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Braids are a fun, flattering, and low maintenance hairstyle, only how tin you make them work when your natural hair is brusk? Braids are super versatile and information technology's easier to incorporate them into your look than you might call up. Whether you lot want to rock scalp-hugging braids like cornrows or attach long, luscious constructed locks to your natural hair, this is the article for you! Read on to learn to prepare your hair for braiding, braid curt pilus without adding extensions, attach long synthetic braids to your natural hair.

  1. 1

    Launder and status your hair the day before braiding. Once your hair is braided, you won't exist able to clean most of your natural pilus for several weeks (or until you de-braid). Make sure your natural pilus is clean and nourished earlier styling to keep information technology healthy while it's braided.[1]

    • If you lot have weak hair or dandruff, treat your hair with poly peptide or dandruff shampoo for about ii weeks before braiding for maximum health.[2]
    • Use a clarifying shampoo to go rid of whatever buildup on your hair. If you want to avoid sulfates (SLS), look for shampoos that use natural ingredients like apple cider vinegar instead.
  2. 2

    Deep condition your hair to add extra strength and moisture. This is your last chance to give your hair whatever nutrients it might need to stay potent before you lot complect. You lot don't have to use an overnight conditioner—as long as you let information technology sit for at to the lowest degree 20 minutes, you're good to go.[iii]

    • If you want to skip this stride, try a exit-in conditioning handling a few hours before you braid.
    • This step adds extra slip to your hair strands, which makes installing constructed braids easier.

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  3. 3

    Detangle your pilus thoroughly. Detangled hair is easier to piece of work with during braiding and is easier to detangle while you take your braids out, too. Use a wide toothed comb while your hair is clammy (not too wet or completely dry) to preclude breakage. Depending on how long your hair is, get-go at the ends and work your mode upwards.[4]

    • Comb your hair in separated sections to further prevent breakage. Conditioning your hair before combing volition reduce friction, too.
    • You tin detangle with your fingers, too. Information technology'll simply take longer than with a rummage.
  4. four

    Stretch your hair out to prevent frizz. If your hair has natural curls, straightening them out will help brand your braids super smooth. Afterwards washing, blowdry your hair in sections with a paddle brush to stretch it out. If you're worried about heat damage, treat your hair with a oestrus protector beforehand.[5]

    • If you lot don't want to use oestrus and your pilus is long enough, moisturize your hair subsequently washing and then style information technology into loose braids or buns and let information technology air dry.

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  1. i

    Function and section your pilus for braiding. Start by making a eye role starting at your forehead and going all the mode down the back of your head. Then, create additional sections on each one-half of your caput parallel to your middle part (one section makes one complect).Utilise a comb with a rattail end for parting and sectioning—this volition help you lot make super clear, precise parts for clean and distinct braids.[six]

    • Leave enough hair in each section for yous to comfortably grip and braid. Make certain the parted department of hair is the aforementioned thickness throughout to keep the braid even.
    • It's tempting to make big sections (later all, that means less braiding and less time!). However, wide sections make for thicker braids that are more likely to come up loose and need to exist redone.
    • Apply hair clips to agree back the sections of hair y'all aren't actively braiding.
  2. 2

    Pick a section of hair to brand your first braid. For a traditional braid or cornrow, separate your hair in this department into three braiding strands, starting at the edge of your hairline. Braids and twists that hug your scalp volition become thicker every bit you braid since you lot accept to continually add more hair, so make slightly thinner strands than yous retrieve y'all need.[7]

  3. 3

    Grip your braiding strands to brainstorm braiding. Utilise the same braiding design you lot'd utilise for long pilus—the only departure is that your strands will be very short and you'll assemble more than hair for each repetition:[eight]

    • Grab the right strand with your right mitt. Use your index finger, middle finger, and pollex.
    • In your left mitt, catch the other 2 strands. Agree the outer strand with your middle finger and thumb. Hold the center strand with your alphabetize finger and thumb.
  4. 4

    Begin braiding your hair. Movement your right index finger behind the middle strand and over the outer left strand of hair. Grab that outer left strand with your right index finger and thumb and pull it nether the middle strand. What used to exist the middle strand should now be on the outer left, and the original outer left should now be in the heart.[nine]

    • After this outset motion, you lot should take 2 strands of hair in your right hand and 1 in your left.
  5. 5

    Next, take your left index finger and put information technology under the middle strand and over the outer right strand. Take hold of the outer right strand with your left index finger and use your thumb to option up boosted hair. Pull the outer right strand under the middle.[10]

