Plaits, box braids, cornrows, you name it, mothers around the world have been braiding their daughters' hair for forever. Not only are braided styles a beautiful art form, but they are also one of the most protective styles, especially for natural hair. Learn more about the benefits of braiding hair and why you should think about wearing this hairstyle more often.
8 benefits of braids
The birth of the braided hairstyle can be traced back to Africa around 3500 BC. During that time, braids were worn as a symbol of status and to represent different ethnic and religious groups. Today, braids have evolved in the way they are styled and worn. As new braiding techniques, we continue to learn more about the benefits of this protective method of styling. Here are 8 benefits of braided styles and the ways they can benefit your natural hair.
Braiding your hair can help retain the length of your hair by protecting the scalp and ends. When your hair is in braids, you will not be brushing or detangling your hair, which is a common cause of hair breakage. However, when your ends are tucked away, it can minimize the likelihood of split ends and unwanted breakage. Plus, braided styles do an excellent job of locking in the hydration needed for healthy hair growth.
Scalp health is essential for creating the proper environment for your hair to grow. Keeping your hair in braids limits the friction on your scalp, especially if you add extensions to your braided style. For extra scalp care, use PATTERN’s Scalp Serum to keep your curly hair feeling refreshed and hydrated.
Braided hair does a better job of retaining and locking in moisture. Using PATTERN’s Hydrating Mist can help keep your hair healthy and nourished, while you are doing your diligence of protecting your hair in a braided style.
There’s nothing wrong with some frizz, but the humidity can get the best of our hair sometimes. If you want to protect your hair from extreme temperatures and prevent frizzing, braids will do just that. Since your hair is tucked away in a braid, environmental factors like water or heat can’t get to it in the same way. To protect and slick back your edges, use PATTERN’s long-lasting Edge Control.
We all dream of rolling out of bed some days and not having to do our hair. Outside of your daily scalp care and biweekly wash routine, there’s not nearly as much work to do with braided styles like a wash & go.
Many braiding styles are quick and easy to do. If you’re going for a more complicated style, like knotless box braids or knot braids, the process of achieving the look may take longer, but you will be saving a lot of time over the next month or two. Check out our blog on knotless braids vs knot braids to learn more!
Another added benefit to wearing braids is the many types of braid styles and ways you can wear them. There are many types of braids you can do, but there are also many looks you can pull off within each braided style. For example, box braids can be worn with extensions, fun colors, swept to one side, half-up half-down, in a ponytail, in a bun, and much more. Get ready to look like a new person every day.
Unlike a wash and go or slicked-back ponytail, braided hair can last anywhere from a few days to a couple of months. Depending on the style of braids you get, you may not have to style your hair for weeks.
How do I take care of braids?
Now that you are hip to all the different ways you and your hair can benefit from braided styles, you need to know how to take care of them. Here are a few tips when it comes to maintaining healthy braids:
- Moisturize daily
- Protect your hair using a scarf, satin cap, or silk pillowcase
- Know when to take them out
- Don’t install any style too tight
If you want to start wearing your hair in a braided style, look no further than some of our best-selling protective hair products to help nurture your gorgeous locks:
- Argan Oil Serum: a lightweight serum to protect and strengthen your hair
- Styling Cream: perfect for installing french braids or braided ponytail
- Curl Cleansing Shampoo: great for cleansing your hair of any buildup before installing braids
- Hydrating Hair Mask: apply before and after installing a braided style to replenish and strengthen your curls
Make sure if you are getting a style like cornrows or box braids, they are installed properly and not too tight on the scalp. If you are wondering how to do box braids on yourself, how to do cornrows from home, or how to achieve any other type of braided hairstyle on your own, the key to success is prepping the hair beforehand. Remember to always moisturize your scalp with water and a serum or oil. If you haven’t tried any braided styles, hopefully, this has given you the push to try something new. If you’ve worn braids before, you now know just how much your hair has been thanking you, so keep the braided looks coming with some help from our hair products for braids!
References:
- Maya Allen. "The Fascinating History of Braids You Never Knew About". The Birdie. Jul 29, 2020. https://www.byrdie.com/history-of-braids
- Ni'Kesia Pannell. "10 Things Natural Hair Bloggers Want You to Know About Protective Styling". Self. Jun 14, 2018. https://www.self.com/gallery/protective-styling-advice
- Taryn Moore. "Pros and cons of wearing braids". Curls Understood. https://curlsunderstood.com/benefits-of-wearing-braids/
