Micros: Is this a common practice?

[ThickHair]

My best friend got micros last week and I was sitting with her after work when the braider was finishing up. She went to an african braid shop here in Pittsburgh.

I have never had micros nor had any hairstyle with weave, extensions, etc so this is all new to me.

The woman would take the hair to be added and spray it with hair spray, it was some cheap white rain extra hold spray. After she had a section braided she would mix cheap hair mouse and that brown hair gel together and put it on her braids then make one big braid with the micros.

Other than making the hair wavey what purpose does all that spray, mouse and gel for? Wouldn't that make for a really itchy scalp and hair? Has anyone every heard of that practice? Is it an African braider thing? A Pittsburgh thing?

Please enlighten me.

 

[IrisDaVirus]

I've seen African braiders use mousse on microbraids to make them wavy (provided a wavy type of hair was used) and maybe a little oil sheen. I've never seen them use hair spray or any type of gel on them. I do know of different braiders - African and non-African - who use mousse, oil sheen, gel and hairspray on their micros when they're finished. That's way too much product on one head IMHO.

Nothing however beats the braiders who seal the ends of their micros with bonding glue and Krazy Glue to keep them from unraveling.

 

[ThinNnappy]

I had them a million times before i cared about my hair, all that mouse and gel and stuff keep the braids from unraveling-but what they really do is dry your hair out and make your hair hard and stuck in place. If your hair is soft and moistrurized your braids will not last
Micro braids are very damaging from the pull to keeping it up
Alot of teenagers wear them, not really any 30 and up

 

[beyondcute]

tahts betetr then the nail glue they use around here to keep the braids from slipping. The mousse is used to make the hair wave up via braid out. Thats why they braid the hair up in one big braid when they are done. Mixing all that crap together is nto good for your hair and for the most part people wont wash micros because they slip out so easily. SO the products just sit there. Nasty to me but some people dont mind.

ETA: If the braider really knows what she is doing she can knot the hair is a flat slip knot and forgo all the extra crap. No need for all that excess product.

 

[ThickHair]

The mousse is used to make the hair wave up via braid out. Thats why they braid the hair up in one big braid when they are done.

That is what I didn't understand since the hair that she purchased had a nice wave to it. She did buy some "Good" hair. Very nice, soft and natural feeling. It felt like naturally wavy hair.