How bad would it be if I got cornrows?

[Miss Catrina]

I've thought it would be fun to get cornrows for a while now, but I'm a little scared of the tension put on the roots. I've seen videos of people getting cornrows where the stylist is all but ripping the hair out, and the last thing I want is traction alopecia! Are cornrows inherently painful and damaging, or is it technique? Obviously the little elastics at the ends would be a concern, but I can handle that. Does anyone have any experience with this?

[CurlyCap]

Just tell them to not put them in tight.

A lot of people request tight braids because the style last longer. When I get my hair braided, I tell them to not pull too tightly on the hair, and that I'm okay if that means the style will come lose more quickly.

Sometimes they don't believe and go ahead and start a row too tightly. I just stop them and they start over until we come to an agreement about what I mean.

Braids take a lot of time! Make sure you get what you want. :D

[LoveAngelBeauty]

Your post made me lol a little.

Your hair should be fine. People only have a problem with it when a stylist uses very small pieces of hair + heavy pieces of extensions + pulls very tightly. Severe breakage or alopecia or whatever usually only happens when people have their hair styled this way repeatedly.

You should be fine getting your hair cornrowed. :)

[Arya]

Technique can be damaging. Cornrows are usually viewed as a protective style. It's actually really gentle on hair, as long as it's not pulled too roughly.

If your scalp looks like chicken skin from being pulled to tightly, or you develop really painful spots, it's too tight. But you should be fine, go for it. :)

[melusine963]

Not that I've ever had cornrows, but I imagine it'll be a little painful at first as your hair follicles get used to being pulled in a different direction than usual. My scalp usually feels pretty tender if I so much as change my parting for a day, so I can't imagine what having cornrows would be like.

[Kinkycurlygurl]

I've thought it would be fun to get cornrows for a while now, but I'm a little scared of the tension put on the roots. I've seen videos of people getting cornrows where the stylist is all but ripping the hair out, and the last thing I want is traction alopecia! Are cornrows inherently painful and damaging, or is it technique? Obviously the little elastics at the ends would be a concern, but I can handle that. Does anyone have any experience with this?

In my experience, cornrows are only a problem if you get them done tightly over and over again. That will lead you to traction alopecia.

To avoid having lots of little rubber bands on your ends you could do a style that brings many braids into one braid so you end up with one band on the end of your hair.

Good luck!:)

[ouseljay]

One note if you do get them: Sunblock. Put it where the scalp is exposed between the rows, that skin can be quite sensitive. Or hats, that would work too. (Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow.)

[Bedhead]

I have absolutely nothing helpful to add here, but when you do get them, please post some pics!!! :)

[Kinkycurlygurl]

One note if you do get them: Sunblock. Put it where the scalp is exposed between the rows, that skin can be quite sensitive. Or hats, that would work too. (Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow.)

Yeah, good advice. My skin is dark, but I still have to be careful about areas that don't usually get any sunshine.

[Vintagecoilylocks]

If its just for protective style you could research if you might like box braids. As others said make sure they are not tight. I like them because I was able to change up the type of buns or wear them hanging loose with no concentrated stress. In my siggy I have them all braided into one.

[mzBANGBANG]

I did cornrows with microbraids for awhile on my fine hair. The cornrowed top of my head was perfectly fine, it was the microbraids that gave me trouble (not sure what style you're planning on getting). I ended up taking out the microbraids after a week because I heard rumor they could dread on their own and they were beginning to get unruly.

[RapunzelKat]

I have absolutely nothing helpful to add here, but when you do get them, please post some pics!!! :)

This! :D I hope you will share pics if you go for it, I love cornrows but I don't think they would look good in my thin hair...

[cheetahfast]

I'm totally not helpful, but I've been dying to get a cornrow mohawk...google images it :p!

However, I never found a place and everyone I told thought I was crazy for wanting it. Someone told me an old wives tale that it would change my hair texture afterwords.
Ohhh mannnn...I so want to do it now. Especially if it won't be damaging. It would be a good way to ignore my hair. (I'm in an obsessive length checking stage :o). It's also a nice way to have a mohawk without having to grow it out afterwords.

[Miss Catrina]

I'm totally not helpful, but I've been dying to get a cornrow mohawk...google images it :p!

However, I never found a place and everyone I told thought I was crazy for wanting it. Someone told me an old wives tale that it would change my hair texture afterwords.
Ohhh mannnn...I so want to do it now. Especially if it won't be damaging. It would be a good way to ignore my hair. (I'm in an obsessive length checking stage :o). It's also a nice way to have a mohawk without having to grow it out afterwords.

