Braids are an effective protective hairstyle to shield your ends and hair from environmental factors and help them retain length. Plus, they look gorgeous on textured locks!
Braids also work great with other braid and twist styles like cornrows, Goddess, or box braids for even more excellent length preservation.
Start with hair that has been brushed, detangled, and slightly dampened (this helps your strands hold shape better.).
Brush, detangle, and slightly dampen all strands until desired results have been reached.
Sectioning
Proper hair sectioning is essential when braiding for extended periods, as inconsistent section sizes may make your braid appear disorganized and chaotic.
Begin by gathering all the hair at the crown and separating it into three equal sections. Next, hold one side section in your right hand and the remaining two in both (if doing a center or side braid).
Take some hair from the more extensive right section and add it to the new middle section; cross that middle section over the smaller left section, and repeat. Keep tension low and be patient – eventually, this skill will come naturally to you!
Crossing
Crossing your hair when creating protective styles such as box braids or Senegalese twists is indispensable. Crossing allows you to add length and thickness to your braids for an elegant, polished look.
Make the process easier by applying a lightweight Styling Paste before braiding to detangle and smooth your hair, helping your braids maintain their shape throughout the day. For added volume and lift, spray some volumizing hair spray as you go. Just be careful not to overdo it – too much volume-boosting spray can leave an oily residue that weighs down on your locks!
Combining
Potempa suggests using a detangler suitable for synthetic hair, such as Beachwaver Co’s Let’s Jam, or styling gel to protect braids from damage and frizz, like Let’s Jam by Beachwaver Co.
Potempa advises leaving some hair in each section when combing, making it easier to maintain neat braids. She suggests applying a leave-in conditioner to the ends of your hair before finishing up with a hair tie to keep your braids moisturized and shiny.
Start braiding by crossing the right-hand section over the middle section and switching it back and forth until all areas have crossed over, and secure with a hair elastic. To add more inches easily, pick up small “slices” of hair from either section outside and move them to whatever strand was crossed over in one step.
Finishing
Utilizing styling spray or hair gel to add texture and hold to a braid can help it look more polished while helping prevent its ends from coming undone.
An effective way to enhance the appearance of braids is ensuring each new section you grab is smaller than before, creating tighter-looking braids while helping avoid bulging effects caused by adding new units too quickly.
Finish off your braids using nail glue to seal their ends. This method works exceptionally well when dealing with synthetic braids such as kanekalon. However, take caution as some synthetic braids contain flammable materials which could catch fire when exposed to flame.
