Naturals that wear braids (extensions)

[pinkchocolatedaisy]

A few questions for ya:

what type of hair do you use?

What type of styles do you get (individuals, cornrows, tree braids- I heard micros are a big NONO , Idk any other types- oh what about crochets?)

do you use human or synthetic hair?

how long do you keep them in and what is the condition of your hair once you take them out?

Thanks

 

[msa]

Hiya.

I use kanekalon (sp?) straight out the package; it's synthetic. I don't do all that extra acv rinsing and washing first cuz I've never had a problem with the hair.

I get individuals. I've never had micros (they sound scary) and any time I've had smaller braids they tear my hair up. So, mine are usually the size of your little finger or bigger. They're easier to take down too.

I try to keep them for at least 6 weeks. Back in the day I could keep them in 3 months with no problem. Now, I start missing my hair so they come out faster. And, I like to give my edges a rest since they can only handle braids for so long.

While I have them in I condition wash them around once a week. The night before I'll slather them with deep conditioner (giovanni smooth as silk) focusing on the length of the braid. Then rinse out in the morning. Condition wash (oyin honey hemp conditioner). Usually add some conditioner (honey hemp) back in when I'm finished. Spray leave in (oyin juices and berries). And that's it. My hair is always nice and soft when I take them out (unlike back in the day when my hair would be dry and crispy from not washing it for 3 months). I try to spray leave in every day or every other day (cuz it smells good and it makes the roots soft).

I know there's a thread by samanthajones about preparing for braids. I think if you put "braids summer" in the search it'll come up.

 

[cmw45]

A few questions for ya:

what type of hair do you use? I ussually favor kanekalon jumbo braiding hair. In the past I have found that if I use hair with greater texture (Marley braid) or less texture (Sassy) the hair either looks fuzzy too soon or doesn't match after I wash my hair.


What type of styles do you get (individuals, cornrows, tree braids- I heard micros are a big NONO , Idk any other types- oh what about crochets?) I have had both individuals and cornrows.

do you use human or synthetic hair? I have tried both and found no greater benefit is using human hair. The only reason I would suggest using human hair is if you plan to curl or style your hair often. However, if you are going to be like me...and use this as an opportunity NOT to have to do your hair then I would just go with synthetic.

how long do you keep them in... When done professionally and with hair added I leave cornrows in anywhere from 3-4 weeks. I leave individuals in for between 6 and 10 weeks; it really depends on how they are holding up and what activities I have scheduled.

...and what is the condition of your hair once you take them out? I think this depends a lot on what you do to prepare your hair before you get them braided. When I first started getting braids I would notice quite a bit of growth when I took them out but my hair was incredibly dry. Now, I usually deep condition and lightly blow dry my hair before going and provide the braider with a leave in to add to my hair while braiding (I do this when I go to an African shop as they rarely have products I prefer...however, if I go to a salon I am usually okay with the leave in my braider uses...in the past it has been the KenraCare leave-in.)

I know you didn't ask but I thought this might help...

Regimen:

Shampoo-while in braids I wash my hair once every two weeks by diluting shampoo in a large bowl and pouring over my head. I then rub my scalp with the pads of my tips.
Condition-I condition my hair twice a week diluting the conditioner in a bowl and pouring over my head.
Leave-in-I only use water based leave-ins as I have found oil based leave-ins lead to bigger build-up. I usually do not wear a shower cap while in the shower and my hair becomes damp from the mist from the shower (I do not usually put my head under the water). When I get out of the shower I spray my braids with a glycerin based moisturizer (like Stay So Fro or S-Curl) and then wrap it for the night. This also helps to keep my style looking neat.

My biggest piece of advice is DO NOT let them snip up the sides of your braids or go up and down them with a lighter. This is trimming or buring your own hair.

HTH.


Thanks Your Welcome.

 

[Nonie]

what type of hair do you use?
I've used Beverly Johnson's Wet n Wavy (from the BSS), and His and Her Water Wave (from www.hisandher.com)--both human hair.

What type of styles do you get (individuals, cornrows, tree braids- I heard micros are a big NONO , Idk any other types- oh what about crochets?)

I call them micros or individuals interchangeably--although some might disagree. I think the terms are relative. I have seen people wearing what I'd call nanobraids coz they're almost as thin as hair strands (<--slight exaggeration) and that's not what I wear. You can see the size I wear in this pic

do you use human or synthetic hair?
Human hair always.

how long do you keep them in and what is the condition of your hair once you take them out?

