How to Keep Your Trendy Braids in Great Condition

16 Natural Hair Care Questions Answered!

Beautiful braids can be classic, high-fashion glamor or quirky and whether you choose a short or long style, you can be sure this protective hairstyle is always a super-cool look. I used to think that braids were the ultimate ‘wash and go’ hairstyle, that saved you from hours of styling and primping!

However, after having lovely braids put in my own hair, I came to understand that you have to learn a new way to care for your hair! But – there’s no better way to grow your hair and keep it moisturized, protected and flexible, than trendy braids. And you just need to follow these guidelines to keep your hair looking fabulous!

We interviewed London-based celebrity stylist, Sacha Praero, for his expert advice in caring for natural hair. So why not bring yourself up-to-date on this necessary hair-care regime!

1. What’s the best way to keep braids looking good?

As we all know, dry, brittle hair needs to be frequently moisturized to keep the hair from breaking and to maintain a clean and healthy scalp. Remember that cornrows and box braids leaved noticeable section of your scalp exposed to the open-air. And this means more drying and more chance of toxic residues from car fumes if you live or work in an urban environment.

So be pro-active and keep your scalp hydrated with a leave-in hydration product that will keep on working after you’ve washed and dried your hair. This will soothe dry skin, inflammation and the flakes that can appear on a dry scalp. And the next step is to use a serum that will add an extra layer of protection on the outside of your hair shafts.

2. Is hair serum good for black hair?

Yes it is! Depending on the individual formula, hair serum is designed to minimize frizz and add shine to natural hair. Most serums are based on silicone, which is a rubber-like material that coats the outside of your hair. It seals in the moisture you’ve added to the inside of each hair shaft.

Some types also protect against particular types of damage, such as UV rays, or air-pollution. And as serum makes your hair so smooth, you don’t get problems with knots and tangles. So when you are styling your hair it’s much easier to comb and control. And it looks really glossy on braids that sometimes can look a little dull.

3. Can you use natural oils as a serum treatment?

Yes, there are several oils that are cheaper than a serum product. If you choose to go DIY, fill a spray bottle with lukewarm water and add some mildly antiseptic, tea-tree oil or castor oil to the water.

Close the sprayer and give it a good shake to mix up the oil and water and then spray it lightly over your whole scalp. You can use this method two or three times a week to get the best effect.

4. How often should you wash your braids?

There are many myths about caring for braids properly, and one of them is that you don’t need to wash braided hair. That’s simply not true. And while it’s true that braided hair won’t get as ‘dirty’ from air pollution, as unbraided hair, you need to keep your scalp clean and free from skin flakes and product build-up.

So you should wash your scalp and braids regularly – say between every 7 – 21 days, depending on your hair’s condition and whether you live in an area with lots of air-pollution or not. There are plenty of good shampoos on the market for frizzy, natural hair – but there are also some that are full of additives that just make dry hair worse!

So look for shampoos marked, sulfate-free! Sulfate and preservatives are only there to produce lots of foam, and will actually strip your hair of its natural moisture.

5. Are there any natural ways to wash braided hair without drying it out?

Yes, and they are a lot cheaper than gunk-loaded shampoos, too! Lots of women have changed to natural washing methods lately, and these include just washing your hair with a dry-hair conditioner and then rinsing it out well.

Or you can use apple cider vinegar with a teaspoonful of baking soda for an effective cleanser. These options are both gentle and don’t remove any of your natural moisture.

6. How do you wash box/fulani braids properly?

Instead of trying to apply the shampoo of your choice by hand, use a spray bottle to make sure the cleanser reaches your entire scalp and doesn’t just run off down the plug-hole! Add one part shampoo to two parts water – roughly  3 pumps of shampoo to a ½ cup of lukewarm – warm water. Never use hot water on dry hair as it opens up the cuticles and weakens the strength of individual hair shafts.

Shake up your spray bottle well and then spray the contents all over your scalp. Massage the liquid into your hair gently, without scratching your scalp. All skin scratches provide a way-in for bacteria that cause irritation and inflammation.

And after waiting a moment or two for the contents to do their work, rinse everything off. You can allow the water to run freely through your braids at this stage. And if you need to add conditioner, just follow this same method using a spray bottle.

7. What’s the best way to dry box braids?

Careful drying is essential for dry and braided hair. You should use an old t-shirt or a micro-fiber towel to wrap around your hair and squeeze out excess water gently. Do this a couple of times with fresh towels to get as much water as you can out.

