Braids with OR without extensions?

[PocketVenus]

Which is better for your hair?
*I guess I'm specifically talking about box (individual) braids.
Any thoughts/musings are welcome.

 

[PocketVenus]

 

[Nonie]

Braids WITH extensions work better for me because

• I like to wear them small so they don't looks sparse and so I can be able to style them as if hair since they're not stiff or few*
• I like to wear them for months/years never undoing them all but just redoing one at a time*
• I like the length extensions give me which allows me to wear more styles than I could with my own shorter hair

The last reason above is self explanatory as to why I prefer extensions. I'll explain why I couldn't pull off the first two reasons with my own hair.

My hair turns into coils when it's allowed to get wet. I wash my hair twice a week even when in braids, so that means the hair in braids also tries to contract as it does when not in braids. When I have extension hair in there, there's less recoiling because my hair doesn't have full control of what goes on. Doesn't mean it stays pressed straight, but it doesn't get to shrink fully. Also, having the extension hair within the braid keeps the three sections of my hair that form a braid somewhat separated so that there's less chance of the hair tangling when it shrinks. This makes undoing the braids with fingers very easy because of the "separation the additiona hair" provides.

If I wore my own hair in braids for as long as I do extensions and washed it as often as I do, I believe it'd lock into locs. Unlike in the case of twisting where I make sure to keep my hair strands well secured in their separate sections of the twists so there's no "blending" between them. (I've explained this ad nauseum so I won't bore you again, unless you haven't see how I do my twists and why I believe it's the best way to keep hair from tangling.) With braids, I don't take any such precaution so the hair strands in each of the three sections that form a braid free to tangle and mat since they are just chilling beside each other. So even a week of wearing micros on my own hair, I find I need a very pointed comb to undo my braids and it is more difficult to undo as I have to make sure I don't rips my hair as I try to separate the strands. With extension, the hair just falls apart even after many months of wearing them.

With that said, if you're not familiar with wearing extensions and aren't doing your own install, then braids without extensions are better because you can ensure you're not exerting too much weight on your scalp that it can bear (which can cause hair loss), and you don't have to worry about someone pulling hard on your hair as some people seem to have that problem when attaching braids. But my advice would be to make your braids big enough that you can undo with fingers. Making them as small as micros can give you a headache when undoing, especially if you're a 4B.

 

[julzinha]

Braids with extensions definitely.

I have worn braids since i was 5 for 98% of the year. They offer better protection for your real hair and last a lot longer than braids w/o extensions. But I've also worn braid extensions and have had a lot of build up and damage due to my own lack of knowledge. I would suggest going to growafrohairlong.com and following the braid extension regimen because since I found that website my hair has grow really well and retained length. And the regimen is very simple. But a few things I've learned from family (I'm African) since they are the only people that have every done my braids are detangle and DETANGLE or else the braider will be ripping hair out of your head, don't relax your hair before getting braids this is asking for damage, and if you feel they are doing it too tight tell them to loosen it and after the braids are in make sure to watch the crown area because damage is very prevalent.

 

[PocketVenus]

Thanks for your responses guys! I actually have my hair in braided extensions, but they're the length of my hair, so I was wondering if it would be better to just braid my natural hair so it could get max benefit from conditioning, etc. But I agree that it would be easier for neatness and detangling.

 

[Oasis]

I prefer braids with extensions because I retain more length and I think I look better with longer braids.