Anyone else not like braids?

[naturegirl321]

I know they look nice, but I'm not a fan. I just hate the waves that are created after you take the braid out. Plus, part of me thinks that braids are more damaging than buns.

[kanaka]

i dont think braids are more damaging (thats my opinion) but i dont like braid waves. i am not a big fan of braid (but i like french braid) but i am more comfortable wearing it for college. final word is i have neutral opinion on braids :)

[Gabriel]

Any style can cause damage if repeated often enough or if done in a rough/damaging way. I don't think the way most LHCers braid causes damage.

I like the way braids and braid waves look on others. I really don't like the effect on me though. A few of the styles are fun though and on occassion I will braid my hair. I do have to be careful though because too much manipulation of my hair for me causes more shedding than it's worth.

[Orangerthanred]

I like the waves from braids, so I sleep in one, but I look terrible in any updo... including braids.

[kitschy]

My hair is very curly and I never comb or brush it after it is dry. I can't separate my hair into three or four different strands in order to braid it - it tangles terribly and I literally have to rip it apart. I've worn my hair in a braid exactly once since I've been doing the Curly Girl method. It will be a long, long time before I do it again.

[Amber_Maiden]

I think braids are very pretty, I just don't have the patience to braid my hair.

[Long_Curls]

I have never been interested in braids as I find any form of ponytail modification to temporarily alter the shape of my curls and make them frizzy.

I can see its convenience for straight haired people though.

[Maha94]

I need to grow my hair longer! It is so short. What to do ? :(((

[Long_Curls]

I need to grow my hair longer! It is so short. What to do ? :(((

Time and patience, my friend.

[PinkyCat]

My hair is very curly and I never comb or brush it after it is dry. I can't separate my hair into three or four different strands in order to braid it - it tangles terribly and I literally have to rip it apart. I've worn my hair in a braid exactly once since I've been doing the Curly Girl method. It will be a long, long time before I do it again.

Yup - this! I only like to braid when wet for this reason. But I have hairstyle ADD & a wet braid can only be a braid all day long. :yawn:

[Mayflower]

I love fishtail braids but my shorter shoulderlenght layers ruin them. Now that I think about it, it probably will take a good few years until I can do proper braids:p

[Madora]

I need to grow my hair longer! It is so short. What to do ? :(((

There are quite a few things you can do to help your hair grow healthy and long. You inherit your hair from your parents so if they had thin, straight hair, chances are yours will be the same.
That being said, here are a few tips:

1) Eat healthy and drink plenty of water
2) Use gentle, hair friendly products
3) Wash your hair once a week. The more you wash your hair, the dryer it will become because the natural oil is removed.
4) Never, ever, brush your hair when it is wet! Hair is weakest when it is wet
5) ALWAYS use a WIDE TOOTH COMB to detangle your hair.
6) Detangle your hair by starting at the ends and gently working up, bit by bit, until you reach the scalp. Do it in small sections and take your time
7) Air dry your hair.
8) Avoid blow fryers, hot irons/curlers/straightening implements
9) Wear your hair UP to protect delicate ends
10) Use a silk pillowcase to protect your hair at night
11) Do S and D (Search and Destroy) on your ends periodically to remove damage
12) Get regular trims every 3 to 4 months
13) Use a pure boar bristle brush (no nylon) to brush your hair.

Above all, have a boatload of patience! The average hair growth is 6 inches per year. Some people grow faster, some don't.

Nothing will make your hair grow faster or thicker. It is HOW you care for it that will determine its overall health.

Check out the Articles section in the grey menu bar (above) for valuable information.

[Madora]

I love braids and have been wearing them for more than 40 years. Never noticed anything damaging about them. Far from it, since they confine the hair and there's hardly any issues with damage from detangling after I take them down.

[Henrietta]

I like the look but I don't like the waves. Yet I still love crown braids too much to avoid braiding.

[intothemist1999]

I like braids, I love braid waves! However, braids itch the heck out of me so I rarely wear them.

[CurlyCap]

I don't like how all the weight of my hair hangs from one place. And if I'm going to do an updo, I'd rather start in any other way than a braid. Braid updos don't give my curly hair a very refined finish.

On top of that, ditto on curls not liking the braids. It destroys the natural structural, leaves me with a style I can't take don't without rewetting my hair, and is a tangle waiting to happen unless the ends are very particularly wrapped. Guh.

[Zesty]

I like the way braids look, and I like braid waves, and I don't mind braiding my hair, BUT... I can't handle having my hair where I can see it. I will fiddle and fuss and look for split ends and generally do anything but pay attention to whatever is going on. I also dislike the way they rub on my clothes, I feel like it might be damaging and I don't like the "fuzzy" look. So I rarely wear a regular braid unless I have to wear a hat that makes a bun impossible. I do however like braided buns. A braided nautilus is one of my new favorite styles.

[darklyndsea]

I would think that a braid dangling down one's back would cause a little bit more damage than any style that's pinned up, because of the friction on one's clothes. IMO, that's not enough to worry about, but YMMV.

[sun-kissed]

I love the look of braids on me, and how quick and easy they are, but they itch like I-don't-know-what, so I rarely wear them. |:
Plus, they're damaging. Since my hair is already quite splitty, they stick out all over and get friction damaged even more than if my hair was down.

[luxepiggy]

I'm too lazy to braid my hair - piggies have little tolerance for styles that take longer than one minute to achieve. I prefer to dedicate the extra morning minutes to peaceful slumber (^(oo)^)v

[Fethenwen]

I think that braids are definitely more damaging than buns, if we are comparing a bun which is held with a hairstick. I use hairties that are soft and without metal parts, but they still damage my hair more than hairsticks.

I still love braids though ^.^

[celebriangel]

I like the way braids look in styles, and double dutch braids are excellent for concealing mega-greasy hair that I haven't had time to wash in ages.

However, I never braid my hair when it's damp. If I braid dry, I get enthusiastic braidwaves. If I braid wet or even a bit damp, the braidwaves are all...spiky and weird. Like braidwaves on steriods. It's not nice at all.

[jojo]

I love braids, there so quick, versatile and look pretty too

[Yozhik]

I love braids.

There are so many different styles and different braids to try that I never really get tired of them. They're also a really easy way for me to contain my hair (if just lounging around the house, I just throw my hair into a braid) and I rarely secure them with anything. My hair is long enough that when I braid, the braid doesn't unravel, and if I'm using the braid as the basis for an updo, there's even less reason to secure the end.

When my hair was shorter I didn't braid it as much, maybe because it wouldn't stay without an elastic, or just because when my hair was shorter, I almost always wore it down. :shrug:

[cmg]

I love braids and have been wearing them for more than 40 years. Never noticed anything damaging about them. Far from it, since they confine the hair and there's hardly any issues with damage from detangling after I take them down.
I guess some people know what they are doing, judging from your avatar. :) BTW don't look over here, thats not a northern light. Its me going green with envy!


I don't like how all the weight of my hair hangs from one place. And if I'm going to do an updo, I'd rather start in any other way than a braid. Braid updos don't give my curly hair a very refined finish.

On top of that, ditto on curls not liking the braids. It destroys the natural structural, leaves me with a style I can't take don't without rewetting my hair, and is a tangle waiting to happen unless the ends are very particularly wrapped. Guh.
Much the same here. I wish I could accomplish some of the beautiful braids I have seen here though. My braids look like porcupines and afterwards they are disaster.

[Coffeebug]

My hair always looks like it's just come out of a braid whether it has or not, so braid waves are a non-issue for me LOL!