While braids have been used as an effective protective style for years, they can be more than a functional tool. Whether you choose something simple or a more intricate style, braids can be a great way to make quite the fashion statement. It’s just a matter of choosing what suits you.
Hair braiding is a form of styling that involves intertwining two or more strands of hair. The style can involve using only your natural hair or commercial hair.
Hair braiding can result in simple or more complicated styles while using different types of hair. In the beginning, this was a skill that was passed down within families but it’s now become an expected offering in African American salons.
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Whether or not braids are bad for your hair depends on the type of braids you use and how they’re installed. Any style that uses heavier types of hair will put more pressure on your natural hair and roots. That makes it more likely for damage to occur. The same is true for styles that are too tight.
When a braid style pulls on your roots and edges, it’s a sure sign that your hair is under too much stress. It’s important to note that installing braids doesn’t mean that you can abandon your hair care routine. You’ll get the best results if you keep taking care of your braided hair.
Technically, braids won’t make your hair grow any faster but there are a few ways in which they encourage hair growth. The right braid style can protect new growth as it gets stronger.
Since your hair is in a protective style, you’re also not putting your hair under the additional stress of daily styling. That means you’re more likely to preserve some thickness and new growth. Of course, there is expected to be some shedding so it’s important to detangle your hair well when you’re removing the braids.
You don’t need long hair to get the braid style that you want. Depending on the length of your hair, though, it can be best to see a professional instead of trying to do it yourself. The reason for this is that you’ll still need braids that don’t damage your hair by placing too much stress on it.
Some great options include knotless braids and box braids but it’s a good idea to get a stylist’s input.
Cornrows involve braiding the hair close to your scalp. A good way to spruce up this style is to twirl the resulting hair into a bun.
This style starts out in a similar way to the first option but you would use hair that is long enough to pull into a ponytail. The good thing about this style is that you can switch up the type of hair you use to have flowing hair instead of plaits or twists.
This style gets its name from the way the braids start from the scalp and branch out in different directions. If you choose this option, there will be a variety of intricate styles at your disposal too.
As you might expect, this style gets its name from the way the braids look. As with the tree braids, they move outward from the scalp in small sections but the stylist threads the outer section through a needle to create the signature fishtail look.
RELATED: African American Braided Hairstyles: How Braids Were Used To Keep Our Ancestors Alive
In this style, some of the braids are used to create a center bun while the other braids hang down. This can be accomplished with cornrows or loose braids so you have styling options.
Goddess braids can be described as thicker, looser cornrows. Since they’re not as tight, they can be easier to manipulate. You can also add different types of hair to modify your style.
With this style, the locs are wrapped around your natural hair. The distressed locs get their name because they look like they have butterfly wings. Butterfly locs can have varying lengths and can be further styled.
There are so many great options for braid styles so it won’t be hard to find ones that work for you. If you have the right skill set, you might be able to do them yourself, but it’s also good to find the right stylist when it comes to complicated styles or sensitive hair.
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