Braiding hair for growth...

[<3OnHerSleeve]

Hello everyone,
I have always found that if I braid my hair every day for a month it grows longer than it does when I haven't. I recently read online that people think their hair has grown longer, but really it protects your hair ends from being damaged and thus it appears longer etc.
Once I did this after just dying my hair and the regrowth was defo longer than it would be if I hadn't.
Wat are your experiences with this and opinions? Have any of you tried braiding your hair to help with growing it long?


Just to clarify: by braiding I mean French and Dutch braids in particular which 'pull' at the scalp hair

[MissManda]

I've heard of this, but I'm not sure if it's true or not. It certainly is an interesting concept.

Maybe this can give me even more reason to like wearing my hair in braids. :D Hee hee.

[Dreams_in_Pink]

I don't think wearing hair in a braid really protects the ends; Ends are still exposed and are touching everything.

Maybe tight braids might increase the circulation, but then you get the traction alopecia problem...so i'm not too positive about this.

[GoddesJourney]

I used to braid my hair every day and it grew like a weed. I also typically braided it wet. I think this helped the overall quality of my hair because it liked being wet all the time. Also, I think there's something to say for having just a little pull to encourage it to adapt by growing. Braiding does this. Maybe it's good for the scalp, who knows. I know that bunning does not do this for me. Maybe it's too tight when I bun. I guess there's just something special about braiding for many people. I've heard many people talk about braiding their hair for growth.

[RachieBaby]

I hope so! I enjoy having my hair in braids whilst at work and college :) so most of the time lol

[julliams]

Braid as in one english braid down the back or a french braid or either? I'm keen to try it.

[hanne jensen]

Does it matter how one braids the hair? Are you talking about french braids or corn rows that stay in the hair all the time? Is it enough to wear a braid behind each ear? I'm willing to try anything.

[FrannyG]

I honestly can't imagine how braiding your hair could possibly make your hair grow more quickly, but it's definitely more protective than wearing your hair loose, so I go with the theory that it protects your hair from some breakage.

The same would go for updos.

[torrilin]

Sounds to me like benign neglect :). Be reasonably gentle with your hair, and otherwise ignore it, and it will feel like it's growing quickly on the rare occasions you really mess with it.

[Anje]

Interesting.

What's the alternative for braiding, leaving hair loose? If so, I can definitely see that braiding would be more protective and help hair grow longer. If it's braiding every day makes it grow faster than bunning every day, I would find the results interesting and definitely worth experimenting with.

[Zaane]

I once had a friend that tried telling me that your hair grows faster when you braid it because its being pulled tightly from your scalp, now i dont really believe this LOL but im gonna go with that it helps protect from breakage. Definitely less tangles = less breakage = better healthy hair :)

[jojo]

I can't how braiding it would make it grow quicker, however it would help retain the length if your ends are tucked away so therefore it would appear to grow quicker, if that makes sense.

[yellowchariot]

I for one can vouch for this. I braided my ex g/f's hair every night for 1 month, and her hair grew 1 inch that month!

I braid my hair about every other night to sleep in as well. My hair naturally grows about .75" per month. I have noticed 1" per month growth spurts, but not every month.

I guess it varies per individual :confused:

[junkyschristmas]

I agree with Torrilin - it definitely sounds like a form of benign neglect. When I have my hair in braids it keeps me from twiddling the ends, looking for splits, etc...

[<3OnHerSleeve]

I rebraided my hair every morning and night, typically I'm into classic and reverse braids although I like fish-braids, just they don't work for my hair when it's layered and BSL length. I'm trying to put my hair up every day for the next six months, and knowing my hair, just a slight pull + brushing and massaging the scalp everyday seems to help. My problem is the dedication part :P I'm not talking about pulling the hair as tight as possible, just relatively taunt not tight. Self-defeatist if I pulled hair my hair out eh! lol

[2peasinapod]

There was a thread a while ago about how pulling the hair (gently, of course) makes it grow faster, and some people said that braiding or bunning (because of the pressure on the roots, I think) did the same thing.

Any way, I braid my hair every night, so I hope it's true!

