Consult with your stylist about whether braids with synthetic extensions are suitable for your hair. Discussing prior chemical services about the condition of your hair is a great start. Then think about what size and length of braids are best for you.
3. Set Aside A Day
Like any work of art, braiding takes time, so don’t be surprised if you have to set aside a large chunk of your day for your new style. On average, a speedy braider can complete medium-sized braids in around six hours but micro braids can take double that time so plan accordingly.
4. Prep Is Key
Your hair is going to be tucked away for a couple of months so you want to make sure it’s in the best condition going into the style. Wash it, condition it and deep condition the day before to make sure your hair is clean and nourished before styling. Also if you tend to co-wash your hair normally, this is a time you might want to switch back to a more clarifying shampoo to get rid of any build up on the lengths of your hair.
5. Stretch It
As well as detangling your hair thoroughly, you’ll also need to stretch your curls to ensure that your braids are super smooth and frizz-free on installation. If you don’t mind using heat on your hair then you should blow-dry in sections with a paddle brush. If you prefer to not use heat, that’s fine, you can stretch the hair by moisturising and then doing a simple braid out or dividing the hair into buns post-wash and allowing to air-dry fully.
6. Don’t Neglect It
Braids are a great protective hairdo as you don’t have to style your hair everyday, but it won’t be healthy unless you nourish it. Once your braids are installed, it’s important to keep your natural hair moisturised and lubricated. Synthetic hair often dehydrates natural hair. Use a water-based hydrating spray from root-to-ends, then use a light oil on your scalp as needed.
7. Give It A Few Weeks
When you first have your braids installed, your head will feel alien to you for at least a week due to the weight of the braids and the fact that your scalp can now feel the direction of the wind. You will feel like you have to move your entire body to speak to someone, not just your neck. This feeling will past and as the braids begin to loosen up slightly you’ll be able to style them, flip them and whip them back and forth as much as you want.
8. Make It Last
To make them last, make sure you sleep with a silk headscarf so everything is kept in place. Fold your scarf into a triangle shape and wrap around your braids. You can bunch your braids into a loose low pony or let them hang free in the scarf. Or if you’re not about the headscarf life a satin pillowcase is a decent alternative.
9. Wash With Care
It’s a myth that you don’t need to or shouldn’t wash your hair when it’s braided. You definitely should as product build up, dead skin cells and general dirt from life can mount up in the plait. You just can’t wash it as you normally would as vigorous washing can cause frizz and also you won’t be able to get all the product out of your braids which can cause breakage.
10. Give your hair a break
As much wearing braids is a great protective style, it’s really important to have a break between braided styles. Don’t do braids back to back, always give it rest to make sure your hair stays healthy. It is advisable that you do 6 weeks on and a month off to ensure you are giving your hair time to breathe.
