Small braids no extensions

[lovegymnasts]

I'm thinking of putting my hair in small braids (although, I don't think I would have the patience to do them myself) or having a friend of a friend do it.
I tried a search to get tips but I only find information regarding extensions.
If someone can point me in the right direction, it would be appreciated.

My questions are:

1. Are they hard to take out ie is it worth it? How do you get them out? I can't imagine my fingers undoing those little things.
2. Am I begging for breakage during the take down process?
3. I'm assuming I can maintain my regular co-wash, deep condition, and daily rinse schedule but will my braids suffer? I would like to keep them in for a month.
4. Since they are small, do they maintain their look through all the co-washing and rinsing?
5. What do I need to know?

Thanks

 

[MzSwift]

These are my go-to summer style. I have fine hair and can only leave them in for 2-2.5 weeks before redoing. I wash, cowash, henna, DC and anything else I feel like doing in them. My hair is APLish and it takes me 4-6 hours to put them in and 4 hours to remove them. I don't use a comb though, only fingerdetangling and deshedding.

I moisturize and seal them daily and do not experience the knots from them like I do with mini twists and twists in general. When I take them down, it's usually AFTER I've washed and DC'd and I'm converting the rows into cornrows for my next PS. They make a nice braidout though.

I would say try them for a couple of weeks and then take them down to assess your hair.

But some can leave them in for at least 1 month at a time! There's a lady on BHM who had a Fotki with lots of pictures of hers. She would alternate between mini twists and mini braids, never totally taking them down. She would just convert them back and forth. Her name is Nigerian Queen and she's locced now but I still go back to her hair for inspiration I believe she's still on Fotki.

 

[lovegymnasts]

I just checked her out. Thanks for the suggestion.

Nope, won't be doing mine that small. That woman has a lot...a lot...a world of patience.
If I do small braids, I will definitely have someone else do it.

 

[Tiye]

Are they hard to take out ie is it worth it? How do you get them out? I can't imagine my fingers undoing those little things.

I don't do this look anymore but I used to like them. I always did them myself. You should never have braids so small that you can't take them out with your fingers or with a rat tail comb - unless you never want them to come out (i.e. locks)


Am I begging for breakage during the take down process?

Not if you take your time with them.


I'm assuming I can maintain my regular co-wash, deep condition, and daily rinse schedule but will my braids suffer? I would like to keep them in for a month.

You can do all of the above but depending on your hair type it might begin to early stage locking. With your first set of braids, you'll have to take down a few each week to see how they're doing. After that you'll know what your hair does and how to treat your braids.


Since they are small, do they maintain their look through all the co-washing and rinsing?
What do I need to know?

If your hair is curly or coily they're going to shrink up after you wet them so if you want a longer look you might want to cut back on daily rinsing. You can also braid them up in bunches before or after you wet them to elongate them a bit.

 

[Napp]

Are they hard to take out ie is it worth it? How do you get them out? I can't imagine my fingers undoing those little things.

its long but it is faily easy to do if you have washed them a few times and take them out when dry. they unravel rather easily and can be taken out with just your fingers. if you add product or do it when damp/wet you will run into unnecessary tangling.

Am I begging for breakage during the take down process?
take them out when dry and when you have finished removing a small section twist it up. then go in with some kind of detangling agen and detangle twist by twist. this will help prevent matting of the shed hair.

I'm assuming I can maintain my regular co-wash, deep condition, and daily rinse schedule but will my braids suffer? I would like to keep them in for a month.
Since they are small, do they maintain their look through all the co-washing and rinsing?
What do I need to know?

they may get a bit fuzzy but otherwise they should be fine. when i had them in the first time(short hair) i co washed daily with vo5 with no issue. they curled up and i looked presentable. i didnt dc with them because i thought it would cause build up. if you want the straight/elongated braid look you can band them with a stocking after washing.roll them up compleltey like if you were threading hair. that is what i did when my hair got longer.otherwise expect it to be curly looking.


HTH.

 

[keepithealthy]

This was my first time doing them but I will share my experience thus far

Are they hard to take out ie is it worth it? How do you get them out? I can't imagine my fingers undoing those little things. Am I begging for breakage during the take down process?

I haven't taken mine out yet but I did try taking out a few to see how hard it would be. I was basically able to take them out with my fingers and a rat tail comb. It was faster and gentler with my fingers.

I'm assuming I can maintain my regular co-wash, deep condition, and daily rinse schedule but will my braids suffer? I would like to keep them in for a month.
Since they are small, do they maintain their look through all the co-washing and rinsing?