[fisher2]

the only time ive taken my haire out of my braid for the past 2 weeks was to wash and rebraid and comb it out so ive noticed less splits but not much mroe growth i dont think

[Angeletti]

I haven't noticed extra growth and as for the protection thing I still feel like my hair is able to get damaged because the braid still rubs against my clothes and all the little pieces manage to get pulled out.

[McFearless]

When I was younger my hair would grow impossibly fast and I wore braids every single day. I think the light tugging helped + having my ends protected.

[Emerald88]

I wish this was true, but I don't think so. The ends are still exposed so it really does not protect them. The rest of your hair may be more protected from damage. I love wearing braids, but I don't do it as often at classic length as I did at waist lenth for daytime. I do braid my hair every night before bed.

[<3OnHerSleeve]

I personally don't think the braids protect split ends, especially having layers the ends just poke out everywhere. I'm more interested in the growth factor. I agree with McFearless that it seems to be the constant slight pulling that works for some of us. then again, everyone's got different hair types so I don't know how that would work in the equation

[Jenn of Pence]

I also agree. Braids usually don't really protect ends, which are most prone to damage, especially if you're constantly using an elastic in one place. I would not discount the pulling increasing blood flow and encouraging more growth, although I cannot speak from experience, nor would I say it's a fact or that it would work for everyone.
It's sure tempting to try it, though! :)

[x0h_bother]

Sounds to me like benign neglect :).
:agree:
However, it does depend on the braid, some styles are harsh on hair, traction alopecia or breakage from mechanical damage.

[podo]

When I was around BSL I was stuck at that length forever (before I really started trying to grow out) and was starting to think I couldn't grow it any longer. As in: it'd been at BSL for 8 years with no cuts or trims. At that time I wore it loose all the time - didn't even know about buns!

Then I started wearing it in an English braid all day, every day. I can't remember if I took it out at night or not. Suddenly I was getting more growth, or at least more visible growth. My hair quit breaking all over the place.

You do have to be very, very careful about how you tie it off. I was using regular store-bought ponytail holders and discovered that right near the ends would break still, since I was tying it at the last couple of inches all the time...basically, I was giving myself fairytale ends.

I found LHC in 2002 (8 yrs ago) and started being nicer to my hair - moving the tie point and using pantyhose bands - and that fairytale breakage mostly quit.

Around 2007 (3 yrs ago) I was at waist and rejoined LHC - I started using updos during the day and using an English braid at night. (Actually I think it was a Dutch because I braid backwards, but who cares...)

This worked great up until hip-ish length. Maybe more like a little below waist, but I did it until hip. At that point, I stalled out again. Now, this might be completely due to medical issues and medications since I know that those DO affect my growth (1" for a month or two, then no growth for a year) but I really think this was more than that.

I recently changed to a caterpillar braid at night (also means no braid waves), though I still keep my hair in updos during the day.

And then suddenly I was at TBL.

So my experience - my personal experience since I know everyone is different - is YES, keeping it in an English braid 24/7 will let it get past the "evil" stage and keep growing. I think you eventually grow out of this (no pun intended) but it's hardest to keep away from damage on your upper-mid back.

[Astarte_1980]

I hope that you are right, I always have braided my hair the last years.

[bunzfan]

I thought this could be wishful thinking but, for the last two weeks i have been wearing my hair in French braids every day/night and boy has my hair grown so maybe there is some truth in it:)

[Sunny_side_up]

Interesting, i have been evening up my hair and the shortest layers are getting there, i had my mum do braiding recently without too much hair poking out, and i have been doing a simple braid more often just because i now can, it's protective and i dont feel any pulling. Also its a mini milestone (different thread i know:p) Think i'll start sleeping with a braid:) i do love the wavies;)
A work colleague who wants long hair said this the other week- her logic; the hair is pulled and stimulates roots:shrug:

[LouLaLa]

I think its just an illusion because its tied up. Also some length is taken up by the braiding process so when you take it down it probabably looks 1/2 to 1 inch longer.

Im still going to braid mine, I figure out of sight out of mind is best for my hair as im faffing with it less thus not breaking it with lots of touching.

I would be very interested in seeing hair braided in a month by month shot to see if there is growth or if it just looks longer when down.

