Pre-Braid Jitters

I was going to get braids for a year because I was thinking many people here have had success with braids and it would really be the best option for me because I don't have a stylist and I can't do my own hair. Then I thought of the awful time I had this summer removing my braids and how terrible my hair looked afterwards. Even after I retouched my hair it looked really thin and piecey. I have been doing research on braids for the last few weeks, (for lack of something better to do at work) and all of a sudden I started coming across more horror stories than success stories. Basically I am getting pre-braid jitters.
Then I thought about Cheyenne's question, (Where is she? Did she ever make it over?) and I thought about how I got my hair this long. I didn't really do anything. So I could do nothing for the same six months to a year and my hair will still grow, right? I don't know if I should get braids or not. Braids are not for everyone but the only way to find out if they are for you is to wear them for a while and see if all your hair falls out. That scares me. It wasn't the way I cared for them because I did everything I was supposed to, or at least I think I did. I washed them every three days, sprayed them with braid spray daily and kept my scalp clean. Did anyone who wore braids for a long period of time have problems at first? Did your hair look chewed up after you removed your braids at any point in the beginning? If it is just me then I am not getting braids.

honeyrockette,

i can understand why you have jitters if you had a bad experience with braids. i wore them on and off for eight months from 7/01 to 3/02. that is when i experienced the most growth. i don't think my ends suffered at all. i think the only thing i did different from you is i didn't wash them as often. i oiled my scalp regularly (at that time, i used Hot Six or Wonder 8 oil). i also used curl activator spray instead of braid spray to moisturize. to me, the braid spray was just too watery. as soon as it dried, my braids looked ashy. lol!

if your routine didn't work for you the first time, something definitely needs to be changed to get better results. you might want to consider the curl activator. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

adrienne

Curl Activator???

You mean like Jheri Curl Activator??? Isn't that stuff greasy and slimy? Every time I think of curl activator I think of Coming to America, (just let yo' SOOOOUUL GLOOOOOW!). I never thought of that for obvious reasons. I guess it is worth looking in to. So you didn't have any problems at all? No dryness? No breakage? No choppy ends? Never?

<font color="blue"> HoneyRockette, I have braided my hair several times in the past few years. Most recently, I removed my braids in July 2002 after having worn them for a year. From my experience, any damage that I sustained from braiding came because of what I did after taking them out. I didn't cut off the split ends and used curling irons every day. I generally had few problems removing them, but I devoted entire weekends to doing this. It helps to use tons of braid spray to make it easier to slip the braids out. I did have snags and tangles around the edges, which is the hardest place to remove braids from. I was especially careful here both in the removal and comb out.

It sounds as if you have a good routine. I didn't wash my braids as often as you did, but I used braid spray every day. As you probably know, moisture is key. I'm an advocate of braids because they helped me achieve the length that I have now. Just make sure that the braider doesn't braid too tightly.

I hope this helps somewhat.</font color>

Hello. I have had my hair in braids since November of last year. In November I was wearing my heair braided with sewn in weave. As of September of this year, I now wear my hair without the sewn in hair but with regular synthetic hair to add length and style.

I have had my hair braided off and on since I was in college. I would grow tired of doing my hair ( at that time my hair was past my shoulders) and liked having a break from relaxers and heat etc. Everytime that I have had braids I have always used activator in my hair. I have never bought braid spray or braid sheen or anything like that. I find that used in moderation ( no drip, drip) activator is wonderful as a conditioner/moisterizer. In fact, the spray I use has B5 in it which is great for making your grow.

Though I have NEVER had a braid horror story. One must still remember that even if you have braids you still have to take care of your hair. Whether it is with using activator or olive oil, wild growth whatever. Another major problem is that some folks go way too long in between touch-ups. I know that money can be funny sometimes but depending on the style/size of braids, some braids should not be worn longer than a month or two. I, myself, get my hair rebraided every 2-3 weeks cause I have to keep my scalp as clean as I can.

Now, when I take my hair down to wash it...whatever. My hair is always healthy. My hair is thicker, in fact very thick and has grown ( I cut my hair a few years ago and now am trying to get my shoulder length back)

One more thing, since I have worn braids for almost a year, I do get my hair done ( pressed every once in a while to give my hair a breather, that is VERY important if you intend on wearing braids for a long length of time. I have read many times where ladies didn't give their head a rest and found their edges to be thin because they did not give their hair a rest.
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Does the activator really make that much of a difference? Curiosity strikes me. For that reason and that reason alone I am going to braid my hair and use this stuff instead of braid spray. It is worth a shot. Thank you.

I've been wearing braids for almost 2 years now. If I've ever had any problems with braids it's been when 1)I've left them in too long 2)I've used oil/braid spray frequently and hard knots formed 3)The braider braided too tight 4)the braids were too small 5)I didn't detangle my hair good enough when I took it out. Is your hair relaxed or natural? My hair is natural and I have had a good amount of growth so far. I think if you are relaxed you have to be extra gentle with your hair in braids. For me, the less I do to it when it's braided the better it turns out when I take it out. I hardly put any spray on my scalp, I just put it on the length of the braids and I wash my hair every 2 weeks. What kind of braids do you want? I would say if you want to get braids on a consistent basis and your hair is relaxed individuals are best, even if you are natural. My hair has really grown but I was getting micros half the time and I would probably have 3 more inches than I do now if I just had individuals the whole way through. Maybe you should consider cornrows if you are still unsure about getting braids.

good idea, onyx! it will give you time to make up your mind while also giving your hair a rest. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

adrienne