The difference between Dutch braids and Cornrows

[Petulia]

Hi everyone,

I'm sure you might have noticed recently that dutch pigtail braids are becoming really popular. I've noticed particularly that the Kardashians have been receiving a lot of backlash because they've been wearing these braids and calling them normal dutch braids, when apparently they're actually cornrows. So I started to wonder, what actually is the difference between cornrows and dutch braids?

I was under the impression that this is a dutch pigtail braid:

jpg images (source: http://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-be.../braid-how-to/)

And that this is cornrowed hair:


upload img
(source: http://www.stylesamba.com/top-10-ele...ow-hairstyles/)

And these are the braids that the Kardashian sisters have been wearing:

free upload image
They're a little tighter than regular dutch braids, but there's a lot of YouTube tutorials on these braids (tagged as things like "Kardashian inspired braids") where the people making the videos are still referring to them as dutch braids. What do you think? Are these dutch braids or cornrows?
Maybe we could put together a list of things that make dutch braids different to cornrows so that we can clear this up!

[Thoughtcriminal]

They are exactly the same. There is no difference in tightness, the technique is exactly the same for dutch braids and cornrows. Two names for the same hairstyle, although "dutch braid" is usually the name used when referring to 1 or 2 larger braids, and "cornrows" usually refers to 3 or more smaller braids. Sometimes people refer to 2 dutch braids as cornrows, but they're talking about the same thing.

[meteor]

This is the best description of the difference between cornrows and Dutch braids that I've read: http://www.chocolatehairvanillacare....ids-dutch.html It includes some crystal-clear pictures that make it really easy to see the difference in techniques used.

Basically, the cornrow includes the hair underneath (includes the middle section), while the Dutch braid braids *over* the middle section. This slight difference produces visually slightly different results. If formed with the exact same amount of hair, the cornrow will appear slightly thicker than the Dutch braid.

But many people do use those terms interchangeably.

[MandyBeth]

I don't get how Dutch braids don't include all the hair. All I do, I wind up pulling all the hair into the braid unless I'm intentionally leaving some loose. When I've had long enough hair to braid and been in MMA, the multiple Dutch braids going back have been called boxer braids for years.

My understanding, as one with cat fine, straight leaning hair (I can brush out waves without becoming a fuzzy mess) and having a daughter with extremely tight curls, is French and Dutch braids add to the two outside sections only, cornrows add to all three sections. I can do a cornrows type braid on my daughter, not myself. However, it's very grabby on her hair, it takes much longer to braid and it wants to tangle badly. It may very well be that I am at best a novice at that type of braiding. I can't add to the middle on my own head, please, I can't even French braid my own hair.

[meteor]

French and Dutch braids add to the two outside sections only, cornrows add to all three sections.

That's exactly how I understand it, too!

[yahirwaO.o]

This is the best description of the difference between cornrows and Dutch braids that I've read: http://www.chocolatehairvanillacare....ids-dutch.html It includes some crystal-clear pictures that make it really easy to see the difference in techniques used.

Basically, the cornrow includes the hair underneath (includes the middle section), while the Dutch braid braids *over* the middle section. This slight difference produces visually slightly different results. If formed with the exact same amount of hair, the cornrow will appear slightly thicker than the Dutch braid.

But many people do use those terms interchangeably.

Totally agree! I read this one years ago and realized the difference! Also when you are braiding such small pieces is actually easier to add those sections to the middle and then braid rather the classic way! This works for sure but even for my super straight hair can result in bumps, so pretty much have to do it wet and some product to give that tight effect!

[Llama]

Cornrows are smaller sections and are in multiple rows
But I think as far as how each braid is braided, it's basically the same technique as a regular dutch braid
It's clear to see the difference visually, obviously totally different looks

[chen bao jun]

Dutch and French differ in the whether you add sections over or under. When you only add from one section, it becomes a lace braid (often used for faux crown braids, because doing this makes the hair go circular.

Corn rows or cane rows as they are sometimes called, are the same as Dutch braids in technique (you add the new hair from underneath so that the bumps appear on top) and the difference is that people do one dutch braid or maybe two, but multiple cornrows, at least four or five but more usually many, many more that that. Also corn rows are usually done in African hair types--unless you go to the west indies for a vacation where part of the tourist experience has become having your hair of whatever type put into cornrows while you sit on the beach. They are called corn rows I believe because they are so many that they look like multiple rows of corn growing in a field (if you use your imagination). Or cane rows in places like the Caribbean where they don't grow corn (maize) but grow sugar cane.