    • Catch additional hair every time you grab an outer strand to bring into the center. This is how you lot feed the braid all the way along your scalp. Endeavor to catch the same corporeality each time for a uniform thickness.
    • Go on your braid firm by using your centre finger to hold down your hair while your index fingers and thumbs move strands effectually.
  6. 6

    Keep repeating this process until you get to the nape of your cervix. If your hair'due south a lilliputian longer, keep braiding and let the ends hang down from the back of your caput. Tie the ends of each braid with a pilus elastic, like a hair tie or tiny rubberband.[xi]

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  1. 1

    Buy packs of synthetic hair for braiding. The number of packs you lot buy depends on how long and thick y'all desire your braids to exist (bigger braids mean more than hair). Usually, half-dozen to 8 packs is enough. If you're not sure how much y'all need, buy actress packs (you can ever relieve leftover hair for future braids or other styles).[12]

    • Buying pre-stretched hair will relieve you some prep time.
    • Synthetic hair for braiding tin be plant online or in most dazzler stores.
  2. 2

    Role and section your pilus into 4 equal quadrants. Using a rattail comb, start with a center part from your forehead to the nape of your neck. And then do another part going across the superlative of your caput from ear to ear. Once you accept these, section off your pilus within each quadrant however you similar—each smaller department volition get a complect (the smaller the section, the thinner the braid).[13]

    • Use pilus clips to continue your hair sections secure while you braid.
    • The size and number of the smaller sections is up to you—make them as big or small every bit you like!
  3. iii

    Determine how long and thick yous want your braids. Commencement, choose how long you lot want your braid to be. If the desired length is shorter than the length of the synthetic hair, trim the end of the pilus with scissors.[14] Next, decide how thick you want the braid to be. If you want it to be thinner than a whole pack, remove some of the hair and put information technology aside.[15]

  4. 4

    Section out your synthetic hair for braiding. Pull out about ⅓ of the synthetic strand and then y'all have 2 sections—a thin section, and a thick section that'due south twice as large. Drape the thin department over the middle of the thick section to brand 3 equal strands of hair, continued past a loop (the 2 halves of the thin section come together to form a thicker strand). These will exist your 3 braiding strands.[16]

  5. 5

    Choose a section of your natural pilus to braid. Split this section into 2 equal strands of hair. Bring your synthetic braiding hair up to your scalp and add together your 2 strands of natural hair to two of the three strands of constructed pilus. You at present have 3 strands of hair to complect—1 that'due south fully synthetic, and ii that have your natural hair incorporated.[17]

  6. 6

    Begin braiding your synthetic pilus firmly and shut to the scalp. The shorter your natural pilus is, the more tight and precise your offset few braid repetitions demand to be and then that the synthetic pilus can latch on. Use a standard, 3-strand braiding pattern. Continue braiding all the style to the stop of the constructed pilus:[18]

    • Concur 2 strands of hair in i manus and take hold of the tertiary with your index finger and pollex in the other. Pull the third strand under the eye strand. What used to be the middle strand should now be on the exterior, and the original outer strand should now be in the middle.
    • And so pull the outer strand from the other side underneath the new middle strand.
    • Go along repeating this process until yous run out of hair.
    • Exist conscientious non to start your braid too tight. You desire it to be business firm and secure, just braiding too tightly can cause breakage, hurting, or other harm to your natural pilus.
  7. seven

    Use a hair rubberband to secure the terminate of your braid if needed. If you lot bought pre-stretched hair and didn't cut the ends, you lot probably don't need elastic—the ends are already feathered, so they should taper away nicely and stay braided.[19]

    • Once the first braid is complete, repeat the entire process for each section of hair until you lot have a full head of beautiful braids!
  8. eight

    Dip your braids in hot h2o to seal them. Boil some water and cascade information technology into a big bowl. Advisedly dip the ends of your braids in the water while it'southward notwithstanding hot to remove frizziness and preclude the ends of the braids from unraveling. If you used hair elastic to keep your braids together, you can most likely remove them later this.[20]

    • Hold the braids in the hot h2o for about fifteen seconds.
    • Any remaining frizz or wispy ends tin can be cut off with scissors.
    • Synthetic braids commonly last virtually 6 to 8 weeks. Even if they still wait bang-up after viii weeks, have them out to let your natural hair remainder and heal.

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  • If you lot add together spray-on or exit-in moisturizer or conditioner before braiding, use a wide toothed comb to evenly distribute the product all over your hair. Make sure the ends are totally covered.

  • If you're installing constructed braids, use a h2o-based hydrating spray all over your hair (from root to ends) to go along your hair moisturized. Apply low-cal oil to your scalp every bit needed.[21]

  • After installing synthetic braids, slumber with a silk headscarf to proceed everything in place. Using a satin pillowcase will also work.[22]

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