CONSIDER THIS BEFORE GETTING THOSE BRAIDS DONE

   

Ever wonder what kenekelon hair looks like close up? Well I did and I just had to share the pictures with you all  :). If you compare these pictures with the last two pictures of real African hair you wouldn't notice much of a difference.

     

 

134 strands of kenekelon hair. Not enough to give you that chunky full look.

Now lets talk technique... 

Notice how stylists section a tiny amount hair and tightly attach to it an amount of hair that is thicker than the one shown in the picture above? This is in my opinion is one of the reasons why a lot of us suffer from Traction Alopecia.

Lets forget about the hair and think about the follicles that we traumatize. For the first few days  after braiding, your scalp is on fire; no thanks to the technique used to attach the kanekelon hair.After the pain has subsided, the kanekelon  stays neatly attached to our hair strands but after a month, it starts to get loose. With new growth, you should notice the fake hair hanging from the real hair.  

At this point, the braid is moves a lot. Sometimes you'll even notice that the tiny section has rolled tightly around itself causing tension to the follicle. For many, this is when you notice the white specks at the root of the braid. Try to get rid of the specks and what you will pull out from the braid will be shed hair. While this might be normal, one can't help but wonder how many hair strands were lost due to the prolonged period of tension.

Add pain from braiding, to the weight of the heavy braid, to manipulation and traction alopecia should not come as a surprise. Fortunately our hair follicles can be very forgiving but years and years of doing damage can sometimes lead to permanent hair loss.

Tips:

1.Let the amount of kanekelon hair used (per section) be  proportionate to the amount of real hair carrying it. So for instance, if you want chunky braids, let the section of hair be big enough so you have enough real hair to carry the fake.

2. Make sure your hair is not braided too tightly to the point where you start having sores. If you can't sleep at night after getting your hair braided then I'll advise that you loosen it. Styling might cost N3000 but trust me when I tell you that the solution for hair loss will definitely cost you more. 

 Both pictures were taken from two clients with relaxed hair. Look closely at the picture to the left and your will notice hair strands pulled too tightly. In the picture to the left, the lady complained that her hair never gets relaxed. Notice that the curl patter in still intact. I told her to be grateful for her stubborn hair.