[EverydayMiracle]

My hair seems to grow faster when it is regularly braided. I hadn't thought of this, but when I started wearing it down more, that is when the hair and nail growth both slowed down (which is strange, on the nails anyway). I braid my hair differently every time I do it. Some days it is a simple English braid, tied at the very end. Others it is a French braid tied at the nape of my neck. Sometimes there are two braids. Sometimes I bun them without any tie at all. I try to braid when wet, but that means my hair never dries, since I wash every other day.

One side effect of braiding your hair daily is that you aren't paying attention to your growth as much. It's the "watched pot never boils" concept. Hair may *seem* to grow faster because you are forgetting about it.

My hair grows terribly fast anyway. I usually get more than an inch of growth a month under normal circumstances.

[<3OnHerSleeve]

My hair seems to grow faster when it is regularly braided. I hadn't thought of this, but when I started wearing it down more, that is when the hair and nail growth both slowed down (which is strange, on the nails anyway). I braid my hair differently every time I do it. Some days it is a simple English braid, tied at the very end. Others it is a French braid tied at the nape of my neck. Sometimes there are two braids. Sometimes I bun them without any tie at all. I try to braid when wet, but that means my hair never dries, since I wash every other day.

One side effect of braiding your hair daily is that you aren't paying attention to your growth as much. It's the "watched pot never boils" concept. Hair may *seem* to grow faster because you are forgetting about it.

My hair grows terribly fast anyway. I usually get more than an inch of growth a month under normal circumstances.

*drools at the thought of hair growing at 1 in per month* jealous over here.

I actually have seen a definite, physical difference from the days when I dyed my hair (Which wasn't that long ago). You can see the regrowth and when I have had the patience to braid my hair every day (very impatient person I'm afraid, perseverance I have in abundance, patience... not so much :P). Regrowth when I don't braid: max 1 cm. Regrowth when I have: at least 1/2 inch. for me it's a difference, I hate how my hair grows so slowly.

[Khepri]

Growing up, I kept my hair braided every single day, and it stayed healthy, thick, and happy at tail-bone length. When I turned 14, I got tired of braids, and let it loose. Bad idea for me, because I started getting crazy breakage and split ends, and had to cut it back to BSL. Now I just wear it in buns and braids all the time, and it's becoming happy and healthy again.

[crystal_89]

Hello everyone,
I have always found that if I braid my hair every day for a month it grows longer than it does when I haven't. I recently read online that people think their hair has grown longer, but really it protects your hair ends from being damaged and thus it appears longer etc.
Once I did this after just dying my hair and the regrowth was defo longer than it would be if I hadn't.


I usually think that putting hair up or braiding as opposed to leaving it down reduces breakage therefore retaining length and increasing the net growth of hair.

I find it interesting that the OP has said that their regrowth was longer after braiding indicating that the growth measured was not in retaining the hair not damaged, but in growth from the scalp.

I think that when my hair is long enough to braid and if I'm in one of my "I'll dye my hair for the next few months" phases, I might test this braiding theory :p

[lm119]

Hello everyone,
I have always found that if I braid my hair every day for a month it grows longer than it does when I haven't. I recently read online that people think their hair has grown longer, but really it protects your hair ends from being damaged and thus it appears longer etc.
Once I did this after just dying my hair and the regrowth was defo longer than it would be if I hadn't.
Wat are your experiences with this and opinions? Have any of you tried braiding your hair to help with growing it long?

Braiding is what finally got me to shoulder then to bsl. I'm hoping to be MBL by the end of Dec. My hair tangles easily, keeping it braided allows me to wash and condition as much as I want without getting breakage due to detangling.

[PianoPlaye]

I joined TLHC with a bit of length because I wanted to take better care of it. Looks like a sensible braid & abandon scheme might get me extra inches as well as thickness & health. At last I've taken up conditioner & am gradually figuring oiling, both of which are braid friendly. Now if I can just get my halo hair long enough to join the braid...

[BlkPraiseAngel]

My hair seem to grow when it braided, twisted or just in plain plaits. Maybe its the fact that we not doing anything to it during those times. Leaving the hair alone might be the key to growth I'm guessing.

[bushy]

It's worth a try.

