Weave and Braid wearers: How do you keep your hairline in tact???

[IntelligenceisBeautiful]

Weave and Braid wearers: How do you keep your hairline intact???

I would love to wear weaves and/or braids for the next 6 months to give my hair a break; however, I'm a little scared.

EVERYTIME, I get my hair braided or weaved I end up with hairline damage. For example, I recently took out a weave out my hair and noticed it thin my edges something terrible .

I've tried everything like using growth serums on my edges whilst in braids/weaves and I make sure to tell my stylists not to braid too tight. I really think my hairline just doesn't like tension in any form.

If you have any advice or techniques you'd like to share do tell.....

TIA

 

[Nonie]

My advice is: (1) to make sure they use LESS hair for each section than the thickness of that section; (2) to make sure the hair is not pulled tight when extensions are added; and (3) to make sure that you get the hairline redone AS SOON as it gets loose, whether from sliding extension hair or from new growth. <---This I believe is the biggest mistake people make. And it is for that reason that I encourage people to learn to do their own braids because not only can they control how tightly they are done along the hairline, but they can touch them up as soon as necessary.

If you cannot do your own braids, then perhaps go for bangs like I had? That is, twist your own hair at the front without extensions, and that way you can maintain its neatness while not having to worry about damage from the strain of additional hair. If you make the bangs the same thickness as the braids, they don't look bad:

And if your hair isn't long enough for them to hang down low enough to your liking after a wash (I used to wet mine and let them drip dry so they'd hang down properly), you can put them in rollers when they are wet to stretch and dry in a curvy shape that you can sweep to the side or just let them hang down. Kinda like how I did my twists here, only you'll do it to the bangs. Even a do with the curls raised at the front the way mine were, ie not necessarily hanging over the forehead, can look good, particularly with an updo.

 

[baddison]

Re: Weave and Braid wearers: How do you keep your hairline intact???

I would love to wear weaves and/or braids for the next 6 months to give my hair a break; however, I'm a little scared.

EVERYTIME, I get my hair braided or weaved I end up with hairline damage. For example, I recently took out a weave out my hair and noticed it thin my edges something terrible .

I've tried everything like using growth serums on my edges whilst in braids/weaves and I make sure to tell my stylists not to braid too tight. I really think my hairline just doesn't like tension in any form.

If you have any advice or techniques you'd like to share do tell.....

TIA

Totally agree with your fears and/or concerns. My solution was to just buckle down and learn to braid my hair on my own. I went to Robin's growafrolong.com site and just watched that "how to braid" video to death. I watched it over and over and over, while practicing on my own head over an over and over. Eventually I got it right. And with each take down and wash, my technique gets better and better.

It was my only option since I blatantly REFUSED to have any stylist apply braids for me ever agian. I was already bitten by that bug, and it wasn't pretty!

 

[nakialovesshoes]

Everytime I get braids or weave, I usually am not pleased & take it down within 24 hours. However, I've decided that I want a certain length by my 35th b-day next year so I'm going to buckle down & wear sew-ins from now until then.

Since people use OCT/MT to regrow edges, I'm planning to use these products to preserve my edges. I'm also thinking about leaving hair out as well so there is little to no tension on my edges. HTH...

 

[BeetleBug]

I've had Senegalese twists a couple of months ago and I have micros in currently. I always make sure that they don't braid too tight and I always put either Sulfur 8 or BT around my edges everyday. I also make sure that my hairline gets extra moisture. I haven't had any problems yet with my hairline. Oh yeah, prayer helps too. I always ask God to look after my edges when I am in braids. Sounds vain but I don't care.

eta: I get my hairline rebraided every couple of weeks. You don't want loose braids hanging around your edges.

 

[C.Nicole]

We must be hairline twins, because I have the exact same problem. I swore by sew-ins, I had a new install the first of every other month. I tried to keep my hairline intact, but it never worked for me. I have just learned to not cause ANY stress on that area of my hair for now..

 

[Ediese]

I've never had problems with weaves thinning my hairline, and I'm always wearing a sew-in. I just usually dont' have the stylist braid the small hair around my hairline to prevent any damage.

 

[hothair]

Change the style of the braid, try to style the hair forward i.e. with bangs or swooped forward it stops the tension pulling the hair out HTH

 

[danigurl18]

I have my stylist braid my edges not as tight as the rest of my hair and that has really saved my edges..

 

[phyl73]

I have her leave the front out and she just braids the rest down in vertical braids. I can't make a ponytail, but my edges are okay. I'm in a weave now and will be until the end of October. Well that's if mega-tek will allow that.

 

[cupcakes]

dont do them too tight

 

[long2short2_?]

