Ratty Braid

[FroggyMonkeyMom]

When I braid my hair, in less than half an hour or so it's all ratty and has a bunch of ends sticking out the entire length of the braid. What can I do to keep it smoother longer? I never see other people's braids looking all tore up all the time :-/

And what can I do to protect the end of the braid from getting all dry and brittle, due wearing elastics? When I undo the braid the hair that was below the elastic is practically straw.

[Freckled.Thing]

In my experience the best way to keep a braid neat is to have a perfectly blunt hemline. (Layers are murder on braids.) If the pic in your siggy is current then your lovely fairy tail ends might be contributing to the problem. Maybe you could try making the tail of your braid longer? This would mean that the part you put the tie at would be a bit thicker.
Also I like to put a bit of coconut oil on my tassel before I leave the house. I think it gives it a nice coat of protection from the elements as well as keeping the ends moisturized and un-hay-like.

Good luck, though. I hope you find something that works for you.

[katsrevenge]

I use a bit of oil in my braids to try and keep the layers in a bit. It also helps keep the ends happier.

I also put the tie up higher, and wrap a damp piece of silk or ribbon underneath the elastic. It sounds silly but it really seems to help!

[teela1978]

I just have horribly frizzy braids. No one seems to notice but me :shrug:

[blondecat]

A blob the size of a ten cent peice of Aloe Vera smoothed over after braiding, helps me a lot.

[longhairedlady]

My braids are alot smoother with a little oil. I think the dryness causes that, but im not for sure.

[jacqueline101]

If you have layers it will have ends sticking out.

[pepperminttea]

Lightly oiled hair, no layers, and bunning the braid will help keep the flyaways in. :) Wearing it down against your back will always make it a little ratty, just from brushing against your clothing, it's fairly unavoidable I'm afraid.

[WaitingSoLong]

You don't have to have layers to have ends sticking out.

I have a blunt hemline, no layers and this is an issue for me as well.

Everyone has hairs at different lengths ALL THE TIME due to the natural shedding rate. Unless you never shed any hairs...which I am pretty sure is impossible.

Oiling helps, but I use aloe vera gel diluted in water and spritzed down the length of the braid, saturating the end. This has the added effect of making lovely braid waves later when you loosen the braid.

Still, even with heavy oiling, you will get the frizz look after awhile. I just take the braid down and re-do it if it is just a simple Englsih braid. If not, you can try braiding ribbon into it, but I find this difficult and not worth the effort.

Also, like someone else said, I tend to secure the braid higher up as most the frizz is closer to the bottom. Also, I use the little silicone elastics that are damage-free (supposedly). I don't put them on as tight as possible, either, just enough to make sure it won't slip out. I get them at the dollar store for $1 for like a hundred or something.

[Night_Kitten]

I have the same problem, and the only thing that helps me is heavy oiling...
A light oiling helps to slow the process down alittle, but does not prevent it and I'm still left with a hairy caterpillar instead of a braid after about half an hour, LOL
I'm assuming some product like aloe gel or something similar will help as well, never tried it myself though

As for the ends - try soft fabric elastics, or wrapping the ends with a piece of satene ribbon and securing the elastic over the ribon (like this: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?p=1459286#post1459286 second post from the end of the page, by spidermom)

[Madora]

WaitingSoLong is right on the money. It is natural for braids to become "fuzzy" after time because the hairs are all different lengths.

You might try a dab of coconut oil on your hair before you begin braiding, but as Pepperminttea explained, braids tend to fuzz up because they're rubbing against your clothing, chairs, etc.

Best way to avoid the fuzzies would be to wear that braid up..or try a lace braid.

Here's a tutorial for a twisted lace braid. The lace French braid is similar in technique..but has one more strand to work with:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPHEzUr5bWQ

[spidermom]

My braids always look completely disheveled by the end of an hour no matter what I do. It doesn't seem to matter, though. Yesterday I had one of the messiest messy braids ever and got two compliments in the grocery store "your hair is so beautiful!" Go figure.

One thing you can do with the end is to use a little bit of oil, braid all the way to end, wrap a section of wet ribbon around the ends, then put a little poly-band or rubber band over that.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/spidermom/tools.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/spidermom/agedbraid.jpg
(By the way, this is immediately after braiding, so relatively neat.)
I get the most gorgeous braid waves with this strategy.

[FroggyMonkeyMom]

I like the video!

My hair is not exactly blunt but it's not layered. The siggy pic was right after my third attempt at Princess Leia braids. Which was only so so.

Should I oil after braiding or smooth a little in before braiding? Would olive oil be acceptable?

[spidermom]

Yes, olive oil is one of the best for hair. I use a little coconut oil before/during braiding.

[wallflower]

I just posted in another thread about this problem. It's not just at the bottom of the braid, it's the entire length for me. Ugh.

[Metallia]

It happens to me, too. It gets particularly bad when I wear two braids, because as I move around/bend over/etc, they fall from my back to over my shoulders, and I'm constantly pushing them back. I feel like very pass is more hair razzing out. :headache: Coconut oil helps, or should I say at least delays the problem.
My best solution is to wear the braid(s) up, but that doesn't help if it's not the look you're going for.
I do like the suggestions of a bit of fabric or ribbons at the bottom, I'll be trying that.
Overall... I don't have much to add, but I certainly feel your pain!

[Ice~Cold~Wind]

Ugh, this is a neverending problem for me too. I use a leave-in conditioner sometimes. Oil can help, as everyone else has said. I can't use too much oil on my hair as it gets really greasy. I kind of just live with it when it gets all fuzzy, or just smooth it over a bit temporarily to satisfy my need to fix it. ;)