Hair Braiding

What to know about Hair Braids

The Saying that hair is a womans crowning glory,       
is indeed very true... Because a woman's 
appearance is immediately uplifted by the crown 
and her head. Like everything in fashion, hairstyles 
come and go and so in age, what styles are in 
vogue? Allure's Carol Arhere wrote that braids and 
cornrows have become a popular alternative for 
Africa's fashion conscious women.

BRAIDS and cornrows have been around for years, 
they have remained popular because they are 
cheap to maintain and they are versatile. They allow 
the wearer to do several styles creating different 
exciting looks. Braids and cornrows are with many 
ladies because they give the wearer's natural hair 
time to recover from the rigors of relaxers and other 
chemical products.In recent times, more woman 
and even men have turned to braids and cornrows.

Braiding involves taking three strands of hair, 
starting at the scalp, and over laying one strand on 
another, until the desire effect is created. While 
cornrows are braids under woven to lie flat on the 
head and then sculpted into simple or complex 
parting and sectioning. There are different types of 
braids and cornrows.

Straight braid also called Bob Marley:                                                 
This braid is perfect on coarse hair because of its 
texture. It can be done in several ways depending 
on the choice of the wearer. It can be: fish tails, or 
packed together to form ponytail at the back or 
dropped around the shoulders.

Ghana weaving:
This hairstyle is also suitable for coarse hair 
because it allows the braider to pull the hair tighter, 
without causing any damage or breakage to the 
hair. The hair piece used for this hair style is mostly 
synthetic.

Water melon:                                        
Pick and drop braids as it is popularly called. This 
style takes longer hours, because of the various 
procedures in achieving the style. It looks more 
beautiful on the wearer and lasts longer. Synthetic 
hairpiece is also suitable for this hairstyle.

Kinky braids:
These are won by both men women. It can be 
made with the original kinky braids or with any other 
good hairpiece.
Cornrows on the other hand are worn by both men 
and women as well; we have the all back cornrows.

Basket weaving also known as Alicia keys:
This style is made with little or no hairpiece there is 
also the splitting pattern, which involves the use of 
more hair piece to create the desired pattern.

Presently, attention is drawn to water melon 
hairstyle. This style is making waves because, of 
it's durability and comfort. Water melon hairstyle is 
in vogue because it is light and very convenient to 
carry.
Braids generally is a popular hairstyle, because it 
allows air to circulate to the scalp and helps to keep 
the wearer cool.
So to have the sassy update look this season, join 
the braids wagon with these look.

Tips for maintaining braids and cornrows:
- Always make sure your hair is properly washed 
and treated with deep conditioner before putting in 
braids and cornrows.

- Do not use heavy hair cream this tends to weigh 
your hair down causing build-up and flaky scalp.

-For you comfort selects a style that is appropriate 
for your hair length and texture.

-Do not leave your braids for more than eight weeks 
at a time. As your hair may begin to lock causing 
severe breakage.

-Put your hair in a silky or satin scarf before going to 
bed at night to avoid frizz.