Hair Disaster Prevention

How To Care For Your Braids.

More hair than expected was falling to the floor and Janelle still had to untangle the knots at the root of her hair. She initially thought box braids extensions were the way to relieve the stress of daily styling, but not at the cost of her hair. Six hours later with her hair washed clean and untangled, Janelle had lost half of the natural hair on her head. She went to the barber in tears.

Countless women have lost a large amount of hair after wearing braids extensions. Perhaps you have been one of them. Braids are a great way of protecting your hair but you need to remember one thing – You still have hair on your head that you need to care for.

Here are ten steps to healthy hair after wearing braids extensions.

1. Deep Condition your hair before getting it braided. This gives you a healthy start before putting in braids. It is not wise to apply braids to unhealthy hair.

2. Avoid excess stress on your hairline. Continuously pulling your hair tightly into a ponytail stressed the hairline. Keep your styles lose or leave your hair out when possible.

3. Wash your braids with diluted shampoo and conditioner. Buildup at the base of the braid can lead to locking and tangling. Keep buildup to a minimum by washing your hair every 7 – 14 days. I suggest washing your hair under a shower. Be careful. Rinse thoroughly so that you do not to leave any product behind.

4. Lightly oil your hair scalp at least twice a week. I suggest raw coconut oil. It is light and minimizes buildup. You oil your scalp when your hair is lose, why not oil it when it is braided.

5. Use a braid spray or a light leave in condition on your plaits. Apply this to your braids after washing and towel drying your hair. Some sprays can be used daily but do not spray your scalp with braids spray everyday. Doing so will cause too much buildup at the base of your plaits or twists. African Pride or African Royale Braids Spray function like leave in conditioners and are great for maintaining healthy strands without the build-up. I use them even when I am not “braided up”.

6. Protect your hair at night. Sleep with a silk scarf or satin pillowcase to protect your strands. You still need to maintain moisturized hair and reduce irritation from rubbing against a cotton pillow at night.

7. Do not leave braids in for more than two months. You hair needs to breathe and after two months, you will really need a deep conditioning treatment that you cannot do while braids are in your hair.

8. Redo your hairline every 2-3 weeks. The hairline usually has the most buildup. Redoing the hairline will help to save your edges.

9. Wait two weeks between braiding sessions. Use that time to deep condition your hair at least twice and get it to optimal health before getting your hair braided again.

10. Do not braid your hair too tightly. Tell the stylist if it is too tight and stop them if they refuse to comply. They’ll only get away with what you let them ladies. We need to protect our scalps and our sanity. Too tight hair is no fun for you or your scalp.

Get braided but be smart. Remember, you still have hair that you need to care.