I braid my hair myself and i hate loose braids so they're always tight. I use growth aids so by the end of that week they aren't tight anymore but they still look good. my hair grows before my edges have a chance to pop.

 

[glamazon386]

Re: Weave and Braid wearers: How do you keep your hairline intact???

I would love to wear weaves and/or braids for the next 6 months to give my hair a break; however, I'm a little scared.

EVERYTIME, I get my hair braided or weaved I end up with hairline damage. For example, I recently took out a weave out my hair and noticed it thin my edges something terrible .

I've tried everything like using growth serums on my edges whilst in braids/weaves and I make sure to tell my stylists not to braid too tight. I really think my hairline just doesn't like tension in any form.

If you have any advice or techniques you'd like to share do tell.....

TIA

You need to tell them not to braid/pull so tight. That's all you really can do. Many times you tell them that and then they do what they want anyway or tell you it has to be tight for the style to stay in. I've been wearing weaves for maybe the past 5 years or so with no problems with the edges coming out. I had one weave that was too tight about 2 years ago and it was a few days after I bced so I think she just didn't have enough hair to braid in some spots and pulled it. I lost a lot of hair when I took it out a month later and it hurt like hell for a week. Never again.

 

[cmw45]

My advice is: (1) to make sure they use LESS hair for each section than the thickness of that section; (2) to make sure the hair is not pulled tight when extensions are added; and (3) to make sure that you get the hairline redone AS SOON as it gets loose, whether from sliding extension hair or from new growth. <---This I believe is the biggest mistake people make. And it is for that reason that I encourage people to learn to do their own braids because not only can they control how tightly they are done along the hairline, but they can touch them up as soon as necessary.

If you cannot do your own braids, then perhaps go for bangs like I had? That is, twist your own hair at the front without extensions, and that way you can maintain its neatness while not having to worry about damage from the strain of additional hair. If you make the bangs the same thickness as the braids, they don't look bad:

And if your hair isn't long enough for them to hang down low enough to your liking after a wash (I used to wet mine and let them drip dry so they'd hang down properly), you can put them in rollers when they are wet to stretch and dry in a curvy shape that you can sweep to the side or just let them hang down. Kinda like how I did my twists here, only you'll do it to the bangs. Even a do with the curls raised at the front the way mine were, ie not necessarily hanging over the forehead, can look good, particularly with an updo.

Is this true for weaves as well? I just got my first install and the woman said one of the reasons people loose hair is because their cornrows are too small. She say they make them so small so that it lays flatter. I have a natural style weave so I am no worried about it laying super flat and asked her to do them slightly bigger as to avoid any unneeded stress. Was this correct?

Everytime I get braids or weave, I usually am not pleased & take it down within 24 hours. However, I've decided that I want a certain length by my 35th b-day next year so I'm going to buckle down & wear sew-ins from now until then.

Since people use OCT/MT to regrow edges, I'm planning to use these products to preserve my edges. I'm also thinking about leaving hair out as well so there is little to no tension on my edges. HTH...

Are you getting a full head or a partial? Do your find that the hair left out grows as much? The next time I get a weave I am thinking about asking her to cornrow up the all of my hair but leave the braid around the hair line unattached...or maybe just in one or two spots. I feel like because of the style I can get away with it.

Change the style of the braid, try to style the hair forward i.e. with bangs or swooped forward it stops the tension pulling the hair out HTH

This is a realy go idea. What other patterns are there for weaves besides the behive one?

 

[IntelligenceisBeautiful]

Thanks for your replies ladies, I'm going to print this thread and read it over. I'm gioving my edges a break for another six weeks and will incorporate your suggestions in my next install.

 

[Nonie]

to make sure they use LESS hair for each section than the thickness of that section

Is this true for weaves as well? I just got my first install and the woman said one of the reasons people loose hair is because their cornrows are too small. She say they make them so small so that it lays flatter. I have a natural style weave so I am no worried about it laying super flat and asked her to do them slightly bigger as to avoid any unneeded stress. Was this correct?

I don't know much about weaves...but it probably could be true of them as well. Perhaps drop DSD or other weave experts a PM on that. Do let me know too, coz now I'm curious myself.

 

[cmw45]

I tried a weave for only two and half weeks and noticed my hairline thinned. However, I have wore braids consistently in the past and not noticed thinning. I think I may go back to them.

 

[nomoweavesfome]

I think this is one of my main reasons for braiding without extensions. I'm just getting over a faulty hairline.

 

[KweenBeeDiva]

O.k. I don't really have problems in the front or sides...it's the nape of my neck. My wig (the combs) did it, and it's growing back, but slowly.

