Mini Braid Thread 2013

[yorkpatties]

Yep after the first weekend in July i'm going to put in some minibraids. I want to do them quite small and leave the last inch to inch and a half out, to curl up. I want to try and leave them until mid september (my bday) and i think if i do them small i won't be so eager to take them out.

I think I'm leaving mine in until early sept/late aug too. I just redo braids as needed. One of my favorite things about this style. I was never able to rebraid extensions in my hair, but I can work on sections when they get too frizzy or too loose.

 

[naija24]

i don't have enough hair yet but i can't wait to do this come wintertime! I want to keep my hair in mini braids from October to March and see how much length I retain.

 

[uofmpanther]

My hair isn't long enough yet either, but I may try in the winter and just lurk for now

 

[Naturelie]

Hi girls!
I'm in a personal ultimate protective style challenge. One of my friends installed mini braids in my hair on 05/25/2013 and I plan to keep them until december 2013. I will re-do the mini-braids but progressively (a few of them each 2 weeks or more if possible). It allows me to take care of me hair without fear of tangling. I hope I will have 100 to 90% retention that way and I really want to be amazed when I'll take the mini braids down on december. Do you think it's a great idea or do you think I can damage my hair this way? (I really don't think so but I might not have considered all risk factors).

 

[yorkpatties]

Hi girls!
I'm in a personal ultimate protective style challenge. One of my friends installed mini braids in my hair on 05/25/2013 and I plan to keep them until december 2013. I will re-do the mini-braids but progressively (a few of them each 2 weeks or more if possible). It allows me to take care of me hair without fear of tangling. I hope I will have 100 to 90% retention that way and I really want to be amazed when I'll take the mini braids down on december. Do you think it's a great idea or do you think I can damage my hair this way? (I really don't think so but I might not have considered all risk factors).

This is pretty much what I do. I haven't experienced any issues except that when I get a lot of growth in a particular section, if I don't redo them, my fingers will slide through the roots of a braid if I'm not gentle when washing/cowashing. I cowash daily when I wear this style in the summer so it's important that I don't allow my roots to get too loose. Other than that, keeping your scalp clean, keeping your hair moisturized and being conscious of preventing your hair from locing, I don't see any issues.

 

[SunRai Naturals]

Naturelie - I think it is an excellent idea. I did the same thing when I had cornrows (with just my hair) and I retained a lot of hair that way. Along with what yorkpatties mentioned the key is to be gentle when you re-do them because that's where your retention comes from. Vo5 moisture milks is my HG when it comes to having little to no breakage when I am taking them out.

 

[Naturelie]

This is pretty much what I do. I haven't experienced any issues except that when I get a lot of growth in a particular section, if I don't redo them, my fingers will slide through the roots of a braid if I'm not gentle when washing/cowashing. I cowash daily when I wear this style in the summer so it's important that I don't allow my roots to get too loose. Other than that, keeping your scalp clean, keeping your hair moisturized and being conscious of preventing your hair from locing, I don't see any issues.

@Naturelie - I think it is an excellent idea. I did the same thing when I had cornrows (with just my hair) and I retained a lot of hair that way. Along with what @yorkpatties mentioned the key is to be gentle when you re-do them because that's where your retention comes from. Vo5 moisture milks is my HG when it comes to having little to no breakage when I am taking them out.

Thanks yorkpatties and SunRai Naturals for those tips! I'm reassured and hope to see a great length retention by the end of this challenge!

 

[Killahkurlz]

I'm getting mini braids this Saturday.

 

[Jobwright]

My DD has had mini braids for about 3-4 weeks now. She needs a school really bad. I will try to bag her up today since the hair dryer is too much "still time" for her. Her hair is soooooo fuzzy. Maybe the dc will help with some wheat germ added in. The edges are the worst. Should I trim the thin braids around her hairline to stop any breakage?

 

[SunRai Naturals]

Jobwright - Can you detail her regimen? I wonder why her hair is breaking off while in a protective style?

 

[Jobwright]

Jobwright - Can you detail her regimen? I wonder why her hair is breaking off while in a protective style?

Sure. When her hair is loose, I wash with terressentials mud wash left coast lemon. Moisturize with AVG/glycerin spray, Tressemme Naturals or Scurl and seal with coconut oil, JBCO, grape seed or jojoba oil. I either braid, twist or bun her fine 4a APL hair. The edges have some breakage, probably due to her rolling around and just not understanding how to not rub her hair against things. She wears a satin bonnet to bed. I baggy sometimes and bonnet. The issue is in the front sides, the mini braids are really really mini. Over time, from who knows what, I think she has had some breakage. I will take a pic when she gets home today. While in the mini braids I cowash as normal, m/s and mostly bun the braids except on Sunday when she wears them down for church. I trimmed/dusted her length a couple of months ago. Does it make sense to trim the short front pieces or just let it be?

