Need Braiding Advice

[cherishlove]

I want to get my hair braided but have several issues with doing so.

1) That Kanakelon hair makes my head itch.
2) I don't like Let's jam or any product that i have seen used on my hair.
3) My hair is natural and I'm not sure how to have my hair when I get it braided.
4) In regards to tightness I don't want them to be tight at all.
5). Can the hair look neat with ought the lighter or scissors at the end if the process.

Any advice will be appreciated.

 

[Igotstripes]

soldier4hair

I suggest blow drying your hair before you go otherwise the braider will and they'll rip through your hair :/ also if you don't like the products they use you can bring your own I think..I know some places it's actually cheaper If you bring your own hair so you could buy some kind that doesn't make your head itch.
If you don't want it tight then you just have to tell them and remind them every time they start go too tight. They can look neat without the lighter, when I get my hair braided the braider dips them in hot water.

 

[cherishlove]

Thanks. Do you have any products in mind.

 

[Igotstripes]

Thanks. Do you have any products in mind.

I don't, sorry :/. when I got my braids they used "coconut oil"

 

[cherishlove]

I don't, sorry :/. when I got my braids they used "coconut oil"

Oh good idea! When I walk into the shops all I see its lets jam. I don't like that stuff.

 

[TRINITY05]

When they start braiding around your edges, make sure you hold the braid so it doesn't pull your edges.

 

[cherishlove]

When they start braiding around your edges, make sure you hold the braid so it doesn't pull your edges.

Does that really work? I hope the person I get does a great job because when it comes to my hair I know I can be a a**.

 

[soulglo]

also soaking the braiding hair in a water vinegar solution helps with itch

 

[ilong]

soldier4hair
1. Kanekalon is the preferred hair for braiding because of it's coarseness, so I visit a couple of shops and ask what they would consider as a good alternative.
2.I would suggest you do a search here on the forum and see what other members recommend, purchase some and take it with you. I would also advise you put a light oil in your hair before you have it braided. Your hair should not be dry - when it is getting braid.
3. Combed out, no tangles, to a point where the comb will go straight through it, because as Igotstripes says they will rip through and rip out your hair. If it is an African Braiding Shop, they are not concerned with hair care.
4. Insist they not braid it tight and remind them if they start to braid tight. YES hold your hair when they are pulling it to eliminate the stress, pull and weaking on the hair follicle.
5. Not sure - but I would tell them don't do it and DEFINITELY DO NOT RUN THE LIGHTER ACROSS THE BRAIDS.
6. TAKE YOUR OWN HAIR APPLIANCES, SUCH AS COMBS AND CLIPS. THESE SHOPS DO NOT SANITIZE APPLIANCES FROM ONE CUSTOMER TO THE NEXT.

 

[R.A.A.H]

wow thanks for this thread..

 

[NowIAmNappy]

I just did my braids this weekend. Prior to braiding I soaked my hair in ACV to remove the alkaline base on the kanekelon hair which makes me itch. Then after letting the hair air dry I wash deep conditioned and did a braidout on my hair the night before. In the morning my was soft and moisturized and I did my braids on my hair. I didnt part to small and I only used extra virgin olive oil on my hair. Here are some pics. ETA I dipped my ends in boiling water so they wouldnt unravel.

 

[baddison]

I just did my braids this weekend. Prior to braiding I soaked my hair in ACV to remove the alkaline base on the kanekelon hair which makes me itch. Then after letting the hair air dry I wash deep conditioned and did a braidout on my hair the night before. In the morning my was soft and moisturized and I did my braids on my hair. I didnt part to small and I only used extra virgin olive oil on my hair. Here are some pics. ETA I dipped my ends in boiling water so they wouldnt unravel.

Your hair is lovely. I'm considering doing my own braids for my next really long 4-month stretch. Did you use a tutorial on how to self-install your own extension braids?

 

[NowIAmNappy]

Your hair is lovely. I'm considering doing my own braids for my next really long 4-month stretch. Did you use a tutorial on how to self-install your own extension braids?

No tutorial just knew what I wanted, I saw a picture and decided on this length and thickness.

 

[cherishlove]

soldier4hair
1. Kanekalon is the preferred hair for braiding because of it's coarseness, so I visit a couple of shops and ask what they would consider as a good alternative.
2.I would suggest you do a search here on the forum and see what other members recommend, purchase some and take it with you. I would also advise you put a light oil in your hair before you have it braided. Your hair should not be dry - when it is getting braid.
3. Combed out, no tangles, to a point where the comb will go straight through it, because as Igotstripes says they will rip through and rip out your hair. If it is an African Braiding Shop, they are not concerned with hair care.
4. Insist they not braid it tight and remind them if they start to braid tight. YES hold your hair when they are pulling it to eliminate the stress, pull and weaking on the hair follicle.
5. Not sure - but I would tell them don't do it and DEFINITELY DO NOT RUN THE LIGHTER ACROSS THE BRAIDS.
6. TAKE YOUR OWN HAIR APPLIANCES, SUCH AS COMBS AND CLIPS. THESE SHOPS DO NOT SANITIZE APPLIANCES FROM ONE CUSTOMER TO THE NEXT.