I've heard people say "my hair grows faster when it's braided", and my hair won't fit in just one, so... :p Never heard that it changes your texture, though (other than the scary poof when you first take them out)

I don't know where I'd get it done either. I see lots of places that do it, but... not places I'd be comfortable going in. I'd have to get a classmate (cos. school) to do it.

But, for the moment my undercut is only like 4-5 cm long.... so I need to give it some time!

[ratgirldjh]

I've had them. Once my friend was doing her kids hair and I saw her and said: do mine! She did and used aloe vera gel and although they were pretty tight (which she told me would help my hair grow) I didn't see any hairs come out!

The funny part came when after a week or so I took them out! I had an afro!!! And then it felt sooo good to rub my hair roots!!! AHHHH

Be careful I think this is the only time I ever got sunburn on my scalp!!!

[long&blonde]

I've had cornrows. Before I got them: I had exactly the same concerns you do;that I couldn't get them out without ripping hair, that they'd be damaging. No way. I have very fine hair, and I've dyed it mostly ash blonde 15 to 55,last 2 years salon dye blonde. That's a whole lot of years of dyed hair. My hair is bcl(butt crack length). I'd leave cornrows in a week. No problem in the least taking them out. I love them,love how they feel, even more than how they look. I wouldn't try dreadlocks:where people set the cornrows w/wax, those I believe you do have to cut out:but a head full of cornrows like Bo Derek did back in the day,in the movie "10"? Heck yeah. Had a stylist do that for me a good 6 times last summer. I'd take them out myself w/ease.

[coppercurls]

I have had my hair corn rowed, micro braided and currently have box braids. No harm what so ever. Like everyone has mentioned, the key to no damage is not having them pulled too tight. I love having a head full of braids.

[gthlvrmx]

They do pull a little when you sleep and depending if you have a sensitive scalp or not, you may have a little bit of a bigger shed(plus,that hair aint going no where in those braids!)
Just make sure to condition your hair nicely and im sure you'll be better than i was with braids! Disaster with me.

[Miss Catrina]

I just saw a page on box braids that said you should always get a trim when you take them out. What's that about?

[coppercurls]

I just saw a page on box braids that said you should always get a trim when you take them out. What's that about?

I'm not sure what the theory is on that. Sounds like the old "trim every six weeks if you want to grow long hair" business. :confused:

[Arya]

Quick note, box braids refers to two different things. The first is a four stranded braid that has a squarish appearance. It was often used to begin tying hair extensions to the the scalp, and 'box braids' became a synonym for having extensions braided into your own natural hair. So box braids can refer to a four stranded braids or having extensions braided into your hair, depending on who you're talking to.

[MeowScat]

In 2003, I had three microbraids for a few weeks. They went from my hairline by my left cheekbone to the back of my left ear and braided down the length. They were gorgeous! I received many compliments. :)

They were a bit tight and not easy to shampoo. But, remember, this was my first time and I asked for them to be kind of tight since my hair slips constantly.

My hair parted where the braids were for 8 years but my scalp and hair are wimpy. Maybe try one microbraid for one week and see how your hair and scalp react?

I wish I could do my entire head in them, they're so pretty!

:)

[Vintagecoilylocks]

Quick note, box braids refers to two different things. The first is a four stranded braid that has a squarish appearance. It was often used to begin tying hair extensions to the the scalp, and 'box braids' became a synonym for having extensions braided into your own natural hair. So box braids can refer to a four stranded braids or having extensions braided into your hair, depending on who you're talking to.


Box braids can also be that the way you part your natural hair is in small boxes and braid your natural hair. That is how mine is.

[Vintagecoilylocks]

I just saw a page on box braids that said you should always get a trim when you take them out. What's that about?

Not sure why, I don't trim or cut. If you keep your ends moisturized and sealed while you have them there should be no problems.

[Arya]

Box braids can also be that the way you part your natural hair is in small boxes and braid your natural hair. That is how mine is.
Oh, that's right. Man we really need more specific terms! This is crazy. Braids in the shape of a box, hair parted in boxes and braided, and braids from a box? That's too many definitions!!

[styric]

I'm actually considering corn rows... is there a way to do them and leave the rest of the hair loose, or must it be braided?

[coppercurls]

I'm actually considering corn rows... is there a way to do them and leave the rest of the hair loose, or must it be braided?

You can do it either way. I like to get the front of mine cornrowed and leave the back
loose.

Here are some images on a blog I found that show different ways of wearing corn rows:
http://cornrow-hairstyles.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-12-09T05:15:00-08:00&max-results=7