TAKING CARE OF BRAIDS

[Charlotte]

i am going to be getting braids next week. til a year ago, i had been wearing my hair natural. but now i am ready for a change. i was wondering how you take care of braids so that they last longer and dont get that nappy look. my braids are going to be box braids, but at $125 not including the hair, i think that is expensive and would like for them to last at least 2 1/2 months. thanks!

 

[diamondlady]

Charotte,

I had braids last year on and off for four months. It really help my hair. I washed them in the shower once a week. I mixed a cap of Cream of Nature shampoo into a cup of warm water and poured over my braids, work mostly on the scalp. In-between I used Sea Breeze and latherless shampoo. I sprayed with moisturizer (UBH Dew)twice a day. I couldn't keep them in longer than 6 weeks because my hair grew so fast, the new growth would curl around the braid. I was afraid it was matt or something.

It helped me to grow 5" of healthy hair last year, even with getting trims, but I'm a manager on my job and the higher ups didn't really care for my hair style. Neither did some of my peers. I love the way my hair grew with braids.

 

[licutiexx]

Wash and condition weekly with diluted shampoo don't want that heavy buildup
You could use African Royale BRX Braid Spray on your hair 1x a day or oil or grease what ever benefits your hair the most
Put your hair in a head scarf or something at night to help prevent getting the braids fuzzy

 

[karezone]

I am posting Adrienne's regime. This is how she grew her out using braids.
ADRIENNE’S BRAID REGIME


I wear medium individual braids. I use Black & Gold Kanekelon synthetic hair. Here is my regime:

Wash hair once a week (or every other week) with diluted KeraCare Hydrating Detangling/Nizoral mix (to keep dandruff in check)
NOTE: I was washing twice a week but had a problem with the braids unraveling

Condition with diluted KeraCare Humecto Creme conditioner
Spray on 911 leave-in after towel drying (I honestly wasn't consistent with this step)
After letting it air dry slightly, apply S-Curl No Drip or World of Curls activator (This step was KEY to my ends being healthy when I took the braids down. The brand of activator isn’t as important as the application of it.)
Last, oil scalp. I use a color applicator bottle from the beauty supply. My oil mix contains basically any oils that I have available. However, the one that I like best is Hot Six, monoi, avocado and jojoba oils, with a few drops of rosemary and lavender essential oils
In addition to the above, I oil my scalp at least once a day, sometimes twice. Also apply the activator and rub the oil mix on my braids every few days, or whenever they look dry.



I started doing hot oil treatments towards the end because I was worried about my hair being in the braids so long.



All of the products used are my personal preferences. If you have something that works for you, by all means use it.