[dulce]

Lately my favorite hairdo is a long braid held with a flexi instead of an elastic,it's too early to tell if it's growing faster but here's to hope!

[Madora]

I've never heard of braiding making your hair grow faster.

Braiding does help protect your hair by keeping it from becoming tangled. However, you have to be gentle with those braids and not braid them tightly! Tight braids put too much strain on delicate hairs! You can braid snugly (which allows a trifle bit of wiggle room).

Also, I've noticed my ends started looking much better when I stopped braiding down all the way to the ends when I put my hair in a braid on top of my head at night. I only braid 3/4ths of the way down, then tuck the remaining hair under the bun. And I don't use elastics at night either.

[winona]

I am really going to try braiding to get me to my next goals. How do you ladies stop yourselves from the temptation of over manipulation?

[ibleedlipstick]

I go both ways with this. I know that I tend to get some breakage from daily updos. It is par for the course, my hair is baby fine and there are gobs of it so there is going to be a bit of breakage. With braids, I tend to only get breakage along the lower inch of my hair, where I tie it off. I am more okay with breakage there than high up on the strand.

As far as growth goes? Mine tends to grow the fastest when I'm physically active, eating healthily, and happy. The happy part really is the most important — I can get up to two inches in a month when I'm happy, and one or less when I'm miserable, even when eating the same foods/maintaining the same activity level.

[McFearless]

Some people, like me, have extra growth from the very slight tug of braids. I don't know why or how but it works for me. I also had absolutely no tangles which was the reason I did it. The growth boost was just a bonus. I'm not such a fan of the look of braids myself so I stopped styling my hair like that.

[annamoonfairy]

I do think it helps protect the hair. Also I seen where a person with knee length hair washed it in a braid.

[<3OnHerSleeve]

My hair is only just long enough to start doing this again so I'll be 'testing' the growth rate and hopefully will check back in with results like what I used to have. My hair drastically increased it's growth rate for a while but now it's slowed down to 8 inches a year. We'll see how this change in hair care routine affects or not... fingers crossed :)

[melusine963]

I used to keep my hair braided all the time, only taking it out in the morning to brush and re-braid it. It definitely helped keep the tangles down, which meant I had far less breakage when I was brushing it. However, it did rub an awful lot against any coat I was wearing, especially near the back of my neck. I got a lot of damage there, and my hair below collar level was noticeably thinner.

Now I only keep my hair braided at night, and bun it during the day. This seems to be the best solution for me, although I do miss my braid.

[Diamond.Eyes]

I have come to the personal conclusion that the simple act of braiding your hair does not make it grow. Braiding hair is just a form hair protection. It protects the length, but not really the ends. It is a lot better for hair than wearing it down though; that is if you know how to properly braid. If you braid too tightly your hair can snap and break. I would advise you to just find an easy, protective updo that you enjoy wearing. It doesn't have to be braids. :flower:

[heidi w.]

Hello everyone,
I have always found that if I braid my hair every day for a month it grows longer than it does when I haven't. I recently read online that people think their hair has grown longer, but really it protects your hair ends from being damaged and thus it appears longer etc.
Once I did this after just dying my hair and the regrowth was defo longer than it would be if I hadn't.
Wat are your experiences with this and opinions? Have any of you tried braiding your hair to help with growing it long?

I'd be very curious to see the statistical evidence.

heidi w.

[<3OnHerSleeve]

I braid my hair 'tightly' but not so that it gives me headaches. I've never found it to cause my hair to weaken, snap, break etc. Maybe my hair is particularly resilient...

[maborosi]

I braid my hair 'tightly' but not so that it gives me headaches. I've never found it to cause my hair to weaken, snap, break etc. Maybe my hair is particularly resilient...

I've had tight braids before, too, but it sounds like you're not braiding them tight enough to break strands or anything like that.

I actually wonder if this could be a sound theory. It would make sense if it were true. Can't try it out right now, though, because my hair's too short and layerrd to hold a braid, but eventually, I might give it a go and see if it works.

I wonder if a french or dutch braid would be better for this sort of thing, since it tugs closer to the scalp? Who knows? It'd be really cool if it were true.

~maborosi~