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oogie
September 1st, 2009, 11:34 AM
I braid my hair quite often. I seem to constantly have fuzzy or woolly braids. Any suggestions?

ps -- I caught one of my braids in my jacket zipper this morning (the tassel part) any suggestions besides the obvious on how to counter this?

Gumball
September 1st, 2009, 11:42 AM
Is it "wooly" right after you braid it, or over time? Over time it happens to us all, because a braid left hanging down rubs against all sorts of stuff, gets more of the length hit by the wind, etc. I got tired of untangling after a day of braid wearing, so I bun mine now. Some might say oil or some aloe gel can help keep it together just a little more. Still, Chia-Braids are tough to avoid.

Shorty89
September 1st, 2009, 11:45 AM
Mine gets wolly, especially if I braid it dry. I find that if I braid it while wet it takes longer to get really fuzzy.

Rentlle
September 1st, 2009, 11:56 AM
yeah, mine gets wooly too...
especially if I wash it and then braid..

Kiraela
September 1st, 2009, 12:04 PM
Not much help here - mine ends up looking like an angry cat's tail after just a few hours. For sleep, I wrap it with strips of cloth, but that looks rather odd and uncomfortable for daytime wear.

SpinDance
September 1st, 2009, 12:17 PM
Mine doesn't want to stay in a braid much at all the day I wash it, but it stays a bit better/longer the following days. Now that I finally know how to make a secure bun I've found I wear it up that way much more often than braiding. I still braid for sleep, but am thinking I need to find some way to cover it to keep rubbing to a minimum.

spidermom
September 1st, 2009, 12:50 PM
My braids fluff out all over the place, even if I pin them to my head so that there is nothing they rub against. I used to think it was the layers, but no - my hair is no longer layered and my braids look pretty much the same.

Carolyn
September 1st, 2009, 01:22 PM
My braids gets the same way. Some hair is just prone to it. Braiding damp can help. Also you could lightly oil your hair before braiding. Or you could slick some AVG down the length of your hair to tame the woolies. If my braid gets too bad, I'll redo the braid during the day. Dampening the length at the time should help some. As for your jacket zipper, just make sure your braid is behind you when zipping your jacket. It's an automatic thing for me now. Just like moving my hair around to avoid the dreaded seatbelt roll up.

Zéphine
September 1st, 2009, 01:41 PM
For me, it helps a bit if I band the top or start the braid high so that it hangs a bit away from my body, if that makes any sense. Multiple braids seem to stay neat longer than a single braid. I think the sort of shirt I'm wearing makes a difference, too. But I get braid fuzz to some degree no matter what I do.

Anje
September 1st, 2009, 02:26 PM
Mine get fuzzy too over the course of the day. I've found that oily braids fare a lot better than dry braids, though, so if you're not likely to wear it loose again before wash day, consider greasing it up with a lot of your favorite oil and have the slickest, shiniest braid around.

Beyond that, I like a lunchtime bathroom-break re-braid to deal with the wooliness.

As far as zipping up your tassel, I wish I had a real solution, because I've done it a few times and my hair does not like it! But I don't, so the best advice is just to keep the braid away from the zipper, and away from velcro, while you're at it.

liseling
September 1st, 2009, 03:48 PM
Mine is wooly from the start unless I braid it while it's wet - once they've sprung up curls resist braids! I guess my hair is 'wooly' all the time! :P

AmandaPanda
September 1st, 2009, 05:00 PM
I have this problem, too. It won't even get slightly fuzzy after several hours if I braid it wet or damp. I've tried just wetting it at the sink and braiding, but it doesn't seem to work. It has to be thoroughly damp or wet to work for me.

I have an issue with zippers, too. I don't actually get the braid caught while zipping. It gets caught on the unzipped part of the zipper. I'm not sure which you meant.
I don't have any advice for that. Just try to keep your braid behind you or wear it up when you're wearing something with a zipper. Or, you could buy a zipperless coat/jacket. Like a peacoat (although my hair gets caught on buttons when loose)

oogie
September 2nd, 2009, 05:14 AM
Thank you so much for all the replies. I am going to start trying these today.

I also noticed something yesterday that some of the hairs that stick out are discolored and split end-ish (sorry, I made up a word there)

I started trying vitamin E oil on my hair when I braid it today. I'll see which works better oil or water. Thanks again for all the replies.

JamieLeigh
September 2nd, 2009, 07:48 AM
Oiling the length first, or braiding while damp does make mine less woolly, but I still get fuzzy by the end of the day. It's just a braid thing, I'm afraid. :(

Feye
September 2nd, 2009, 10:56 AM
If I braid really tightly it doesn't fuzz much, but that's not comfortable. If I braid loosely I have to redo it every hour or it looks messy

Feye
September 2nd, 2009, 11:00 AM
Thank you so much for all the replies. I am going to start trying these today.

I also noticed something yesterday that some of the hairs that stick out are discolored and split end-ish (sorry, I made up a word there)

I started trying vitamin E oil on my hair when I braid it today. I'll see which works better oil or water. Thanks again for all the replies.

I am scared of all the little hairs sticking out of my braid, I worry that they'll rub on things and split. Perhaps try a silk scarf around your shoulders so that the braid doesn't catch on things?

deko
September 2nd, 2009, 03:23 PM
My braid is always hairy and woolish. I can't use much oils and I don't handle my hair when it's wet so when I want a braid I gently add some aloe to my stands before braiding. It helps a little.

Cherry_Sprinkle
September 2nd, 2009, 03:30 PM
I have layers so I use aloe gel to smooth them and oil to keep them soft.. thats the only thing that works for my hair. :shrug:

DMARTINEZ
September 2nd, 2009, 03:31 PM
With all the shedding one does,it seems virtually impossible not to have some amount
of fuzziness. I dont care for the look,so only wear braid to bed.


Deb

QueenAnne'sLace
September 21st, 2009, 10:41 PM
. Beyond that, I like a lunchtime bathroom-break re-braid to deal with the wooliness.


Excellent idea! For those of us who work in customer service, a tidy appearance is an asset.

QueenAnne'sLace
September 21st, 2009, 10:42 PM
My braid is always hairy and woolish. I can't use much oils and I don't handle my hair when it's wet so when I want a braid I gently add some aloe to my stands before braiding. It helps a little.

So are mine. As you can see in the sig I kindof just go with it. At the end of the day, my hair seems to have "bonded" to itself!

viking_quest
September 21st, 2009, 10:54 PM
My braid always ends up over my shoulder so it doesn't rub up against anything and become wooly. It only does it at night but that's because I toss and turn.