How to Take Care of Your Hair in Braids

Hair Braiding — Something to Know About Your Hair in Braids

So you have your braids in and you like how they are looking. You want to have them in long enough to get your money’s worth but not to ruin your hair. In order to achieve this, you also have to take care of your braids and your hair underneath it. Some of the most efficient ways of achieving this include:

Washing

You need to wash your braids after about two or three weeks depending on how dirty your hair feels. Washing your hair in braids is similar to washing your hair without braids. You can pick a cleansing shampoo if there is too much product build-up on your head. Jump in the shower and wet your hair.

Apply about two dollops of shampoo and work into your braids and scalp. Be gentle so as to avoid causing tension on the braids. Once you have lathered the shampoo and gently massaged your scalp, rinse off the shampoo with lukewarm water. Squeeze the excess water out of your braids.

Rinsing

Instead of using conditioner, it would be more effective to do a rinse. The problem with conditioning your hair while in braids is the mess afterward. Conditioner has to be applied to the strands and this means squeezing it into the synthetic hair. Unlike natural hair, synthetic hair in braids does not rinse off easily. You will end up with particles of this conditioner stuck to your braids. It is also a bit pointless since you cannot reach all your strands under all the braids.

A rice water rinse can condition and double up as a protein rinse. Rice rinses also promote healthy hair growth and therefore should be considered when you have braids. To prepare the rice water you can boil a small cup of rice, filter the water and use it. You can also clean the same amount of rice in a bowl. Save the water from the second wash and place it in an airtight container. Put it in a dark and warm area for a day or two so that it can ferment. Fermenting helps to release Inositol, which is the substance that we want for our hair. After rinsing off shampoo, pour the rice water all over your scalp and hair. You can also gently massage the scalp to stimulate absorption. Let the rice water sit on your head for about twenty to thirty minutes then rinse it off with cold water to seal your hair cuticles.

Oiling

Always oil your hair when it is in braids. Concentrate on the scalp and squeeze some oil into the braid in areas where your hair is. Gently massage the oil into your scalp after application to stimulate blood circulation and absorption.

It is important to know which kinds of oil to use. Lighter oils such as Olive oil and coconut oil are best. You can also mix these in with castor oil to promote the growth of hair or any essential oil to soothe your scalp as well.

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