How do you people do it?!

[soslychic]

For those of you that keep braids in for 2-3 months. How do you do it?! My mom does my braids so money is not an issue so I guess I can afford to only keep them in the amount that I do, but I'm confused. I just can't see how I could, if I had too, POSSIBLY keep my braids in for even a month! I usually get them redone every 2 weeks and by that time, I can't WAIT to have the fuzzy mess out of my head. I sleep in a scarf and there have been times when I didnt' wash those 2 weeks so that didn't cause fuzziness either. I do spray them twice daily, but after doing this, I don't see a difference. But over a very short amount of time, they get SO fuzzy especially in the front. What am I doing wrong?

 

[henrilou]

As a former braid/weave wearer, I would say that keeping braids in for less than 6 weeks is not really worth the trauma to your hair. See, if you're getting them re-done alot then the constant pulling/stress will wreck your ends and hairline. The point of the style is to give your hair a REST. As for the fuzzy, maybe your obsessing and it's not that bad to the average braid wearer. Maybe a little freeze gel would help.

 

[Karonica]

I had braids one time and they looked beautiful all the way til the third month when I took them out, and they still looked like they had another 2 months left in them!

Unfortunately, I lost a ton of hair as a result. My hair was clumped so bad, little knots everywhere, pieces of my hair actually started loc'ing.

 

[soslychic]

[ QUOTE ]
I had braids one time and they looked beautiful all the way til the third month when I took them out, and they still looked like they had another 2 months left in them!

Unfortunately, I lost a ton of hair as a result. My hair was clumped so bad, little knots everywhere, pieces of my hair actually started loc'ing.

[/ QUOTE ]

Please tell me how you maintained. If I can even get to 6 weeks I'd be thrilled!

 

[Karonica]

I greased my scalp but didn't put anything heavy on the braids, not that I remember. I shampooed weekly. And that was pretty much it. I didn't have any fuzz at all, and my newgrowth grew very loose-like, not fuzzy or coily. I had friends who were envious of that.

 

[sbg4evr]

I use to keep my braids in for 3 months, I even had them in 4 months. I basically rinsed my hair with a stocking on. Used witch hazel on my scalp and sulfur 8 on my scalp with it was dry. At night I would wet a scarf in hot water then cover my hair. The warm scarf keep the frizzies down. My hair always looked like it was just done.

 

[adrienne0914]

soslychic, are you talking about cornrows or individuals? and is additional hair added? when i had cornrows with just my hair, they looked like poo poo after less than a week...

 

[azul11]

I must be the slowest person in the world because i have heard countless descriptions of washing with a stocking cap but to save my life i cannot visualize it. i just dont see how it can be done. does anyone have any pictures of how it done? i know people mostly wont but its been bugging me because no matter how someone describes it i cant visualize it.

God bless you all.

 

[soslychic]

Azul- I have the same probleml. I don't know (even after my searches) of what people are talking about with the stocking cap.

Adrienne- Believe it or not, I'm talking about indivuals with yaki silky hair added. I have several rows of braids.

 

[Nessa]

that's is what I am sayin, I try

 

[sbg4evr]

Get a old pair of pantyhose and tie the legs together and cut off the excess, so you essentially get a cap. Put cap on head then dunk head under water. Lift up head, put some shampoo in hands then massage into cap. ( If you look into a mirror you will see that the cap is soapy. If you lift up the cap you will see your hair is soapy also. ) I would concentrate on the scalp then rinse cap. I would then take off cap and wrap hair in towel. After a few minutes, start loading products on hair.

HTH

 

[Nonie]

Soslychic, I'm the weirdo who wears braids 24/7 and my hair gets messy only when I wash it, but not so badly that I can't wear it that way to work. Just messy enough for me, since I know how *I* braid and how I can make it look. But because I redo the braids often, especially the areas that show (eg, where I have a part) I can easily disguise the mess until I get to those braids. Or, I will sometimes wear my hair in two (out) French braids on either side of my head meeting in the back for a day, (I do this when my hair is damp and after applying L'Oreal Anti Frizz Serum). Then when my hair is dry I do a braid-out and wear a wavy style for a few days coz the waves work as a great disguise. Sometimes I'll don a hat or headdress if the bases look really bad, until I get a chance to redo the outer more visible braids.

Tying a scarf when you go to bed might help keep them neat. I'll also share with you what I've been doing before going to bed lately. I have been bending and letting my head hang down so my braids are hanging towards the floor, then wrapping Saran wrap from the base all the way to my ends - kinda like I'm wrapping a mummy. (By hanging my head down I make sure they stay more or less straight - although spritzing with water in the morning would get rid of any kinks.) The main reason I do this is because I have been spraying S-Curl to my hair ends (not the extensions) at night and thought this might help it all get absorbed into the hair in the night. Also, I am obsessed with sleeping in plastic caps so I guess I get the same "benefit" (if any) this way. In the morning my braids have been looking pretty OK and very moisturized. BTW, I only use Dew for my braids, and only in the morning. But after a night of Saran wrap, my hair feels as if I had sprayed S-Curl all through it the night before.

 

[SweetNic_JA]

I do my own braids so I can wash as often as I need. When my new growths gets long I start removing the braids and rebraiding them. I don't do them all at once but gradually. This keeps my braids looking fresh

 

[dontspeakdefeat]

[ QUOTE ]
I do my own braids so I can wash as often as I need. When my new growths gets long I start removing the braids and rebraiding them. I don't do them all at once but gradually. This keeps my braids looking fresh

[/ QUOTE ]

Same here!

 

[azul11]

okay so let me see if i am understanding correctly. forgive me for being so slow. so you basically are washing your hair like normal but with a stocking cap on your head? does this get your hair clean? do you condition with the cap on or is applying conditioner to the scalp a no no? i really think there needs to be a main braid thread because i know so many people are heading back to braids and it surely would help to have a thread to clarify some things. hmmmm i have another braid question:

If i am getting my braids done and i wash my hair can i add s-curl activator and coconut oil to my hair or would that be too much? also what conditioner would be good to preparing your hair for braids? sorry so many questions but if i am going to do something i have to do it right. God bless you all.

 

[dontspeakdefeat]

Well I don't use a cap so I wash my hair as I normally would without braids.

You don't need to apply too much product to your braids because it will cause excessive buildup thus making it hard to remove the braids and detangle your hair. I think that the s-curl alone would be enough but you can apply the coconut oil to the scalp if you feel it is neccessary.

When I was preparing for braids I used Lekair cholesterol as a weekly deep conditioner, Works great and adds strength! Good Luck to you and let us know how the braids turm out once you get them.