Single Braids

Poutchi

New Member
Hello everyone,
I am just wondering if single braids without extensions are good for hair or will it break? A friend of mine swears my hair will break if I do them. Is it better to braids the hair with extensions to protect ends?
 
Your friend is wrong. Your hair should do fine with or without extensions so long as it is clean, conditioned, detangled & moisturized.
 
oh gosh...I just did a full head of single braids on my natural hair. LOL . I was wondering the same thing because I did them quite small with hopes to keep them in for about 6 weeks. I wear wigs as a protective style though.
**waits**
 
^^^So long as they aren't too small. I believe pencil size is best. Some people do fine with micro size, some don't.
 
thanks ladies,
I was thinking on small sizes, I am transitionning and that will give me a better access to my scalp for oiling and i can still deep condition the hair itself. I am seing that as a good transitioning style. But with colder months coming up, I think I will be adding extension to the braids and keep them 2 months at a time.
 
Poutchi that is why I decided to do the single braids to access my scalp better but then again I use a doppler to oil my scalp so it gets all over even if I have cornrows.
Hopeful the braids aren't too small like micros but they are small. ;-)
Great thread OP
 
It really depends on the condition of your ends. If you have thick, healthy ends, then your ends should be fine. If you thin ends, then I would add extensions. Extensions can be added at the root or towards the end of the hair.

When I use to wear cornrows, I had my braider add hair at the ends to give me extra length and to take tension off my edges.
 
I want to get extensions, but I have to find a CLEAN place here in NYC to get them done. I will probably get them done in the fall and keep them in for no more than two months. Im only worried about my edges being too thin.
 
oh gosh...I just did a full head of single braids on my natural hair. LOL . I was wondering the same thing because I did them quite small with hopes to keep them in for about 6 weeks. I wear wigs as a protective style though.
**waits**

OP, not to hijack, I just wanted to address what hair4romheaven posted.

I wear my own hair like this exclusively, without hair added, and I've been doing it for about 2 years now. I've found keeping the hair clean, conditioned and moisturized to be important, just like the other ladies said.

The one issue you may find is in the takedown. I've found that I have to be very gentle and to be wary of letting the shed hair tangle up with the other hair. And redoing the nape about every two weeks is a necessity for me, or I get lint locks at the base, and they are very difficult to remove. HTH.
 
I haven't done braids in a long time, I might next time but I've been doing twists with no extensions and my hair does better without the fake hair. The last few times I added Kankelon to my braids or twists, my hair was very dry after two months of co-washes, braid spray, and oil. My hair has been in twists for the last 3-4 months and I've had a lot of retention. Like the other posters said just keep it clean and moisturized.
 
Hair will only break if it is not moistured and it is extremely dry, as well as braids being way too tight and close to the scalp. So your friend is wrong. =) Have fun with your braids!
 
It really depends on the condition of your ends. If you have thick, healthy ends, then your ends should be fine. If you thin ends, then I would add extensions. Extensions can be added at the root or towards the end of the hair.

When I use to wear cornrows, I had my braider add hair at the ends to give me extra length and to take tension off my edges.

Oh wow that is a great idea... thanks bunches... will do this next time :)
 
The one issue you may find is in the takedown. I've found that I have to be very gentle and to be wary of letting the shed hair tangle up with the other hair. And redoing the nape about every two weeks is a necessity for me, or I get lint locks at the base, and they are very difficult to remove. HTH.

I agree with the bold part. I am in extension braids and wear bangs w/o extensions, but I do not do single braid where I don't use extension hair; I do twists. The reason for this is braids seem to lock for me w/o extension hair. I do wear braids endlessly but even one week of braids w/o extension with the two washes makes undoing them very hard. For me it seems the extension hair keeps the hair in each of the three strands that form the braid separated so that takedown is a breeze.

Mind you, I'm talking about tiny braids so it might be different with bigger braids.
 
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