As long as I want. Right now I'm still wearing the braids I put in last year in April (16 months ago). I just redo them one at a time as needed, usually while relaxing watching TV.

My hair condition is good. I do find I need to dust the ends every now and then, but otherwise my hair has never been in better condition than it is now.


__________

 

[ladylibra]

i always use toyokalon synthetic hair, both for individual box braids and for cornrows. i keep the cornrows in about 2-3 weeks. now because i can do my own box braids, i could keep them in for a loooooooong time (periodically going thru to retighten braids) but in the past it was always about 6 weeks.

i still co-wash and shampoo if needed, so my hair is usually in great condition when i take the braids out. i would highly benefit from a protective style routine... i just miss my hair being "out" too much to stick to one

 

[tocktick]

what type of hair do you use?

sensationnel premium too.

What type of styles do you get (individuals, cornrows, tree braids- I heard micros are a big NONO , Idk any other types- oh what about crochets?)

individuals that are a little smaller than a pencil most of the time.

do you use human or synthetic hair?

human. my scalp doesn't really like synthetic. however, i do have kinky twists that in and my scalp seems ok for now. i had to soak the hair in acv before i used it.

how long do you keep them in and what is the condition of your hair once you take them out?

1.5 - 3 months. i re-do the front if necessary. if i've kept up with washing, conditioning and moisturising my hair while in braids regularly, my hair is fine. i retain very well in braids because i don't play or manipulate my hair. i did slack with all of that once and when i took my hair down (after just over a month), my ends were mad dry. however, i was able to restore my hair back to it's usual softness.

 

[carameldiva]

A few questions for ya:

what type of hair do you use? I use 100% human hair unless I am getting cornrows then I use kanekleon or toyokalon (my spelling of these may be incorrect).

What type of styles do you get (individuals, cornrows, tree braids- I heard micros are a big NONO , Idk any other types- oh what about crochets?)

I usually wear cornrows or gel twists on my natural hair. Currently, I have been wearing micros for the last month. I have not had any problem with them. I just got the edges, front and rear re-done on friday, last week. I used 100% human hair and I moisturize daily, oil every other day. I shampoo/deep condition weekly. Plan to keep them in for another month or two. Next style will be tree braids. I plan to care for them the same way I do my real hair.

do you use human or synthetic hair? Human unless in cornrows- then synthethic

how long do you keep them in and what is the condition of your hair once you take them out?

Cornrows- 3-4 weeks

Micros- 8-12 weeks

I have never had any problems. I keep my hair and scalp clean and well conditioned while in braids so I don't have problems when taking them out. I have thicker longer hair when i remove the extensions.

Thanks

Micros are not the devil if taken care of properly and installed correctly. I did have to have my hair blown out prior to my install. I made sure to look at it when they re-did the front, edges and rear. I was pleased with the thickness and healthiness.

 

[Jazzmommy]

A few questions for ya:

what type of hair do you use?

What type of styles do you get (individuals, cornrows, tree braids- I heard micros are a big NONO , Idk any other types- oh what about crochets?)

do you use human or synthetic hair?

how long do you keep them in and what is the condition of your hair once you take them out?

Thanks

I haven't had my hair braided in about a year, but I would normally use Hollywood Human hair either the straight or curly kind.

I get micros and haven't had any problems with them. I keep my scalp clean, and use African Pride to keep my braids moisterized.

I get really great growth from micro braids -- they are just a pain to find someone to put them in and a pain to take them down.erplexed I think the key is getting them touched up in the front, along the sides and in the back. I would normally keep them in for about 2.5-3 months if I could push it.

 

[danigurl18]

what type of hair do you use? i use human hair.. the cheapest one at the bss at the time!

What type of styles do you get (individuals, cornrows, tree braids- I heard micros are a big NONO , Idk any other types- oh what about crochets?) i get individuals and cornrows.. im looking into tree braids though

do you use human or synthetic hair? human

how long do you keep them in and what is the condition of your hair once you take them out? i keep my individuals in for 2 months and my cornrows in for 2.5 weeks. my hair is in good condition because i shampoo and condition once a week with an applicator bottle and oil the scalp regularly.