Are braids good for your hair?

A protective hairstyle is a hairstyle that will keep your hair in a state that it is shielded from excessive combing, brushing and heat-styling.

Braiding is a highly recommended and popular hairstyle that protects the hair as long as these  precautions are taken:

1. If you just relaxed your hair, then wait till the new growth surfaces to about a length of half an inch, before you braid, yo avoid hair breakage. Depending on how fast your hair grows, anytime from 4 weeks after relaxing is fine.

2. Avoid having on braids that are too tight. Apart from the fact that tight braids are extremely uncomfortable and painful, they can break your hair. They can also cause your hair to thin out or become scanty.

Some ladies feel that getting tight braids will help the style last longer, but I ask “at what cost?”

3. Protect the edges of your hair (face line ) when getting braids done. Every strand of front hair doesn’t have to be meticulously braided. Support the base of the braid while your hair along the edges are bring done.

4. Keep your braids intact at bedtime using a stocking cap or bonnet. This will help your braids retain their neatness for a longer period.

5. Experts have advised that you should keep your braids for b maximum of 12weeks. Keeping your braids for longer can result in your hair beginning to “lock”or dread, leading to hair breakage.

Photo: Pasi Koetle in nicely packed box braids.