Thanks I looked up some info on the forum and got a lot of useful information. I'm looking to get my hair braided next week and will keep you all updated on how it goes. I will soak the hair in vinegar before application. I went to the different shops and they act like they don't understand me. Ugh I know they understand but that's another story. I will bring my own combs. Thanks. This will definitely help.

 

[Nonie]

@soldier4hair, I grew my hair from one inch to 11 inches in two years in extension braids which I did myself (and that was with dusting every 6-8 weeks w/o fail) so I feel very at home when it comes to having good success with extension braids.


1) That Kanakelon hair makes my head itch.

I used to have that problem too with artificial hair. I've heard that soaking them in ACV before use can help, but I personally love the versatility of human hair as I can do anything one can do to relaxed hair to it and rock many styles. From curling with a curling iron in the longer part that doesn't contain my hair so that it doesn't matter how often I do it,to doing braid-outs, to do doing a WNG, to wrapping so the braids hang straight, to using a curling iron to turn the ends under, to using Curlformers...,The styles are endless. Can't do all o' dat with artificial hair. Also human hair I find is lighter and if I make sure to use less hair per section of my own, breakage from traction alopecia is less likely with lighter hair. (I usually use one pack of hair and a bit).

2) I don't like Let's jam or any product that i have seen used on my hair.

I do not use any products on my braids. I shuddered to think that anyone would use Let's Jam (Isn't that a gel?). To me that's glue that will mat up your hair and cause breakage when you try to undo the braids.

By not using leave-in products, my hair never mats. Redoing the braids one at a time regularly also helps with removing shed hair and thus preventing mats. When I wash my hair, I aim to apply undiluted shampoo to my scalp and massage it well. Then I spray water on my head to get the suds moving and as they wash away through my hair, I squeeze the length to get them to clean it. When I apply conditioner, I skip about an inch close to my scalp so there's no chance of conditioner residue getting stuck inside the base of the braids and knotting my hair up.

You can see how my hair is clearly unmatted in this clip where I undo a braid to redo it. Doing this one braid at a time also takes the strain off the original braid starting part of my hair and moves it to newer stronger hair. Loose braids along the hairline hang painfully and feel as if they will break off. Redoing stops this from happening. Also redoing one braid at a time can be done when relaxing and watching TV so it's never a chore. I honestly don't think anyone should get braids unless they can redo them regularly to keep hair in good condition.

3) My hair is natural and I'm not sure how to have my hair when I get it braided.

I do not believe in straightening hair before braiding. Stretching with braids is all I ever do. If you straighten it, the day you wash your hair, shrinkage will have an accordion effect on the braid and make the hair messy. Starting off with hair that is just braid-stretched is like buying prewashed jeans. The hair will just be in the state it was in (braid stretched) within the braids and shrinkage when you wash won't affect it. The pic of the WNG above was of my hair after washing. Notice only the ends not containing my hair unraveled. The part with my hair stayed braided.

4) In regards to tightness I don't want them to be tight at all.

Only someone who doesn't know how to braid would braid tightly. I don't braid tightly. In fact when I used to braid people (I stopped before I ended up doing time for murdering someone coz it's no minor feat doing over 200 hundred braids on a head that isn't yours and you can't stop when you've had enough for the day!) I would have to bring a mirror for clients to believe the braids were firm coz they didn't feel a thing. I used to put babies to sleep while braiding them. A good braider can braid firmly w/o pulling. I suggest you look for someone who does children's hair w/o causing tears.

5). Can the hair look neat with ought the lighter or scissors at the end if the process.

Of course! Only a bad braider would have hairs sticking out of the braid and DO NOT EVER LET ANYONE BURN OFF OR CUT FLY AWAYS!!!!! That is the craziest thing I've ever heard. What part of your hair do you think is being burned off or cut???? Only someone who doesn't give a damn about your hair would ever suggest such a crazy thing.

In the pic below (I wasn't taking it to show braids but to show how small my coils are, I undid a braid then wet the section so shrinkage can occur. But my album is missing lots of photos thanks to Fotki's shenanigans so I have to make do with what I have access to now)...anyway, you can see how neat my braids are. No fly aways or hairs that need to be cut off.

