do braids do this to you?

[Bunnyhare]

I LOVE the way so many people here can wear beautiful braids, but i CAN NOT stand the way they feel! they are itchy and feel really wierd to me, i end up taking them out very shortly after doing them. I do have layers and i am wondering if the layers are "poking" my scalp and causing this wierd feeling? The layers make them not look as finished as they should but it would stay in, but i can't stand the feeling...any thoughts?anyone else not like the way braids feel?

[Quixii]

Huh. I've never noticed braids "feeling" any way in particular.
Maybe it is the layers?

[Laylah]

That hasn't happen to me before. Braids are the most comfortable style I can wear, besides loose.

However, braided buns make my scalp itch because I braid all the way to the ends of hair so the tassle of the braid is short enough to be spiky and stiff. Spikey hair plus scalp doesn't work for me.

[little_acorn]

Hi Bunnyhare - I also have layers, but I quite often wear braids and don't have any problems. But saying that it maybe because I braid my hair after oiling - so my layers are nice and soft.

Not sure that helps :flower:

[Vrushali]

Hi Bunnyhare! My layers do poke me when I braid them dry; however if I oil them they don't stick out as much and don't poke me..

[Radulfr]

I don't have any layers. Braids feel ok and comfortable to me.

[Barbie Diamond]

I agree. They start bugging me after awhile. I like having them. They look great and great on me. But they bother me affter awhile and I have to take them out.

[Arctic]

I have a couple of suggestions: S&D mission at the neck area, starting your braid higher, Dianyla style so it doesn't rub your neck, and braiding when damp and perhaps even smoothing some oil or aloe gel or silicone lotion on top of it will help the shorter hairs to keep inside the braid.

Oh and yes I sometimes get that irritating feeling, my neck is super sensitive and I have coarser hairs at the nape area that easily feel unpleasant.

[1nuitblanche]

For me, the scratchy/pokey part of braids is caused by layers. When I had no layers a long, long, long time ago, braids were very comfortable for me. Maybe try braiding damp or well-oiled hair to slick the layers into the weave?

[Bunnyhare]

Thanks everybody! I do always braid dry, i will try the damp and with lotion, maybe that will help because i love the way it looks! BLAST LAYERS!!

[yellowchariot]

Hey Bunnyhare,

When braids were first done on my head, then I felt slight "weirdness" I guess you could say. However I wore a braid last night to bed, got up this morning and took care of business for the day. Then about 2 hours ago, I took a shower and I left the braid in.

I actually FORGOT that my was braided, until I saw this post :laugh: lol. I intent to sleep it in again tonight. :D

BTW have you had your hair braided without layers? If so, could you noticed any difference having all one length hair?

You may need to give your hair time to "adjust" to the pulling/tension. I'm not sure though!

Peace Out

[heatherdazy]

I have lots of layers and I adore braids.

[Yozhik]

Maybe you should try with making looser braids :)
I find tight ones to be constricting, although they do tend to hold hair (layers especially) in better.

[clairenewcastle]

I love braids but I don't wear them so much now. However they always felt extremely comfortable whether I braided when my hair was wet or dry.

[Peter]

I've never experienced that. My braids are usually comfortable.

[GlassEyes]

I braid damp, and they're lovely...until the surface dries. Then they annoy me slightly.

My solution? Braided buns. Yaaay. :p I only wear braids down when I know I'll have the tolerance for them

[ravenreed]

My hair is medium to somewhat coarse and I have layers. In addition, I have really sensitive skin. I can feel the ends poking in my neck and through my shirt and it bugs me something fierce. It is much worse when there are split ends, and I do frequent S&D's so I can braid at night. I have thought about making a silk sock and wrapping my braid with it, but I suspect the little ends would still poke through.

[Wicked Princess]

The ends of my hair are fairly layered (and I am trying to grow them out) and I wear a simple English braid in some updos or to sleep. It isn't uncomfortable for me. I do put a bit of oil on my ends when I braid it, however, so this may be part of the difference. :shrug:

[Aditi]

I have layers but they never poke me when i braid but ofcourse i only do braid when i oil my hair maybe dry hair might be the reason for your layers poking you when braided.

