Braids as a Protective Style - How Tight is too Tight?

[naijalonghairlover]

Just got medium-sized Senegalese twists yesterday at an African Hair Braiding Salon. I've not had braids for a while, so maybe my tactile responses are over-acting - I can't say that the braids are boo-hoo uncomfortable, but there's some sensitivity, particularly at the front areas (not so much at my hairline though). I can live with that - pain usually wears off after a couple of days from what I remember, but I'm scared for my natural 4B hair.

It's about ~4 (maybe 5?) inches when pulled out to it's longest layer, but shrunken, and at an awkward stage. My side hairlines look like a man's (V-shaped, but in a receeding way, although there's a little hair). I try to do twists, braid-outs and all, but my hair ends up looking uncombed and rat's-nest like. Been "rocking" it for a few months (lol), and just had to get braids or a weave or something. Prior to braiding, I was experiencing hair breakage when I picked my hair (that snap, followed by tiny ringlets that stick to your comb and litter the floor), and I had to put off pampering it for bit. To cut the long story short, I want to know if getting braids that are as tight as I described is normal but still beneficial for hair retention. No risks for alopecia, hair loss, etc.

If so, then I'll be covering up for as long as I my hair can allow (Tips from SL hair and beyond naturals who've used this method will be appreciated). At least until it grows long enough for me to start looking like a female .

 

[Nonie]

I never feel pain when I braid my hair so to me that's not normal. But there are people with tender heads who probably do, so hopefully they can come and address that.

Do you feel the same pain if you yourself braid your own hair? If not, then I say that's a sign that what you're going through is not kosher and I'd have those painful braids undone and redone with less pulling.

Have you ever considered not wearing any braids at the front? In the past, I've cornrowed my own hair at the front going back without any extension hair and just blended the tails in with the extension singles immediately behind (about an inch from the hariline). Or I have just twisted my hair and worn bangs w/o extensions, again just to give my scalp a break from extensions.

ETA: Also make sure less extension hair is used per section of your own.

 

[trevprit]

I would say watch for any bumps forming on your scalp. That is an indicator that the twists are definitely too tight.

What is the length of the twists and what style are you wearing them in? If they are long, the weight of the twist can contribute to the discomfort you are experiencing. You may be able to bun them into a very loose geisha bun to alleviate the pulling. Of course being extra gentle with the twists.

I don't know what the care of these twists entails, but if it is okay for you to do so, a little peppermint eo in some water can give you a bit of a cooling sensation or even a very light scalp creme.

HTH.

 

[naijalonghairlover]

The braids are a little past shoulder length. They don't look full - I used a little more than 4 packs of jumbo kanekalon extensions though.

It's in a bun now. I might wrap it up that way since it's recommended.

Nonie, do you braid your hair yourself, or do you have someone else do it for you? Since you feel no pain with your braids I feel a little apprehensive. Maybe I should stop going to African hair braiding places...

 

[Nonie]

The braids are a little past shoulder length. They don't look full - I used a little more than 4 packs of jumbo kanekalon extensions though.

Did a lot of hair get wasted? I ask because I have never used more than 2 packs of hair, and synthetic hair packs are so much thicker than human hair ones from my experience so unless a lot of hair was wasted, 4 packs of hair on your head seems like a lot to me and could explain the pain you're feeling which could be from the weight. Do you have a photo of your braids? That may help us decipher what's going on.

I hope someone with a tender head like Mwedzi can come and shed some light on what she thinks.

It's in a bun now. I might wrap it up that way since it's recommended.

Whatever you do, the idea is not to pull on the braids or encourage them to pull hard on your scalp.

Nonie, do you braid your hair yourself, or do you have someone else do it for you? Since you feel no pain with your braids I feel a little apprehensive. Maybe I should stop going to African hair braiding places...