A braider who doesn't hold the hair close to the cross over point so as to ensure to tuck all hairs inside the braid is the one who'll have a need to tidy up braids after doing them. As a said, an incompetent braider.

 

[cherishlove]

I just did my braids this weekend. Prior to braiding I soaked my hair in ACV to remove the alkaline base on the kanekelon hair which makes me itch. Then after letting the hair air dry I wash deep conditioned and did a braidout on my hair the night before. In the morning my was soft and moisturized and I did my braids on my hair. I didnt part to small and I only used extra virgin olive oil on my hair. Here are some pics. ETA I dipped my ends in boiling water so they wouldnt unravel.

I love your hair I wish I was this talented with my hair. This is what I'm looking for. I will take pics of mine when I'm done. I actually don't mind them using the lighter to burn the ends the problem comes when they go all the way up the braid.

 

[Nonie]

I love your hair I wish I was this talented with my hair. This is what I'm looking for. I will take pics of mine when I'm done. I actually don't mind them using the lighter to burn the ends the problem comes when they go all the way up the braid.

soldier4hair, I hope you saw what I wrote about that. Seriously call them and ask if they do that. If they do, then you'd be crazy to even show up. I don't believe every stylist is that callous with people's hair.

 

[Nonie]

soldier4hair, please read the other things I share in this thread: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=629735

If you can go with someone to sort of be your eyes, maybe you can have a good experience. Heck, even call and state what you expect over the phone so that there can be no confusion when you get there. It doesn't matter how big your braids are, if they add more hair per section of your own than the section is thick, you risk damage and breakage.

 

[cherishlove]

soldier4hair, please read the other things I share in this thread: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=629735

If you can go with someone to sort of be your eyes, maybe you can have a good experience. Heck, even call and state what you expect over the phone so that there can be no confusion when you get there. It doesn't matter how big your braids are, if they add more hair per section of your own than the section is thick, you risk damage and breakage.

Hey nonie. I wish I was as talented as you but I'm not. Thanks for all of the advice. I'm glad you chimed in. I may just use human hair. What type do you use on your hair or does it matter. I have some bohemian. Have you ever cut the hair off the track?

 

[Nonie]

Hey nonie. I wish I was as talented as you but I'm not. Thanks for all of the advice. I'm glad you chimed in. I may just use human hair. What type do you use on your hair or does it matter. I have some bohemian. Have you ever cut the hair off the track?

soldier4hair Please type @ immediately before my name so I know when you address me.

I always use human hair that isn't too silky. It will still be silkier than my own but it's better to work with and easier to blend. I have used Wet N Wavy by Beverly Johnson, but now I get my hair from hisandher.com and Water Wave is my preference. I get 1B. Only reason I like the wavy hair is when I don't have time to style, I can spritz and get waves at the ends and not be so meh.

Yes, I have cut tracks. I used to get 20-24 inches of hair so when I folded it I'd have 10-12 inches of braids but when my hair got to that length, I started getting 28-30 inch hair so I'd get 14-15 inch braids. The last time I ordered, they made the mistake of sending me tracks instead of braiding hair. I didn't have time to return and exchange so I simply cut off the track and used it.

Italian Mink is more expensive and IMO too silky to look "natural". I prefer to get the regular. The kinky straight I particularly like coz you get more hair. I always get two packs but I've never used both packs. Last time I used one pack and 1/8 of the second pack.

The way I learned to braid was to practice on my dolls and on my baby sister. Then I got my braids done professionally and would undo one in the back and try to put it back in. If it was loose, it was OK coz no one could see it. Practice eventually made perfect. I think you do yourself a disservice if you don't make an effort to learn. No one can love your hair like you do and unless you're caring for it yourself, it'll always be at someone else's mercy. Not a nice place to be.

 

[Nonie]

Oh one thing I wanted to tell you but forgot. You don't have to do the "bare hair" thing my crazy butt does. You can use something that is easy to wash off like S Curl activator spray as your moisturizer but I'd focus it on the ends not so much near the scalp. If you baggy, your roots will get sebum or the condensation from the rest of your hair will get down to it. But I'd only use S Curl once or twice between washes. I don't think daily application is necessary. Remember don't want to glue your hair strands together. So just enough moisture to keep strands happy. Baggy to hold onto that moisture and enjoy hair that isn't a dirt magnet.

 

[Sweet Charm]

What would you ladies recommend that the braider uses on the hair besides gel while they're braiding?

 

[Nonie]

What would you ladies recommend that the braider uses on the hair besides gel while they're braiding?

Nothing. Why do you think she needs to use something. I don't even use moisturizer.

I think you hair can be moisturized but that is all you NEED. Gel sounds to me like glue that will just cause your hair to loc.