Do braids help?

[Ava711]

Hi! I have started wearing my hair in two braids, because I heard it keeps it from getting damaged. Is this true? I'm not really sure, because the ends are still exposed. Anyone know? Thanks!

[bunnii]

Wearing your hair in any style everyday can be damaging, with braids if you put the elastic in the same place everyday you're going to get damage there. I change were I put the elastics in my hair to avoid this keeping hair in braids is a good way to use oil I find I can use alot of oil and it looks shiney instead of oily :cloud9:

Also the ends are exposed, if you're worried about that you could try buns HTH :)

[amaiaisabella]

I only wear braids for sleeping, as they don't really protect my fine hair and I just want to get the hair out of my face to sleep. The only exception I have found is the folded under braid, where you do a french or english braid, then tuck the length in between the braid and your scalp and pin it in place. Very pretty AND protective :)

[EvaSimone]

Most updos and braids will protect your hair more than leaving it down and prone to getting caught and rubbed on things.

Any updo done repeatedly can damage your hair so it's best to alternate. I went through a period of wearing nothing but cinnabuns with a ficcare for about a month and I am pretty sure all of the twisting caused damage.

[wackyredtangles]

I usually wear my hair in two french braids down my head when I sleep, and I've gotten quite a bit of growth. I never thought that it could cause damage. I do lots of different updos during the day, but at night its nearly always the braids, sometimes a bun if I'm feeling lazy.

Not to hijack the thread or anything, but what do you all do when with your hair when you sleep?

[rhubarbarin]

For me at my current length (about even with my bra band) having my hair down doesn't lead to much friction as I place it hanging forward over my shoulders when I am sitting, and it never gets caught on things.

IMO the twisting, parting, smoothing, pulling and rubbing the hair hair together most buns and braids require, plus putting sticks and forks into my hair (which I am unable to do without hearing hairs snapping) or using elastics, causes more damage than just leaving it be.

As my hair gets longer I think that will change.

[Gumball]

I used to wear braids every day, but even that caused my hair to get fluffy at the end of the day. Did my braid explode?! Haha. Now I wear a gently done braided cinnabun, with a hairtie at the end of the braid only to keep it from unraveling while I bun it. It's not tight enough to stay otherwise (it would fall off the braid if I looked at it the wrong way let alone touched it). I wrap the braid into the bun very gently, too, so there's nothing tight or straining about it. It protects my hair, my ends are tucked in so they're protected, too, and at the end of the day my braid is as smooth as when it was freshly done. It works for me!

[Ursula]

Braids are a reasonably protective style. They keep the hair contained, so that it doesn't get caught in things as easily as if loose, and they keep the hair organized, so that it doesn't tangle as much as when loose, and you then don't have the damage from trying to undo the tangle.

I've never really noticed a problem of damage in the braid tassel. You want to be gentle with how you fasten the braid (the hair elastics without metal clips are good) and careful about how you remove the elastics, unwinding them somewhat before pulling them off. It does make a difference in how long you leave the tassel. Some people like a long tassel, others braid all the way to the end and do a small tassel. A very long tassel may be more prone to tangles and getting caught in things than a short tassel.

There are lots of other ways of doing protective styles. A single braid can be another good option. If you're doing things during the day that may lead to braids getting in the way or getting caught in things (possible with longer braids) then a full updo - a bun of some sort - can be more protective. Probably not as much of an issue at your length.

[akka naeda]

You will get problems with breakage if you always put the elastics in the same place, regardless of the style of plait. I know, I've had it happen - there is very obvious thinning right where the elastic goes so right now I'm trying to wear my hair up in a non-plaited do in order to thicken the ends up.

[hellkitty]

The only reasonable caution I'd give about braids is this: don't braid too tightly. I don't necessarily mean pulling against the scalp. I used to braid my hair tight tight tight, twisting each bit as I laid it into the braid.The braid was a hard, almost stiff whip by the time I was done. That caused (obvious to me NOW) a lot of unnecessary pulling and stretching of the hair.

Now I braid much more gently. The braid itself is flexible and doesn't feel as *hard* to the touch. I also slick coconut oil down it when I'm done for added hair protective goodness.

As for the hairties, you might try fastening it with a ribbon? I think there's an article here somewhere on how to do it. For fun you could actually braid colored ribbon into your hair and fasten it off with the same ribbon. That might be cute! (I wouldn't do it only because I have a long face and Pocahontas braids make my face look longer and horsier.)

HK

[GoddesJourney]

I started using these little latex elastics that don't seem to damage the hair at all. I used to just braid my hair wet out of the shower and it seemed to keep all the moisture in. Also, it seems to avoid tangles, so that helps a lot. I think I shed less when I have my hair in a braid.