How To Take Care of Your Braids

“Self-love is really a foundation for everything, and however you practice or express that is so, so important.” – Solange Knowles

Whether you rock the Darling Yaki braids, One Million Braids or Super Star Braids, the best thing about having braids is that it makes styling your hair so much easier and quicker in the morning.

Whether you are rocking a braiding style with beads of colourful braid, it is still important to take care of them and the hair under underneath them. This is especially true for your scalp which can be a very sensitive part of your skin.

Here are 5 ways to maintain your braids so that you can keep them as fresh and new as possible for hair that makes a statement every day.

Whether you rock the Darling Yaki braids, One Million Braids or Super Star Braids, the best thing about having braids is that it makes styling your hair so much easier and quicker in the morning.

Whether you are rocking a braiding style with beads of colourful braid, it is still important to take care of them and the hair under underneath them. This is especially true for your scalp which can be a very sensitive part of your skin.

Here are 5 ways to maintain your braids so that you can keep them as fresh and new as possible for hair that makes a statement every day.

1. Moisturise your scalp

You need to moisturize your scalp about two or three times a week, depending on how dry or oily your scalp is. There are quite a few options out there on how you can do this.

One is to use a leave-in conditioner, this will assist with keeping your hair from getting dried out which could lead to it breaking. The other way, which is probably the best for your hair, is to spritz your scalp and your hair with a water-based mixture each morning.

To create this mixture, simply mix water with a natural oil such as olive oil, argan oil or coconut oil.

2. Use a silk scarf at night

It is false knowledge that when you have a protective style such as braids, you do not have to protect your hair at night. Make sure that you wear a silk or satin scarf when going to bed.

Silk has a super smooth texture, this allows the hair to glide over it without any friction resulting in hair being less likely to be damaged, frizzy or tangled.

Sleeping in silk or satin scarf is the best for women with braids, textured and curly hair as it keeps the hair well-maintained for longer. Do not tie the scarf down too tight as this may cause a headache or damage your edges.

3. Keep your style longer by redoing your edges

Plaiting your braids can take hours. If you still like your braids after two or three weeks, you don’t have to take them out and redo them once your hair roots have grown out.

A trick to keeping your braids looking fresh rather than re-braiding your entire head, is to simply reinstall the braids along your hairline. Please be careful with your hairline when doing this.

Ensure to be gentle and to moisturise both your hair and scalp before reinstalling those edges.

4. Wash your braids twice a month

Moisturising your hair with products is great for your scalp, however, if left unwashed, the build-up of the products you use will damage your hair.

Therefore it is important to wash your braids at least once every two weeks. There are two ways to do this. The first way is to use water.

When going this route, choose the right shampoo for your hair, apply a generous amount of shampoo onto the scalp, rinse your hair thoroughly and repeat the shampooing process.

To dry your braids, wrap them in a large towel and pat gently. The other option is to use a dry shampoo or simply dry–wash them by dampening a small towel with warm water and shampoo.

Proceed with parting your braids and gently wipe your scalp in sections.

5. Don’t leave your raids in for too long

Any type of protective style should not be worn for any longer than eight weeks. This includes braids but also other protective styles such as crotchets, sew-ins and cornrows.

If kept in for longer, this will not only pull your scalp, but it will also prevent your scalp from breathing and from being easy to cleanse. At the end of your day, keeping your braids in for too long will cause your hair to break.

So there you have it, five helpful tips that will ensure that you always look your best in your braids. Found this helpful? Share the post!

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