# Could I be allergic to my box braids?



## MDreamz (Jul 23, 2010)

I had my hair braided in box braids last week with human hair. I have tiny bumps all over my scalp and my head feels like it is on fire. The last two sets of braids have been tearing my scalp up? Is there anything I can do to stop this. My forehead is even breaking out.


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## charmtreese (Jul 23, 2010)

Did you wash the hair before having it braiding into your hair? Many times the hair is treated with chemicals and these chemicals can have an adverse reaction when it comes in contact with your skin.  I would wash my braids really well, you should be okay after that.


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## kmn1980 (Jul 23, 2010)

Synthetic hair does that to me. I know I'm allergic to synthetic hair. I saw a youtube tutorial about washing hair before you install braids because when it is packaged, there's some kind of powder or something on it. I can't find it right now though.

Anyway, when that would happen to me, I'd put some peppermint oil in some water and spray it on. The cooling sensation really helped me. The bumps went away after a few days. Also, if the braids are too tight, that can also cause scalp bumps. My cousin dealt with that one before.


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## NaturalBoss (Jul 24, 2010)

I'm allergic to synthetic hair and maybe you are too.  Like the others said, you can try washing the hair first before putting it in next time and see if that works.  Other than that, you might just have to leave the synthetic hair alone.  

I used to wear a wig and I literally could not let the hair touch my face or I would break out with eczema.  

You can also try tea tree oil on your skin.


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## Tiye (Jul 24, 2010)

MDreamz said:


> I had my hair braided in box braids last week with human hair. I have tiny bumps all over my scalp and my head feels like it is on fire. The last two sets of braids have been tearing my scalp up? Is there anything I can do to stop this. My forehead is even breaking out.



Another thought - if this isn't an allergy problem then maybe your braids are too tight. Some people use too much tension when they braid and if this is slick human hair the braider's instinct might have been to pull even tighter. Maybe try wetting your hair to help them loosen up a bit.


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## Nonie (Jul 24, 2010)

Tiye said:


> Another thought - if this isn't an allergy problem then maybe your braids are too tight. Some people use too much tension when they braid and if this is slick human hair the braider's instinct might have been to pull even tighter. Maybe try wetting your hair to help them loosen up a bit.



My exact sentiments. The only time I've seen bumps is when the braider pulled too tight.

Some people will swear it didn't hurt, but that doesn't mean the stylist didn't use more tension than necessary. Some people just seem to have a higher pain tolerance than others so they don't catch the abuse. I know this because when I used to braid people, I had one lady keep telling me every time I completed a braid, "I'm not kidding, if you keep doing them so loose, they will fall out in a few days and I'll have to ask you to redo them." I would assure her, they are not loose and she'd echo herself when I started the next braid. After hearing that broken record a few more times (I usually braid from the back forward), I braided one random braid in front then got her a mirror so she could see. She was shocked to find the braid so firmly attached to her scalp, with no knot at the base, looking like it was her hair. She kept staring at that single braid with a new song now, "It REALLY is firm. I would not have believed it had I not seen it." Records with a scratch can get on your nerves but at least she was no longer interfering with how I do my braids with her new chorus. A month later her braids still looked good. 

I think a lot of braiders just haven't yet mastered how to attach slippery human hair to the person's hair without nearly pulling follicles out of the scalp.


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## WAVES4DAYS (Jul 24, 2010)

Nonie said:


> My exact sentiments. The only time I've seen bumps is when the braider pulled too tight.
> 
> *Some people will swear it didn't hurt, but that doesn't mean the stylist didn't use more tension than necessary. Some people just seem to have a higher pain tolerance than others so they don't catch the abuse.* I know this because when I used to braid people, I had one lady keep telling me every time I completed a braid, "I'm not kidding, if you keep doing them so loose, they will fall out in a few days and I'll have to ask you to redo them." I would assure her, they are not loose and she'd echo herself when I started the next braid. After hearing that broken record a few more times (I usually braid from the back forward), I braided one random braid in front then got her a mirror so she could see. She was shocked to find the braid so firmly attached to her scalp, with no knot at the base, looking like it was her hair. She kept staring at that single braid with a new song now, "It REALLY is firm. I would not have believed it had I not seen it." Records with a scratch can get on your nerves but at least she was no longer interfering with how I do my braids with her new chorus. A month later her braids still looked good.
> 
> I think a lot of braiders just haven't yet mastered how to attach slippery human hair to the person's hair without nearly pulling follicles out of the scalp.