Yes, I do my own braids, and even when I've used long braids like now, I don't feel any pain. I feel the weight, but no pain. And I have always told people that if you haven't seen the person you're going to braiding children and the children not crying during the process, than it's really a gamble that they won't pull too tight. Even when I went to people to get my hair braided, the stylists I returned to over and over were the ones who didn't leave my head feeling pain. I'll never forget the one time when I was a kid and to polite to say anything. I went home with my eyes so wide opened, I don't know if I've have been able to close them that night. My mom was so angry with me and she took me back to the salon to get my hair undone. Between her and the stylist I started to go to, getting my hair braided was like getting a massage. I would go into this deep, drool-inducing sleep coz I didn't feel any pain.

I don't think I would wait till I see white bumps. I think by then some damage has been done. Every time I read stuff like this, I wish the person lived down the road from me so I could go and braid a few of the braids to give her an idea of how it should feel and what they must refuse to accept.

Not to scare you but I hear African braiders (and I am African BTW) braid too tightly. Not sure why such sweeping statements but it probably is a good warning to do your homework and be sensitive when you do go to them. I do have to give them props though, most do a neat job.

 

[naijalonghairlover]

Thanks for the feedback nonie.

Funny thing is, I read online reviews about the particular braiding place and they were all stellar (I mean ALL). The salon is managed by two sisters, but when I stopped over, I was attended to by a braider who apparently didn't speak much English - I'm African as well by the way, Nigerian to be exact, so no offense to anyone. I asked that my braids not be too tight, apparently she might not have gotten my drift.

The sisters and a young relative - perhaps one of the sisters' daugher - who managed the salon were attending to others, and the customers seemed happy while I was there - one even commented that she flew in all the way from Atlanta to get her hair braided there (I live in NY).

I'll upload a photo of my braids in a few...

 

[naijalonghairlover]

Ok....so my camera isn't anywhere to be found. lol

I surfed the web for pictures of braids that look closest to my style. I found this:

My hair is natural, so my braids doesn't look as neat, spaced out, and tight(?). My braids are slighty shorter, but they look as full as that.

 

[Nonie]

Hey Naija, the pic isn't showing. Can you please repost? But part of why I wanted to see your own braids was I wanted to assess if they used too much hair per section and if your scalp looks stressed/tight.

 

[naijalonghairlover]

Picture isn't showing, so I'm posting a link


http://www.braidsinc.com/gallery/senegalese1.JPG

 

[naijalonghairlover]

Ok...this isn't working either, apparently. Sorry...

Here's a link to the website gallery. It's the light skinned girl with the black senegalese twists. First picture.

http://www.braidsinc.com/gallery-2.htm

Nonie, I'll be looking for my camera. I don't know why it is MIA.

 

[Nonie]

That looks nice! When you take a pic, please get a close up, like part your hair so we can see the base of the twists and how your scalp looks. TIA

 

[naijalonghairlover]

Well, here's a close-up of my pony-tailed hair from my phone camera...kind of blurry, but hey. Just showing the base, right?

Hmm, they don't look as fresh as I think. And they look full from this angle.This is disappointing.

 

[naijalonghairlover]

Here's a side pic - to give an idea of how long they are.

 

[Nonie]

They don't look that bad. I can see the base of each section which usually isn't possible to see if too much hair added. Again, I don't use synthetic hair which is heavier than human, so I wish people who do would chime in. Also your twists are bigger than I ever get my hair braided, so perhaps it would need more hair for them to look full. I know the bigger the braids, the less full hair looks.

Where's Mook's Hair when you need her? She's the kinky twist queen.

 

[jerseygurl]

Hi naijahair. A lot of people don't know how their hair should feel when it's braided up. I too braid and I've been told that my hands do not hurt even though the braid is tight. I usually don't let people braid my hair here in the US cause they braid too tight. I do my own.

If you feel too uncomfortable, please take them out or you risk losing your edges. Think about learning how to braid your own. There are a lot of good youtube videos out there.