Summer, summer, summertime. Time to sit back and unwind. It’s the summertime, and the heat is not your hair’s friend. There is nothing like an easy, yet beautiful protective style for these hot months. Braids in the summer are a natural girl’s friend, and a relaxed girl’s best friend! If done properly and cared for correctly, you can rock a healthy braid style all summer long, and barely have to lift a finger!
Know Your Hair Texture
According to celebrity natural hairstylist, Felicia Leatherwood, “The best hair type for braids is hair that is full and thick, so that the hair can support the braids you will be wearing. Hair that is fine, fragile, thin, and damaged should avoid any hairstyle that would put weight on your hair or hairline and cause traction alopecia—a form of balding from tugging or putting tension on hair.” Take some time to evaluate if your hair is strong enough to withstand a head full of braids. Don’t underestimate them, they are heavy!
The Right Salon
The WRONG salon can make your hair look jacked and your real hair look hacked (off, that is). Braiding hair may seem like an easy task to some, but trust me, if you intend to wear this style for an extended period of time, you will definitely want to only leave this up to a professional. The last thing you want is to come out of there with braids that unravel in a few days and hair that is falling out at the scalp from too much pressure.
Human Hair
There are so many types of hair textures and colors that you can get for your extensions and braids. It is important to find one that not only matches your hair for a natural look but is also high quality. Human hair is best for braids for several reasons. It looks the most natural and can be dyed whatever color you desire. Natural hair also doesn’t dry out as quickly, can be washed and blow-dried, and, overall, keeps its natural sheen and appearance much longer than synthetic hair. Synthetic hair, over the course of a long period of time, will begin to dry out your natural hair and could lead to major damage and breakage.
Here’s a tip: Wash your extensions before you install them. This will be the true test of quality and texture. Once you’ve washed the hair, you will know if it is good enough quality to put in your head.
Wash Your Hair
It is important that your hair and scalp continue to get washed, even after the installation. Try diluting your normal shampoo with water and applying the shampoo to the scalp. Focus on massaging the roots and scalp. Be sure to rinse thoroughly. Avoid rubbing too much on the actual braids themselves. This will keep them from looking “roughed up.”
RELATED: Before You Get Braids This Season, Read This
Moisturize
It is important to keep your hair and scalp moisturized with braids. A great way to do this is to spray your hair and scalp with water every day. You can end your night with a massage using a natural oil, such as olive oil, on your scalp. Then sit under a steamer or heat cap for 15 minutes. You should also try spraying a light oil on your scalp and hair every morning.
Know When to Let Go
Though braids are a hairstyle meant to be kept in for an extended period of time, don’t be that girl who keeps her braids in forever. It is suggested that your braids be left in for four to six weeks, with a retouch of the hairline after about 3 weeks. Your hairline is the weakest, and when it begins to grow out with the braid, it will hang and cause significant damage if not redone quickly.
Post Care
“Post-braid installation, it’s really important to condition your hair with a deep conditioner and clip your dead ends, to avoid split ends. Your hair has been hibernating for some time and needs tender care and love. Take a scalp treatment and part your hair to carefully massage the oils with a fine-tooth comb. While your hair is wet, gently scrape the comb against your scalp to lift all dry skin, dirt and build up—consider this an exfoliation process,” shares stylist and beauty blogger N’Diaye.
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