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How to Prepare Natural Hair for Braiding & Weaving

25/1/2013

 
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1. Only braid healthy hair. 
2. Shampoo, condition and detangle beforehand.
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If you hair is currently weak, damaged or unhealthy in any other way, this is not the time to be getting braids. Nurse your hair back to health and then go to get braids.

Before a salon appointment:
  1. Wash your hair
  2. Deep condition your hair
  3. Detangle your hair thoroughly
  4. Moisturise and seal with an oil so it remains soft, spring and easy to manage
  5. Blow dry gently on a cool setting

What is the point of all this? 

You want your hair to be as strong as possible so it can take any trauma; a lot of hairdressers don't take the time to detangle hair gently and will more than likely blow dry the hair prior to plaiting it. All this handling and styling is prime time for your hair to break. 
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If you have adequately detangled and blow dried your hair enough to make it easy to plait it will be very easy for you to request that the stylist doesn't blow dry it again. If your hair is matted or tangled you best believe the stylist will insist she needs to blow dry it. I am only just recovering from one such recent hair trauma!

I also have a very sensitive scalp so almost every time I get braids I have bumps around the edges because even a little pulling is too much for my tender skin. 

When you get to the appointment, remain involved in the process:
  1. If the stylist is pulling too tightly, let her know;
  2. If she's combing to roughly, e.g. too fast or using a rattail comb before the hair is properly detangled, let her know; encourage her to use a wide tooth comb first;
  3. If the stylist is attaching a large braid to a small portion of hair, tell her to use less hair;
  4. If she's blow drying too roughly or with the heat set too high, LET HER KNOW!

I'm full of confidence but I too sometimes feel like I am being too demanding at the salon so I let some transgressions slide without stating my opinion ~ big mistake ~ I know my scalp and I know my hair so I need to communicate the needs of my hair, you do too.

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Natalie
13/9/2013 11:32:28 pm

Hey my sista♥. You have to be sorta kinda demanding but not unrealistic with your stylist...it's your hair and you're paying them. I would hope they would like the fact that you're speaking up instead of sitting there to the end and not like your hair. My daughter(14)braids my hair and she does a wonderful job. Peace.

Heather @ Neno Natural
21/10/2013 08:10:32 pm

Word!

Heather
:)

Stephanie
17/6/2014 04:17:20 am

im Getting Box Braids this Friday and I'm ALL natural I haven't had hair in my head before im a little scare of losing my hair I have long natural hair so I want to try something New just for the Summer

Irene link
30/11/2014 03:17:56 am

Sorry to hear about your recent hair trauma with your stylist. This is unfortunate! Don't know how well this person was trained in the Industry. Not every Stylist is knowledgeable in styling Natural Curly textured hair. As a Natural Hair Stylist I would recommend that you seek out a trained stylist to deal with your particular texture. I wish you the very best in the future. Please consider products designed for your curly texture such as www.locsuria.ca.

wendy
12/12/2014 02:53:10 am

i too have had hair trauma and i am recovering.
i had long natural hair and damaged it with heat styling,and thereafter braided for long periods,not considering the treatment for braided hair,then weaved,then braided and in two years i single handedly destroyed shoulder length thick hair...now length has somewhat returned, still has some way to go but still not thick as before.. So now i take exceptional time to care for everything i do. Especially products and salons.
Thanks Heather for a platform of great insight and share.

Jay
1/6/2015 12:14:10 pm

How much natural hair should I hVe after my big chop before I braid

Leah Israel
9/11/2015 03:04:44 pm

Shalom Sisters, I'm natural for 13 months now! I did the "Big Chop" in October of last year! I'm going to get braids now because my hair is long enough now for the ladies to catch it!
I love being natural! Somewhere I got lost & forgot that I'm from the "old school" & we rocked our own hair proudly! We looked good & the boys still came running😄😉!
Yes I'm over 35, so all my sisters that are around my age know exactly what I mean!
I mean just like at the music! They promote having long straight hair on a light complexion having female usually any female that's not a so called "black" woman! It's sad!
Then every woman from every other nation wants to tan, get curly hair, lip & butt injections trying to look like what me & my sisters are naturally born with😉😊!
Yes we are the epitome of beauty so sisters let's celebrate it & not forget natural beauty is the only beauty!
Read & learn your bible! We are the Real Jews!
Shalom Israel


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    By Heather Katsonga-Woodward

    I was a natural hair blogger and mixtress living between London & Chicago from 2012 to 2017. I always thought I was 4C but some say 4B; images below - you decide! Heather xx

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