does braids make your hair grow? how? what kinds .

[whosthatgurl]

hi. does braids make your hair grow? which kinds ? because i wanted some micro braids, but i've heard they take out your hair, and the purpose for hair to me is to grow it out, not take it out lol. i'm thinking about getting braids. how long do they last and can you make your hair grow ( i know dumb question ) i would appreicaite y'all's answers

 

[moneychaser]

Not grow, but helps you retain length.. Your hair is to grow regardless

 

[patience]

Braids DON'T make the hair grow. Hair is going to grow regardless. The braids will give your hair a break and possibly help you to retain more length, provided you take care of it.

As for the micro braids, I've heard plenty of horror stories about those. You may want to ask around and think a little more about getting those.

 

[Taliah]

YES! braids make my hair grow. for me it's more like a protective style, so i am retaining my length. i've never had micros, but my sister has and they do pull the hair out. i'm thinking because there's so much tension on so little hair. whereas, braids (individuals, conrows) pull with less tension because there's more hair in a single braid.

 

[HollyGolightly]

micro braids are the worst. they pulled my hairline out something terrible and i also wound up losing about an inch in some places from the glue they used to seal the braids. i swear, i will never get braids that small again.

 

[whosthatgurl]

what do y'all mean by retain hair? do yall mean keep it at the lentgh that it's at?

 

[Poohbear]

[ QUOTE ]
whosthatgurl said:
what do y'all mean by retain hair? do yall mean keep it at the lentgh that it's at?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not necessarily keep it at the same length but allowing it to have more length. When your hair length is retain, it has not been broken off. I hope that makes sense.

 

[Poohbear]

check out http://www.growafrohairlong.com

 

[Nonie]

[ QUOTE ]
whosthatgurl said:
what do y'all mean by retain hair? do yall mean keep it at the lentgh that it's at?

[/ QUOTE ]

They mean it doesn't break (like would happen if you were combing it all the time or leaving it hanging out so that it's exposed to elements that cause natural wear and tear). If you keep your hair in braids, the ends of the hair you have are protected so they don't break off or weaken from wear and tear... Meanwhile your hair continues to grow at the roots. Hence you see longer hair in due time.

The reason some pple's hair doesn't seem to grow isn't because their scalp isn't producing growth...but because their ends break off as fast as their follicles sprout new growth. Hence they stay at the same length.

So the secret is to protect your ends and you might just reach lengths you never thought possible.

[ETA: I see Poohbear already answered you while I was rambling on.

]

 

[whosthatgurl]

hehe but how do you protect your ends?

 

[Healthb4Length]

because your ends are not out and brushing against fabric, they will be protected. You can also use moisturizing sprays like African Pride braid spray or my personal favorite African Royale. THey provide max moisture to your ends without causing build up. Please check out this site as mentioned before for proper handling of braids www.growafrohairlong.com

 

[lovelymissyoli]

In my opinion, braids are a major reason why my hair has grown. It’s a good way to give my hair a rest from chemicals and styling. I really don’ t wear my hair down often and since I’ve kept braids in my hair it has retained a lot of growth, more than I’ve ever had before. As for micros

, they normally pull tight around your hairline due to the tension placed on your hair follicle and can cause bumps; I’ve seen and heard many stories. Just remember to apply oil daily to your scalp when wearing braids and keep your hair in the braid moisturized as well.

 

[ubavka123]

I wore braids once for a year because I stupidly decided to get highlights on my fragile relaxed hair. Braids really do help you retain your length so that you can see the growth that you have, provided they are properly taken care of, moisturized, etc. I practically lived in Khamit Kinks in Manhattan during this period. They are very experienced braiders and were very careful not to pull too tight around the hairline, where the hair is very delicate. I did not want traction alopecia! Don't be afraid to speak up and tell the braider not to make it too tight. I have had micros and I do not like these because they can pull hair from the hair line. They use very few strands to make one braid, so you can imagine how delicate each braid is. Personally, I would go with a thicker braid, just to be safe. Although micros are gorgeous...I prefer cornrows or two-strand twists (though this style is harder to maintain because the hair can come undone).

 

[BlackButterflyz]

I've had braids on and off for the past 5 months and they really help retain/gain length b/c I'm not messing with my hair too much. I also had briads that were a little larger than micros- my friend calls them "mecros"

(although most people thought they were micros b/c they were done so perfectly) and they didn't cause any damage, my hair is even thicker. I think the key is to make sure that the person that is doing the braids understands that you want your hairline to remain in tact and that you don't want them too small

 

[Healthb4Length]

Honey I did the micros thing awhile back, I mean way back like 4 years ago. That stuff pulled out my hair around the hair line, I still have that little spot missing!

Luckily I have voluminous hair so no one notices it, it looks like my natural hair line. Never again with micros

 

[Nonie]

[ QUOTE ]
whosthatgurl said:
hehe but how do you protect your ends?

[/ QUOTE ]

Any style that keeps your ends tucked away from the drying air and prevents them from rubbing against clothing or getting caught in bag straps etc is a way to protect your ends. A lot of pple on the forum wear buns as a protective style. Cornrows are protective also because most of your ends are tucked under. The baggie (baggy?) technique, which a lot of pple incorporate into their buns or fake pony style, is a popular protective style on this board. One of my all-time idol is Adrienne and she demonstrates the baggie technique in her album. Another expert of the baggie technique, who's also very creative in the styling department, is Dontspeakdefeat, as you will see in her album.