Braiding when wet?? Sleeping in French braid??

[Juliet15]

Back in the day when my hair was long (about 20 years ago), i was always told not to braid hair wet or damp, now that I am going long again and I found this site, I am seeing posts that some people braid wet and damp. Must be ok or you ladies wouldn't advise it so I will give it a try. Also, since my hair is between shoulder length and armpit length, I can get it into a passing french braid. Is it ok to sleep in a wet or damp french braid??

[farmlass]

I always do, I wash my hair, wrap it in an old t-shirt or turbie towel, then braid it before I go to bed while it's still damp. It's usually just about dry by morning! Personally, I've never suffered any ill effects, though as with all things here on LHC, it all depends very much on the individual. If it works for you, I'd say go for it!

[Madora]

Personally, I wouldn't sleep in a wet braid..unless it was terribly hot. I don't like waking up to wet hair.

I have slept in slightly damp braids when I wanted braid waves the next morning.

If you do braid when damp/wet, be sure not to pull the braids tightly. Hair is at its weakest when it is wet.

[emilia1992]

I think damp would be okay, but I don't sleep with my hair wet and braided, because I wash my hair in the evenings, and if I braid it wet, it's still wet in the morning! If it's a warm night, it also takes on an unappealing musty smell, exactly like when clothes don't dry properly.:tbear:

Sometimes I'll sleep with my hair damp, because I feel like I've blasted my hair with the dryer quite enough for one evening. Since it's dry by morning, I don't notice the difference between that and drying my hair completely before bed.

[Juliet15]

Thanks ladies, I'm trying to style without heat now. Have completely stopped using a flat iron, still blow dry because at this length the ends still flip everywhere after washing!!! So will maybe braid damp in morning and just sleep in that braid at night!! Do you all have to rebraid multiple times during the day? I'm wondering if it is just because of my shooter length.

[restless]

I see that you´re pretty new here. Welcome to the board!

Now, for your question: I wash my almost-BCL hair every evening and has done so for my entire hair growth journey. I let it dry in a towel for 30 minutes or so and then while its still slightly damp I braid it and go to bed. Its usually dry when I wake up in the morning and remove the braid. This routine has worked perfectly fine so far for me and I cant see how it would´ve been damaging in any way. I´d say give it a go and see how your hair likes it if you´re curious :)

Edit: For your second question: "Do you all have to rebraid multiple times during the day? I'm wondering if it is just because of my shooter length." Yeah, even now I have to redo a braid several times a day. Lots of little hairs slip out and thus it gets messy-looking after a while.

[Entangled]

If you're looking for braid waves, you might try getting your braids damp after braiding. That works for me and my sister. If we braid it while it's wet, it's still wet in the morning. Getting it damp after braiding=no problem. Plus, if you braid dry, you won't have to manipulate your hair when it's at it's weakest and you won't have to worry about possible damage.

[Sharysa]

Damp braiding is fine for a lot of people. My hair takes three or so hours to dry loose anyway, so I put it in Dutch pigtails once it's damp to both avoid tangling and set it in waves. I like to shower in the evening so I don't need to wait the whole day for my hair to dry.

As for redoing braids, yes. A lot of people need to redo them because they loosen up and get fuzzy, so it's not just you.

[Juliet15]

So it is my understanding that sleeping in a french braid is better for my hair that just loose, is this correct??

[Madora]

So it is my understanding that sleeping in a french braid is better for my hair that just loose, is this correct??

Yes, Juliet15, a French braid (or any braid for that matter) is better for your hair than just leaving it loose. Being braided, your hair has less opportunity to have tangles, snarls, whatever you want to call it. Makes detangling time a breeze when you get up in the morning.

I never have to rebraid my hair once it is up for the day. Once all your hair gets longer, you'll have less trouble with fuzzy/messy looking braids (assuming, likewise, that you don't have layers). One length hair is a lot easier to braid and keeps neater longer.

[FallingDarkness]

Yeah, having your hair braided for bed is a smart plan. I always have my hair braided for sleep because it reduces friction between the hair and the pillow, thus causing less damage.
I always braid my hair when it's damp or wet, because my hair takes 4-6 hours to air dry and I don't have that kind of time. I put my hair in two low English braids and I haven't noticed any form of damage. In fact, I think my hair is healthier. Of course when your hair is wet you need to be especially careful with it, because it's weaker, so my braids tend to be looser than my daily braids.
If you handle your hair with great care, then braiding should be fine.
I don't see why anyone should have their hair down when it's wet because then it's even more prone to being damaged.

[Juliet15]

I really appreciate all the responses!! Jeez, I can spend hours looking at all the information and beautiful pictures here, but that certainly doesn't make me very productive…lol!!!

[FallingDarkness]

No, I totally understand. I feel like I've wasted so much of my life just browsing the boards, absorbing the information and ogling other people's gorgeous hair. Wishing my hair looked like theirs.
Welcome to the LHC, you're definitely going to be happy here! :D
The info is very important tho. :)

[HaMalka]

I will leave my hair loose until it is mostly dry and braid it when it is damp if I have the time. If i don't have the time to leave it loose are braid it sopping wet. and then leave it loose to finish drying the next morning. I never redo my braids in the middle of the day though I always redo my buns.

[longNred]

I never braid mine wet, primarily because I can't. It gets tangled and my fingers get stuck, and I end up making a royal mess. shed hairs everywhere, WET shed hairs that stick to everything, and then the braid looks horrible too. I braid dry, and then mist the finished braid if I want really good braid waves. that said, I always sleep in a braid. leaving it loose means massive knots in the morning, not something I'm willing to deal with.

[Aurelinchen]

I often braid my hair when it's still a bit damp, because I like braid waves.
What I don't like is really wet hair being braided, mainly because I don't like having the wet braid close to my neck. I just don't like the feeling and when braided my hairs doesn't dry even after 24 h. I fear being wet so long can be damanging for the hair.
I had a girl in my school whose very thick hair sometimes started to smell weird, 'cause it was wet inside the braid even after days. I'm kinda scared that this could happen to me, even when my hair is more on the thinner side.

[palaeoqueen]

I have to braid or bun mine when wet, even though it's very fine and not that long it will take all day to dry naturally in the climate we have here (the UK). I wash my hair in the morning then braid or bun it after having breakfast so it's not sopping wet but not far off. I will then rebraid in the evening for bed but it will still be wet at that stage. I simply don't have hours on end to sit around waiting for my hair to dry and I avoid hairdryers as much as possible.