When I used to do mini twists I wouldn't co-wash because they would get all fuzzy and some in the back of my hair wear the texture is looser would get tangly. But since some of my hair is bleached I want to make sure that it stays moisturized. So I cowashed my braids and they look great afterward. It didn't get fuzzy like my twists and the didn't get tangly. I don't daily rinising. I co-wash or DC about 1x a week.

What do I need to know?

After I cowash I use Kimmay leave in using Mixed Silk, then I put a Shae Butter mix I made over that and then I put a little ECO Styler gel over it so that it doesn't get fuzzy. It's been working great and my hair is soft for days. If I feel for some reason that my hair is dry I rub a little of my leave in on and it's fine.

Like I said this is my first time. I hope it helps.

Oh and here is a link to a pic of how small my braids are
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=571543

 

[NappyNelle]

Check out EbonyPrincess' fotki for inspiration and tips. I promise, her hair is worth the click.

 

[rainbowknots]

I'm in box braids right now. I've been in them since june. Every other week I redo just the front part of my head, and once a month I redo my whole head. Unfortunately it takes me a LONG time to redo. I usually dedicate a whole weekend to braiding my hair because I have to take breaks in between.

Are they hard to take out ie is it worth it? How do you get them out? I can't imagine my fingers undoing those little things.

I take them down one at a time, redoing each one as I go along, with my fingers when it's time to redo them. It's not difficult for me, just really time consuming.

Am I begging for breakage during the take down process?

Before I take a braid down, I spray it with Shescentit Moisture Mist leave in. I don't have issues with breakage, I just get normal shedding.

I'm assuming I can maintain my regular co-wash, deep condition, and daily rinse schedule but will my braids suffer?
I would like to keep them in for a month.
Since they are small, do they maintain their look through all the co-washing and rinsing?
What do I need to know?

My braids start to get frizzy after the first week, depending on how often I cowash. I try to co-wash them every few days, never going longer than a week. I wash and deep condition them every other week right before it's time to redo them.

Also, I TRY to moisturize them every day, depending on how lazy I am. Even with not consistently moisturizing them every day, I don't really have issues with breakage. They are really helping me with my transition, I don't think I would've made it this far if it wasn't for my braids. Even though it's time consuming to put in and redo, it's worth it because I really don't have to do too much to my hair on a daily basis. Just spritz and toss them in a pony tail. I'll post a picture sometime this weekend after I redo them. They are kind of in bad shape right now lol.

 

[rainbowknots]

keepithealthy, are you putting the gel on them as you braid or do you rub it on after the braid is complete. I think I may need to try this because they start looking pretty fuzzy after the first week or so.

 

[keepithealthy]

keepithealthy, are you putting the gel on them as you braid or do you rub it on after the braid is complete. I think I may need to try this because they start looking pretty fuzzy after the first week or so.

blaqphoenix I use a Shea butter mix I made when I am braiding them. I wet mine right after I braid them because I want the ends to curl up. I braid on dry stretched hair. Then after I co-wash them I do my leave in, a little more of the shae mix and then eco styler down the length of the hair. I do this every time I co-wash and my hair looks great. So far I've found that when my hair is getting fuzzy after about a week or so, I will co-wash and put the products previously mentioned in my hair and it actually looks better and less frizzy. I haven't had any problems with dryness from using the gel either. I hope that answers your question.

 

[rainbowknots]

keepithealthy, yes it does. Thanks. I'll have to try the gel thing.

 

[*C00KIE*]

I just started, doing mini braids for 2 weeks, now. I will try to answer to the best of my ability

Are they hard to take out ie is it worth it? How do you get them out? I can't imagine my fingers undoing those little things.
I dont believe they are hard to come out, just have to have the time to do so and not be in a hurry, this is where breakage and split ends start. It is absolutly worth it for me because it is a low maintance protective style. I plan on removing the braids with my fingers, this time around next time it might be with a rat tail comb because I am thinking about doing them smaller. I cannot stress this point enough, if you plan on taking them down, DO IT ON DRY HAIR, if not, you will get some tangling.

Am I begging for breakage during the take down process?
BReakage, will happen if you dont have the patience to take them out as well as if you take them down while your hair is wet or with product.

I'm assuming I can maintain my regular co-wash, deep condition, and daily rinse schedule but will my braids suffer? I would like to keep them in for a month.
Yes you can do your regular hair regime, with no issues but I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND doing henna this will be diffcult to remove from small braids.

Since they are small, do they maintain their look through all the co-washing and rinsing?
Tying hair down w/ a silk scarf at night and running some ecostyler olive oil down the braid (a little goes a long way)

What do I need to know?
It is worth it, just take your taking them down, dont do them too small