4 Tips on How To Take Care of Natural Hair in Braids or Cornrows

12/1/2013

Braids and cornrows are a protective style.

Braid care starts before you actually go for your appointment. The day before, wash and deep condition your hair so that it's at its strongest before you braid your hair. Afterwards the following tips will help you to minimise breakage and other forms of damage.

1. Take care of the edges

For the first seven days after you've put the braids in you need to ensure that the edges that were more than likely pulled tightly are always moisturised. This will ease the pressure and will stop the roots from being uprooted.

I apply oil around the edges twice a day initially because my scalp is sensitive and usually breaks out in little bumps.

2. Ensure your scalp never gets dry

The scalp is carrying an extra load so to ease its burden ensure it is clean and never dry. Some people will naturally produce enough oil so they don't need to add extra but none the less I like to spray Neno Natural's Hair Growth Stimulator so that I get the benefits of the essential oils.

3. Wash every 7 to 10 days

Not washing and conditioning your hair when it's in braids will lead to a lot more breakage when you take them out. Natural hair continues to crave moisture whether it's in braids or not.

Get two applicator bottles with pointed tips, the pointed tip makes it easy to reach the hair and scalp.
Dilute the shampoo in one applicator bottle and the conditioner in the other; diluting the products ensures that they are easily rinsed out.

You can apply the products 'neat' if they are watery anyway.
Deep conditioners tend to be quite thick so I expect you'll need to dilute at least the conditioner. Rinse both products out thoroughly.

4. Moisturise the braid as though it were your hair

There are two ways to do this:
a) Spritz with water regularly just like you would when you have your hair out.
b) Rub a shea butter onto the braids every few days.

Overall, the more you think of the braids as your hair the better your own hair will fare.

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Boipelo

12/1/2013 04:12:57 am

ThaNk u 😊

Heather @ Neno Natural

12/1/2013 05:13:47 pm

You're welcome!

tamara banks

27/1/2014 07:17:09 am

I wear wigs and keep my hair braided underneath. When I come home from work I take the wig off. The longest I keep my hair braided is two weeks before I take them out and rebraid. Do I do the same treatment you suggested with weave braids on my hair or should I do something a little different?

LaDonna

14/1/2013 02:52:09 am

Thanks for this info I'm about to get braids for the winter as a protective style. So this was very helpful.

23/1/2013 09:44:05 pm

You're welcome! :)

Tawanda G

23/1/2013 08:35:53 pm

Could I use the powder shampoo instead of the diluted shampoo because I have box braids and they get heavy when they are wet?

23/1/2013 08:41:30 pm

Could i use dry shampoo instead of diluted shampoo because box braids are heavy when they are wet?

23/1/2013 09:47:11 pm

I wouldn't recommend dry shampoo. The point of washing the hair is to clean and hydrate the hair; in addition, your hair still needs fortification from the conditioner which dry shampoo cannot provide.

For the best hair health and minimal breakage you need a proper wash and condition. Wash at least every two weeks and blow dry to dry the box braids.

Also, ensure the braider isn't taking too little hair for a large braid.

My best,
Heather

Jerrica

18/1/2015 09:54:18 pm

Yes u can

Sarah C

25/7/2013 05:38:43 pm

Great advice - for me I braid my hair and use hair extensions on to my natural hair very often; my natural hair has thicken every time, as this due a number of reasons
1. I have used the same hair dresser for the past 15 years, she knows my hair, its strengths and weaknesses
2. I now use oils natural oils - caster oils, olive oil and peppermint, in fact I use these three oils in a deep warm conditioner ( heat a table spoon of each )in mircrowave once remove braids, and leave in for 20 minutes,then wash in a cool water.
3.I leave my braids in for 8 weeks only
4. I condition and spray my hair - natural and extensions, every other day.

5. good tip - allow your hair, after removing the braids, time to breathe, so 7-10 days or more if you like, to go natural before redoing your hair.

Heather - I also very keen to know more techniques & methods in to strengthening my natural hair,whilst in braids and whilst having a break of braids - I love my hair so much, - ;-)))

21/10/2013 08:12:07 pm

Thanks so much for sharing Sarah.

My best
Heather

Doris

13/9/2013 04:14:11 am

Heather, what kind of hair is best to use in braiding. I have very fine spongy hair.

Mis. B

24/9/2013 10:02:15 am

Very useful information. I'm thinking of getting box braids and because I'm new to the natural hair world, I was really confused if I should braid and what type of braiding hair is best.
Thank you for all the info you provide as well as a big thanks to the others that have commented. I'll follow up on what I think of the braids.

Heather Katsonga-Woodward

7/10/2013 02:24:43 pm

Awesome. What did you do in the end?

victoria

8/11/2013 03:01:46 am

Been looking for sum like this!

Amber

8/11/2013 11:15:32 am

My hair is much shorter than the rest in the middle. I want to try and regrow the middle of my hair and I am thinking that cornrows would be better than braids (to avoid the constant tugging) I plan to keep my hair and scalp hydrated but was wondering if it matters cornrows vs braids?

Nads

22/11/2013 07:26:42 am

Hi, thank you for this informative article, I am about to do a three month experiment with my hair and was playing with the idea of using braids as my protective styling for the duration. Your tips were extremely helpful and I know me and my hair will do well for the next three months. Kudos to you keep doing what you do best :-)

Linda F

28/11/2013 04:44:46 am

Can I use a shampoo for oily hair or a dandruff one?

chulumanco

9/1/2014 09:15:33 pm

I've read your tip on how to wash your natural hair under braids, something else I wanted to know is how do you prevent your braids from getting wet or rather how do you lessen the weight of wet braids more specifically box braids. I'm afraid of my hair braking off?

Evette

1/2/2014 06:36:07 am

I am big on moisturizing my hair on a daily basis. I do the same when I get it braided, I oil it everyday. I put my oil in squirt bottle and spray it on the braids. I also rub it in between the parts where my scalp is exposed all over.

tali

23/5/2014 03:48:55 am

oils arent moisturizers though

nunu

20/4/2014 02:05:02 am

Hello...does transitioning for long affect your hair growth?

Vera

25/8/2014 10:58:46 am

On April the 10th, I colored my hair to a bronze 378 by Dark & Lovely. My hair was the color of the orange lines that are in the middle of the streets. On May the 10th, I colored my hair again to get rid of the orange color and had my hair latched the same day. When I took the latches out of my hair a few months later, my hair in the back from shoulder length to where I can just grab it. I read your article, regarding hair dye and getting your hair braided at the same time. A valuable listen learned.

Michelle

3/10/2014 01:36:06 am

Thanks for the hair care information. I love wearing braids and I keep my hair moisturize by using JBCO OLIVER OIL COCONUT OIL ETC. EVERY OTHER DAY CAUSE I HAVE COURSE HAIR

renee

17/2/2015 12:48:27 am

I'm getting micro braids soon and will use human hair..can I use a color rinse while I have the braids in? Thanks.

tyra

9/3/2015 10:16:10 am

Destiny Anne

30/3/2015 03:17:56 pm

Does this also work for White-Asian people hair?

Wendy

14/4/2015 08:14:42 am

Great advice, which i have been doing for my hair, and ir did do well; my hair grew.. Yeeah

Amara

30/5/2015 09:59:07 am

Oil DOESN'T moisturize your hair at all. This is so inaccurate lol

Dedric

8/9/2015 08:46:31 pm

Leavin conditioner spray is good for moisturizer such as Motions leave in spray or cream of nature leave in.

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4 Tips on How To Take Care of Natural Hair in Braids or Cornrows

By Heather Katsonga-Woodward

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