Women have been using hair braiding styles for a long time to style their hair. And black hair braiding is one of the most popular styles.
You may find some hair braiding styles to be time consuming. For example, they may take 2-3 hours in place of a few minutes as taken by other styles. But don’t lose heart. They wear well, and have a good lasting if treated properly.
There are broadly two styles of braiding hair, Normal Hair Braiding and Micro Hair Braiding. Under this Micro Hair Braiding comes the style of black hair braiding.
Black hair braiding, highly popular among the African women, is usually done by attaching hair fibers or hair weaving. But you might be knowing that on an average African hair is weak and brittle. And you know, it is recommended to avoid micro braiding if the hair texture is weak. Micro braiding may cause severe hair breakage. Moreover, African hair needs extra care after the braiding hair procedure is complete.
Cornrows are regarded as one of the healthiest of all micro braiding styles, more so for black hair braiding. Cornrows lay flat against the scalp. The additional hair making cornrows in black African hair should be around 5 cm in length. And for straight hair it should be about 7 to 8 cm. Cornrows may last for about four to six weeks if you take proper care.
In black hair braiding you don’t need to go for daily combing and tying. What you need is extra care and nourishment. Stay away from using heavy and thick shampoos, conditioners and pomades on the braids. My advice is that you use oil to moisturize your hair. That is the best thing to do in this condition.
And after braiding hair you better use a cotton cloth, or scarf to cover or protect the braids. I feel cotton cloth is the best choice. Because it will absorb any excess oil in your hair, and allow it to breath.
By the way, I hope you are aware of the harmful effects of micro braiding. You aren’t? Well, it can cause hair breakage. Yes, you can avoid it with appropriate skill and technique.
Remember, very tight braiding can cause traction alopecia and folliculitis in the scalp. Besides, keeping the braided hair for a longer period can result into dreadlocks or hair matting.
However, black hair braiding offer significant benefits for hair that has been damaged by chemical relaxers or pressing. They can cause the hair look voluminous. A healthy way to braid hair is to take a healthy diet and keep the scalp clean and well conditioned.
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