I'm getting better @ braiding!!

First trial...me

...then my sister.

all done but not yet trimmed.

Sometime last month a reader wrote a comment about losing a lot of hair after taking down her braids. If you are a frequent reader of Db&k then you'll know that I'm not very big on braids with extensions. To help out I observed the traditional way of braiding hair with extensions and tried to find a new way of getting braids done without losing too much hair (most especially at the edges). Before going for camp I braided my hair (myself) incorporating my new findings and I tell you I got good results. Here's what I did:

• Washed and deep conditioned my hair properly
• Dried it with a hair drier set on cool
• Applied a little Shea butter to the extensions after picking it. You could use normal hair oil.

Braiding:

• I sectioned my hair into much bigger sections than the proffesional hair braiders do.
• Used an amount of extension to each section that would not be too heavy for my hair.
• I made  big sections at the back of my head  and in the middle were my hair strands are tougher I made smaller sections. Then I increased the size at the crown. This is to protect the fine hairs from pulling out of my scalp with the pressure from the extensions.

After Braiding:

• Trimmed off the excess and went to bed.
• To maintain my braids I loosely tied my hair with a satin scarf and applied my shea-coconut oil mix to my scalp and braids when I felt it was dry.
• Styling is very simple. I tried not to tug too hard on the braids. This protected the hair from pulling out of the scalp. Try not to pack your hair too tightly. Too much pressure will break your hair.

Take down:

After 2weeks I took down the braids . Usually, by this time, the braids in front would almost be pulled out (see pic. below). But with the new method my hair line stayed the way it was before I braided it.

notice the little the sections,the amount of extensions added when compared to the small section of hair holding it, and the pressure put on the fine hair strands.

Since it worked for me, I decided to braid my sisters hair and see how well this method will work for her. When she takes it down I will post pictures to show whether her hair line was damaged or not.

What to note when braiding:

• Do not put too much pressure on any part of your hair that falls out easily. For instance, the hair in front of my head is really fine and easy to drop off, so I make the sections there bigger and make smaller sections in the middle to make the hair style seem fuller.
• Apply a bit of your favorite hair oil to your strands before braiding. 
• Do not braid your hair too tightly.

...and after braiding;

• Do not pull too tightly on your braids when  putting it into a bun.
• I've learnt that tying my hair with a silk scarf at night and oiling my scalp when it gets dry helps makes the style last longer.

That will be all for now. If you have any questions or have have information that is contrary to what I have stated above, please feel free to let me know. Peace!!