Rope braid question

[Medievalmaniac]

I have done rope braids on both my daughter and myself over the past few days, and they looked right and very nice, but after about an hour ro so in both cases they came unraveled to the point where they looks like two twists of hair hanging loosely together. Anybody have any suggestions for remedying this? I really do like the overall look of them when they are in properly.

[Vermelha]

I have done rope braids on both my daughter and myself over the past few days, and they looked right and very nice, but after about an hour ro so in both cases they came unraveled to the point where they looks like two twists of hair hanging loosely together. Anybody have any suggestions for remedying this? I really do like the overall look of them when they are in properly.

Depends on her hair texture. Is her hair straight or wavy (Type 1-2). If so, she may need a covered elastic on the ends of the braids. Also, thick sections can unravel easily, so perhaps trying smaller rope braids is a possibility?

I do these a lot, either the rope or I do my whole head in a two-strand twists (which are rope braids too). My hair has tight curl, so it stays. Sometimes, I put rollers on the ends of rope braids so they won't come off too easily. But if her hair is straighter, you can try the elastic/ouchless band on the end.

Once, when my hair was straightened, I did two rope braids on either side and braided the ends/tips so that they wouldn't unravel. Perhaps that could help?

[Beldaran]

Are you tying off the ends or not? I can't tell from your post. I haven't known rope braids to stay in very long at all if the ends are left loose. I use terry cloth elastics at the bottom of mine.

If you are currently tying them off, possibly try to wrap the tie one more time as the only way they can unravel is if the ends aren't held tight together. If the ends are sliding out of the elastic, then stop the braid sooner and put the elastic a little higher up.

[Rentlle]

yes, I would say exactly the same as in the previous post.
It looks like their loosening, so they are not tied correctly? :)

[teela1978]

Assuming that you are in fact putting an elastic of some sort on the end... are you doing them right? Meaning, twisting the two strands one way and wrapping them the other? A wrongly done rope-braid will look alright for a bit, particularly if it's done on damp hair, but it won't stay long.

[spidermom]

Even tied off, mine become disheveled-looking in about an hour. So do other braids. That's why I bun most of the time.

[Medievalmaniac]

Teela - that might be it...I parted the hair into two sections, then twisted them separately and together...but I don't know if I twisted them separately one way and then together the other way...I'll try that and see if it makes a difference. :o)

[heidihug]

Is it perhaps a "twisting" problem, and not a "tying off" problem? This a hard braid to master, at least it was for me. I found that, if I twisted the two separate strands and also wound them around each other in the opposite direction as I worked my way down the length, it works much much better. Also, remember to twist and then wind quite tightly, or you will get a much softer look to your braid.

[teela1978]

Teela - that might be it...I parted the hair into two sections, then twisted them separately and together...but I don't know if I twisted them separately one way and then together the other way...I'll try that and see if it makes a difference. :o)

It's a tough one. On mine, I twist the 2 strands clockwise, and then they go together counter-clockwise. The idea is that then it shouldn't untwist too much.