This is so true!






 GIFSoup


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## MDreamz (Jul 25, 2010)

> Did you wash the hair before having it braiding into your hair? Many  times the hair is treated with chemicals and these chemicals can have an  adverse reaction when it comes in contact with your skin.  I would wash  my braids really well, you should be okay after that.


_
I am so sorry I was MIA everyone. I was taking finals....._

No, I went to the Africans and let them use the hair that they had in the shop. I told the owner I wanted human hair wet and wavy box braids. She picked up 4 packs of human hair blend 1b hair. 


I tried the peppermint oil and it itched even more. They did them pretty good. Not too tight. It's just the next day and now two weeks later, my head feels like it's on fire. I wet my scalp to remove the oil and wash out the scabs, but the itching keeps coming back.


The hair they used said human hair blend. Is that a synthetic mix?

I've tried tea tree oil, coconut oil, castor oil, and they all itched.  I don't know what else to do. I have them pinned up on top of my head. I am about to let 130 bucks go down the drain because I am scared all my hair is going to fall out.


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## MDreamz (Aug 5, 2010)

*Update* I took the braids out my hair after 3 weeks of having them and my hair came out with them.  I still have hair on my head but it's shedding really bad. I also have white bumps in spots where the braids feel out. I am so heated I could just scream!


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## sweetlaughter (Aug 5, 2010)

when i used to get micros but before i stopped getting my edges done, i used to have the same problem for my edges. the good news is since it was only twice with the bumps, i did not have problems with growth after. my hair came out a lot when i took out the braids there too. hopefully your experience will be along the same line and this will be only a minor obstacle in your HHJ.

HTH. and best of luck!


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## ThickRoot (Aug 5, 2010)

If you know they're not too tight, it could very well be that you're allergic to the type of hair used. This happened to me last summer. Went to a new braiding salon, to this day I don't know what hair it was they put in but that stuff had me itchy and the sides of my face and the back of my hair wherever the hair fell was rashy -- it was a straight mess. After a few days, I took those things out because I couldn't get relief. I was also afraid it would do real damage if left in too long. Tea tree oil on my scalp gave me some relief but not enough.

Good luck, try to give your scalp a rest from tight styles and such. I'm sure there is a ton of information here about stopping shedding.


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## tHENATuRALhAiRpRoJEcT (Aug 6, 2010)

soak in ACV & water for 30 minutes 1st
takes that chemical coating/substance off!

i STILL itch.... but i itch like crazy if i don't


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## labellenoire (Aug 6, 2010)

I have heard it said so many times: "I am allergic to box braids" or "I am allergic to synthetic hair...or some other hair".  However, the reality - as someone mentioned already - is that you are allergic to the chemicals being used to 'treat' the hair i.e. keep it shiny, soft, etc.  I cannot say this enough, BEFORE getting using *any* kind of extensions - weave or bulk hair - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, wash it! If you have never done this, do it and you will understand why.  I fill my sink up with warm warm and pour a good amount of shampoo then slowly place the extensions in there and leave it for about 10 mins.  You will immediately notice the water darken up and a film-like substance in the water.  Continue to do this until you notice the hair is completely clean.  Then condition the hair.  Please do not rough handle the hair as this will cause it to tangle.  Once the hair is washed and conditioned, I hang it on a dryer and let it hair dry.  I do this a good 2 days prior to getting my extensions. 

In your case, since the hair is installed already, careful wash and condition your hair.  As the water runs down your face, you will begin to smell the 'chemical'.  This smell will slowly fade as your hair gets cleaner.

I hope this helps!