I'm in a weave now, but I use WGO on this area every two-three days before I go to bed. In the morning I use organix coconut anti break serum (just a tiny bit). I also sleep with my bonnet inside out, so that the band doesn't pull on my hair.

I've noticed that with this afro install, the bonnet hooks in underneath the bottom weft, and when I wake up, the bonnet has pulled the weft ALLLLL the way up (imagine taking off a sweater, and how your hair lifts up as you slide the sweater over your head. The first time it happened, some of my tiny hairs got caught and pulled out! So I started sleeping with a bonnet over 3/4 my head and a scarf tied around the bottom half.

I have a big head.

Oh, and try not to handle the new growth so much if you can help it. I have a bad habit of twirling the hair at my nape on my finger.

 

[Blessed_Angel]

My advice is: (1) to make sure they use LESS hair for each section than the thickness of that section; (2) to make sure the hair is not pulled tight when extensions are added; and (3) to make sure that you get the hairline redone AS SOON as it gets loose, whether from sliding extension hair or from new growth. <---This I believe is the biggest mistake people make. And it is for that reason that I encourage people to learn to do their own braids because not only can they control how tightly they are done along the hairline, but they can touch them up as soon as necessary.

If you cannot do your own braids, then perhaps go for bangs like I had? That is, twist your own hair at the front without extensions, and that way you can maintain its neatness while not having to worry about damage from the strain of additional hair. If you make the bangs the same thickness as the braids, they don't look bad:

And if your hair isn't long enough for them to hang down low enough to your liking after a wash (I used to wet mine and let them drip dry so they'd hang down properly), you can put them in rollers when they are wet to stretch and dry in a curvy shape that you can sweep to the side or just let them hang down. Kinda like how I did my twists here, only you'll do it to the bangs. Even a do with the curls raised at the front the way mine were, ie not necessarily hanging over the forehead, can look good, particularly with an updo.

I agree with the bolded.

That is one of the things I loved the most about braiding my own hair; I could make it look fresh whenever I needed. Also, I learned to keep my edges in tact by using Nonie's techiniques for years.

But what I found that worked better for my edges, was to do this. And this may not be something that a stylist is willing to do: When braiding the edges, pull some of the hairs out. This is for the braids are on the sides, cause that is where the hairline is the most thin and sensitive. I would brush the edges down with a wet (with water) toothbrush. And use a pomade (or you can use beeswax) to hold the hair down while you braid. And to keep that neat look when wearing ponytails, or hair pulled back, I would use gel to hold and smooth my edges.

When I took out my braids the last time I wore it, I had all my edges. With these methods you'll be able to maintain your edges.

 

[Isis77]

I have kinky twists in now and have had micros before. (I've never had a weave though so I can't help with that unfortunately) I just try to take some of the tension off my scalp when the braider is braiding each one (I'll hold the end that is on my scalp so when she pulls as she's braiding she isn't ripping my hair out ) and then I always make sure that if I pull my braids/twists back into a bun or pony-tail, I give plenty of slack to the braids at my edges (pull them out of the holder more than the others.) I also try not to manipulate them as much.

I think someone said it on this thread already, but have you thought about flat-twisting or corn rowing the front part of your hair and then just have the rest braided? That may help save your edges too.

 

[glamazon386]

Is this true for weaves as well? I just got my first install and the woman said one of the reasons people loose hair is because their cornrows are too small. She say they make them so small so that it lays flatter. I have a natural style weave so I am no worried about it laying super flat and asked her to do them slightly bigger as to avoid any unneeded stress. Was this correct?



Are you getting a full head or a partial? Do your find that the hair left out grows as much? The next time I get a weave I am thinking about asking her to cornrow up the all of my hair but leave the braid around the hair line unattached...or maybe just in one or two spots. I feel like because of the style I can get away with it.



This is a realy go idea. What other patterns are there for weaves besides the behive one?

The size of the braid doesn't have anything to do with it. They're just pulling too tight. Or they're sewing too tight. If you feel any tension when they're done, it's too tight. And some people's hairline is just fragile. I do find that the hair left out of the weave does not grow as fast as the rest. I think it's from all the manipulation to get it to blend.

 

[kenzi]

I had the same problem with my hair. I solved it, with a combination approach:
1. make certain the braids are not too tight
2. full head weave with a crown enclosure
3. continue to use MT mixture on the edges of my hair (twice a day)
4. regular maintenance of the weave to keep tangles and loose threads in check

Hope this helps

 

[sheanu]

Wow so you're supposed to redo the edges when they grow/slip out and start to hang? Does that really help prevent stress on the edges? All this time I wasn't redoing them cuz i didn't want to stress my edges only to find out I was probably doing more harm than good!

Any other tips?