Air drying hair is always the best way, so if you are in a warm, dry environment and have sufficient time, just leave your hair to dry by itself. Otherwise, use a blow-dryer on a low speed. Most people use a combination of both these methods, as it’s a time-consuming. However, you need to get your hair thoroughly dry, to avoid any hint of mold taking hold!

8. Can I wear my braids in up-styles?

Protective braids are incredibly versatile, but you should be careful not to wear high buns, ponytails, half-up styles and Dutch braids every day. Any tight styles put strain on the hair shafts and the roots, which can lead to breakage, frizz and hair-loss.

Save these glamorous up-styles for wearing a couple of times a week for a few hours at a time. And this will help maintain your scalp and braids for longer!

9. What’s the best way to protect your braids at night?

Protecting your hair at night is a key element in promoting its condition. Friction on a pillow-case can cause lots of extra frizz on braided hair. So Sacha recommends wearing a silk/satin bonnet or headscarf. And probably the best protection of all is to use a silk pillowcase permanently.

You can usually find silk shirts or blouses at thrift stores and use them as a scarf or to cover you pillow with. So you don’t have to buy special stuff for this simple protective method.

10. Can you re-do your edges and braid hairlines yourself?

A great tip for revitalizing the look of your braids is to re-do the edges every 4 – 5 weeks. Do a limited wash and add some coconut oil for extra moisturizing. And if you have time, re-touch the braid hairlines especially if you’re wearing cornrows.

This is a super way to freshen up your hairstyle and can look as if you had your complete hairstyle re-done!

11. How long should you wear your braids for?

And finally, Sacha recommends you don’t wear your braids for too long. They are a great way to look trendy, quirky or classic whilst protecting your hair, but they shouldn’t stay in for more than 6 weeks.

Just take a week or two off and then return to your salon for a new style! Braids are a fantastic way to style your hair and the number of new styles is incredibly wide, so enjoy trying out a selection of trendy new looks throughout the year!

12. What happens if you never wash your hair?

Your hair depends on the health of your scalp, which is skin. And if you don’t wash your skin regularly, you always get a build-up of dead skin cells. If this builds up on your scalp, the oil ducts get blocked. And bacteria are always ready to live in nice, warm spots that are never washed and there’s plenty to eat.

So eventually you can develop itchy dandruff and other unpleasant conditions that make you scratch your scalp and break the skin barrier. Then – guess who loves to dive into these scratches . . .? Overall, not washing your hair is going to damage the scalp and slow-down your hair-growth and dull the condition of your hair.

13. Does braiding hair make it grow faster?

Sacha says: no, it doesn’t. The only way to get the best rate of growth is to care for your scalp and hair gently and carefully. A healthy scalp produces a healthy rate of hair growth. So if you are desperate to get longer hair, but have problems with breakage you need to use gentle products without sulfates and stop over-styling.

14. Does anything make hair grow faster!?

Just go for sensible braids that will minimize the amount of combing/brushing and styling you subject your hair to. Hair that has been braided, moisturized and not fussed about with for a few weeks will definitely look longer sooner. And that’s because the tips won’t have been breaking off in little bits each day.

Don’t use hot hair-styling tools and leave your hair in a natural style or preferably, protective braids. Make sure you don’t get tight braids that stress the hair shafts and scalp and cause early hair-loss.

15. Is coconut oil good for braids?

Yes, coconut oil makes an excellent moisturizing treatment and nutrient for braided hair. Try a cleaning blend of peppermint oil, castor oil, coconut oil and micellar cleansing water to soothe an itchy scalp and reduce inflammation.

If you apply it from a plastic bottle with a nozzle, you can use the nozzle to get between the rows and apply the oil to break-up the dead skin-cells and product buildup efficiently.

And if you want a deep-conditioning masque, apply plenty of coconut oil to the dry ends, but not so much to the healthier sections. Then pop on a shower cap and let it work for an hour or two

16. What does Sacha think is the best overall natural hair oil?

Well, there are lots of really excellent moisturizing products used in salons. But if you pressed me to name the one DIY product that never fails, it has to be extra-virgin olive oil. Massaged into the scalp and hair, from root to tip, treats your head to a lovely bath of Vitamin E. And along with all the antioxidants in EVOO, Vitamin E is important for long-term condition and healthy growth!

You can apply it before you wash your hair or just before you go to bed and cover with a shower cap until morning for a deep-conditioning treatment. And the Vitamin E in virgin olive oil has been clinically-proved to help prevent hair loss in the future!

Have you tried braids yet? They are a huge trend for the coming season again! And a very healthy and natural way to wear your lovely hair! Let us know how you get along with your braids – we love to hear all about you!