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## MDreamz (Aug 6, 2010)

OK, I didn't know about the chemicals in the hair. I used the hair they had at the salon. I didn't buy my own. But I am noticing that the packages say human hair blend. What does that mean? A little bit of human and a little bit of everything else? I have decided not to braid anymore. My skin and hair is so damn sensitive. I can't even wear tips without breaking out. I guess it's back to phonytails and wigs. My hair is damaged and uneven after those braids.  I have some section with 3 inches of hair. I should cut it off and start fresh.


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## ThickRoot (Aug 6, 2010)

tHeHaIRLaB said:


> soak in ACV & water for 30 minutes 1st
> takes that chemical coating/substance off!
> 
> MsDreamz this sounds like a good idea. I read on growafrohairlong.com that you should soak the hair first and remove the chemicals before you start braiding your hair. But let's be honest, you know you going up in these braiding spots no one is doing that. The hair comes straight out the bag. So this might be the thing to do now to see if that stuff will come off.
> ...


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## ThickRoot (Aug 6, 2010)

...also, I'm working on a brand new me too. I see you lost 11lbs congratulations! I'm down 32 since I started trying to lose the beginning of the summer, and I have 100lbs to go. Ugghh!! It's definitely a lot, but I take it 1lb at a time. It's a lot of work, but so totally worth it. Good luck to you, keep going. I'm in the struggle too, and I understand. :weighin:


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## IrisDaVirus (Aug 6, 2010)

I had a bad reaction a few years ago (kinky twist extension hair) and thought it was just an isolated incident.  I later found out that it wasn't.  Females are having adverse reactions to all kinds of added hair yet you almost never hear about it.  It makes you wonder what kinds of chemicals are being used to treat the add on hair we buy.  Ladies please be careful.  Make sure you wash the extra hair before you add it to your own.  If you're not able to do that then you're probably better off not wearing it in the first place.


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## MDreamz (Aug 6, 2010)

> ...also, I'm working on a brand new me too. I see you lost 11lbs congratulations! I'm down 32 since I started trying to lose the beginning of the summer, and I have 100lbs to go. Ugghh!! It's definitely a lot, but I take it 1lb at a time. It's a lot of work, but so totally worth it. Good luck to you, keep going. I'm in the struggle too, and I understand.



Thanks. I'm losing more inches then pounds. 1 pound a week and gone for good. But congrats to you! 32 pounds is awesome.


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## almond eyes (Aug 6, 2010)

I always knew that the hair factories treat both the synthetic and human hair with a chemical that many people are allergic to.

When Robin from Growafrohairlong touted the importance of washing the hair I knew it was important but not until I had a very bad reaction two months ago that I had to practise the preach.

In April before I went to Harlem and did medium sized boxed braids and used the hair from the salon. Normally, I would have gotten my own extension hair but this time I was too busy to do so. And I was only planning to wear my extension braids for one month because I was starting a new job in another country and didn't want to mess with my hair. My hair was past my shoulders stretched and I had not worn extension braids in two years. 

About two days into getting my braids done my hair began to really itch terribly and became a flaky mess. Within three weeks the flakes were so bad that I had scabs. When I took my braids out, I lost about three inches of hair. And I am still dealing with the repercussions. 

Anyhow, I am now wearing a full weave and giving my hair a rest (the hair was washed). I never thought I would have to do that but my hair looks extremely weak and cannot be worn out like that. I have been doing a dry and itchy scalp treatment for one month and my scalp has improved a great deal but I had to trim my hair to get rid of the broken sections. 

It was a very strong lesson to me to always wash my extension hair before attaching it to my scalp.

Best,
Almond Eyes


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## MDreamz (Aug 6, 2010)

> About two days into getting my braids done my hair began to really itch  terribly and became a flaky mess. Within three weeks the flakes were so  bad that I had scabs. When I took my braids out, I lost about three  inches of hair.


 That's exactly what I have going on right now. 40% of my hair is 3 inches long, and the rest seems to snap off every-time I touch it. I am going to schedule an appointment at a regular salon so I can have my hair cut in a shape and treated for breakage. Then maybe wear a half wig till it gets strong enough for weaving. Thanks for the washing hair tip. I learned a painful but valuable lesson.


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