[Flynn]

I'm confused. Freshly trimmed, any sticky-out bits feel unpleasant against my neck and my back.... but how on earth are they going to poke my scalp? If it's your scalp feeling odd with braids, like you said, I don't see how it could possibly have anything to do with having layers. O.o

[ericthegreat]

Bunnyhare, the layers you have in your hair should have nothing to do with why your scalp feels itchy when you have your hair in a braid/or braids. The layers definitely of course stick out like a sore thumb when you braid your hair and the ends pop out all over, but again that is on the ends of your hair it shouldn't have anything to do with why your scalp feels itchy.

Most likely you are simply tender headed. There's nothing wrong with that, some people have more sensitive scalps than others. Case in point, I love pulling my hair into the neatest, tightest ponytails possible. I also like to wear them high. This doesn't bother me at all, I'm used to and I accept the amount of tension on my head. However, I know that a lot of other people can't wear their hair in high ponytails or wear them for long periods of time because it would give them headaches. You would definitely fall in the same category of people Bunnyhare. Perhaps you can start braiding your hair much lower and also do it much looser. I think that will relieve the tension you are feeling on your scalp.

[JCFantasy23]

I never notice braids feeling any way either. I do have minor layers that sometimes stick out slightly but not bad, but no itching sorry.

[3azza]

Braids are the most comfortable style i can wear, i don't feel any pressure on my roots like with updos. But i think they do some damage to my hair. I usually part my hair to rearrange my curls only after using a conditioner.When i part it into sections to do a french braid, my curls unwind and tangles form and my hairs break and split.

[embee]

I used to wear a long single braid for sleeping, but it got fuzzy very fast and then it tickled and made everywhere it touched itch. My topknot bun is much more satisfactory.

[maaria]

And I have so short and thin hair still that I can´t do any braids yet:(

[Curlsgirl]

I used to have poking at the tassel on my back and it drove me crazy until I learned to braid not so far to the end. That solved my problem. I don't have layers though. Glad you posted this. I remember one of the many reasons I grew them out! I bet oil will help you though.

[spidermom]

I don't have layers (except a bit in the front), but because of the shed and regrow cycle I have lots of hairs at every length. Therefore my braids get all fluffy with 1000s of pokey-out ends. Some days I don't notice it at all, other days I can't stand the itchy feeling of all those pokey-out hairs touching my skin.

[GoddesJourney]

Some people do not like the pull on their scalp and find it itchy. I hate the feeling of most updos, especially if they're tight enough to actually stay. As it turns out, braids are the most comfortable for me because they're not so tight.

Yes to the layers question. When I had layers, braids were awful. As those layers grow out, it will irritate you less.

[JamieLeigh]

I love braids.....and I will say that I do not like braids that hang down my back and over my butt NEARLY as much as the ones that go in updo styles. I don't like that friction-y feeling, and it just gives me serious bad thoughts that my braid might be causing damage from all the rubbing. Just my personal paranoia, lol.

Maybe if you tried braiding while your hair is still damp, the layers might lay down and behave while in the braid? Or even some sort of oil or gel.

[Thinthondiel]

Bunnyhare, the layers you have in your hair should have nothing to do with why your scalp feels itchy when you have your hair in a braid/or braids. The layers definitely of course stick out like a sore thumb when you braid your hair and the ends pop out all over, but again that is on the ends of your hair it shouldn't have anything to do with why your scalp feels itchy.


I think she meant that if she for example does a French braid, the ends of the layers are "inside" the braid, poking her scalp.

[Dreamernz]

They feel comfy on me but I don't like the way my layers poke out :(

[Gumball]

I haven't had a braid feel itchy like that, and I know I have hair of all lengths on my head due to shed cycles. I've worn braids down (and they get super duper fluffy after a while) and now I wear a braided bun most of the time. Neither has caused me havoc. Even when I'd wear a french or dutch braid they wouldn't cause anything adverse.