 

[SunRai Naturals]

Jobwright ^^ That's a nice reggie. If that section isn't breaking and you like the way that it looks then I say let it be-- but if you feel like there are still some split ends/breakage there or thin areas on the ends of the hair and it would look better trimmed even then I say trim it. The braids will probably look better in that section if you trim it and it will grow back even.

 

[nakialovesshoes]

I'm going back to minis in the very near future. They were really working for me but I wanted to be cute & started wearing my hair out. My hair stayed moisturizing, no single strand knots issues & I was retaining.

It's time to go back to what I know works!

 

[LaVgirl]

Just sharing some pics of my newly done box braids. They hang to about BSL/MBL. (I'm so tempted to run a flat iron over the curly ends to add more length but I have resisted thus far!) 230 braids and it took about 17-18 hours total. 8 hours on Saturday, and 10 hours on Tuesday, give or take a few minutes. I want to leave them in till at least September. I'm not planning to do a full washing at all... can't afford to waste all that time sitting on my poor behind! I'll spritz my braids (and scalp, as needed) and moisturize every couple of days.

 

[Blessed&higlyflavoured]

Just sharing some pics of my newly done box braids. They hang to about BSL/MBL. (I'm so tempted to run a flat iron over the curly ends to add more length but I have resisted thus far!) 230 braids and it took about 17-18 hours total. 8 hours on Saturday, and 10 hours on Tuesday, give or take a few minutes. I want to leave them in till at least September. I'm not planning to do a full washing at all... can't afford to waste all that time sitting on my poor behind! I'll spritz my braids (and scalp, as needed) and moisturize every couple of days.

LaVgirl
*cries because i can't imagine my hair being a fraction as beautiful as yours*

 

[Killahkurlz]

Just sharing some pics of my newly done box braids. They hang to about BSL/MBL. (I'm so tempted to run a flat iron over the curly ends to add more length but I have resisted thus far!) 230 braids and it took about 17-18 hours total. 8 hours on Saturday, and 10 hours on Tuesday, give or take a few minutes. I want to leave them in till at least September. I'm not planning to do a full washing at all... can't afford to waste all that time sitting on my poor behind! I'll spritz my braids (and scalp, as needed) and moisturize every couple of days.

Yea they look really good

 

[yorkpatties]

Just sharing some pics of my newly done box braids. They hang to about BSL/MBL. (I'm so tempted to run a flat iron over the curly ends to add more length but I have resisted thus far!) 230 braids and it took about 17-18 hours total. 8 hours on Saturday, and 10 hours on Tuesday, give or take a few minutes. I want to leave them in till at least September. I'm not planning to do a full washing at all... can't afford to waste all that time sitting on my poor behind! I'll spritz my braids (and scalp, as needed) and moisturize every couple of days.

They look PERFECT but I can't imagine not doing a full wash on my minis. Summers are meant for the beach so a regular wash is a must for me. I couldn't give a flying fig about shrinkage.

Again your braids look PERFECT!

 

[SunRai Naturals]

LaVgirl - GORGEOUS!! Naptural85 has a way of stretching her hair with bobby pins that I use when I first do my minibraids that really elongates the ends without using heat. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT2dt6fG8yQ I don't do one at a time like she does and mine still come out stretched. Her method works especially well when I do it on dry hair.

 

[LaVgirl]

Thanks so much! Y'all making me feel like my hair is really something

yorkpatties Thank you! I wasn't worried about shrinkage though. It's because they're already pretty frizzy due to the humidity and I was worried that with a full washing they will just get super messy and ugly looking and I'll have to take them out earlier than I had planned. But yeah, I'm thinking about relenting on that one.

SunRai Naturals Thanks! I'm going to try it out!

 

[prettybyrd]

Anyone still wearing mini braids?

 

[Firstborn2]

I joined this challenge, then fell off, sigh. I'm back in mini braids, this style make my life so much easier and I always get good retention. I'll be doing a personal challenge from now until the end of next year. I hope this will help me finally reach WL.

 

[Bette Davis Eyes]

I used to do these my first year of being natural and cowash like crazy every day.

The softness and retention was stellar. I just hate putting them in and taking them out. Hmm, I was going to get faux locs in December but if that doesnt work out, maybe I will go to a braider and let them mini braid my own hair.

 

[Ann0804]

So I did mini braids yesterday. I want to wear them for one month. Washing them once a week. Is it okay to wash them?