Braids tend to stay better in curlier hair types and super well in very tightly curly hair, which is clingy. You don't have to put those little rubber bands on the ends or anything to make them stay and you can do them even in just washed hair--while with straighter hair types it can be a problem to do them at all, and if you do them, to get them to stay. Lots of little braids or cornrows are very well suited to certain kind of AFrican descent hair, also, because they can be protective. My mother, for instance, should barely touch her hair at all--it's very fine as well as very curly and touching means breaking it off. Wearing cornrows allows her to do her hair once every two weeks or so--and not touch it in between at all. thus her hair is not being touched--and stays on her head and grows.

so the size would the main difference. FRench or Dutch braids, big and few; corn or cane rows mutliple and small.

some of this is not just hair type, but hair length. A woman with longer hair would tend to wear one French or Dutch braid, or at most two, also because it is a pain to French or Dutch braid longer hair of any hair type. At a certain length, it differs by person probably, you start to get back braiding--you know, where as you braid your hair, the bottom starts braiding itself without your volition and tangling up. so you wouldn't want to do very very many braids and have this problem repeated over and over. Also, its pretty impossible to do just one or two braids on hair that is shorter. Many women of African descent have extremely broken off hair due to poor hair care habits and also due to the use of chemical products and heat on very fragile hair, sometimes from an extremely young age. And nowadays, hair weaves. If your hair is only 2 or 3 inches long, you can't do one large braid, it's impossible. but you can do a lot of tiny ones, and it easier is to do corn rows than little single english braids in that case. You can do very artistic, beautiful things if you have skill and patience

http://naturallymemedia.com/natural-...yles-cornrows/
http://africanhairstyles.info/2015-cornrow-hairstyles/


Interestingly in France, there is no such thing as 'French braids' OR cornrows--its all called 'nattes africains'--african braids. The FRench have a lot of history with Africa, due to many colonies there and many francophone people are African or African descent. Martinique and Guadeloupe in the West Indies are actually part of France, though far away, just like Hawaii and Alaska are US states, though not on the continent and the women from these islands are romanticized a lot, as well as women of AFrican descent in general (the French have never really fallen out of love with Josephine Baker). so 'nattes africains' would be something exotic in a good way (even though the history is of course complex and not all of it positive)

I haven't seen the kerfluffle on the internet about the Kardashians braids but I am suspecting it is another one of those 'cultural appropriation' firestorms the Kardashians seem to ignite all the time.(I'm starting to wonder if they, loving publicity as they do, do it on purpose). I am sure that people are claiming, this is an AFrican American hairstyle that they are profiting from unrighteously or something like that; you know, the people that do hang out on their computers all the time getting worked up about major world issues such as if Kim Kardashian has a right to have a big butt (yeah, seriously . Roll eyes.)

Actually, of course, people of every culture have always worn braids and always worn french or dutch braids or cornrows or whatever you want to call them, for all of human history. It's only in the last century that American/Europeans started to wear short styled hiar, starting with the 20's flappers, that you couldn't easily braid that braiding as a skill was lost to European descent women. Look up that Janet Stephenson hairstyle archaeologist and you will see plenty of cornrows in hairstyles used by ancient Roman women and doesn't that Elling woman hairstyle involve at least some french braiding? Back in the Iron Age in scandinavia or something? So no race can really claim this--though it is a fact that in contemporary times women of African descent tend to know how to braid and women of European descent tend to not know--unless they've learned on LHC, of course.

so the correct answer to the OP's question would be 'all of the above'

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[Horrorpops]

This was a very interesting thread to read! I had no idea what technique could be used to create cornrows or how it could differ from a dutch braid... very educational! Also what a great history lesson chen bao jun, thank you!

[Duchess Fuzzy Buns]

I haven't seen the kerfluffle on the internet about the Kardashians braids but I am suspecting it is another one of those 'cultural appropriation' firestorms the Kardashians seem to ignite all the time.(I'm starting to wonder if they, loving publicity as they do, do it on purpose). I am sure that people are claiming, this is an AFrican American hairstyle that they are profiting from unrighteously or something like that; you know, the people that do hang out on their computers all the time getting worked up about major world issues such as if Kim Kardashian has a right to have a big butt (yeah, seriously . Roll eyes.)

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That's exactly what it is. I've seen some... interesting arguments in the YouTube comments section of various dutch braid tutorials lately. People seem to have different ideas of what cornrows are too. By the definition in the link meteor posted cornrows add hair to the middle and dutch braids don't, but a lot of people have been arguing that dutch braids and cornrows are the exact same thing and we shouldn't call them dutch braids... Some say cornrows are when there's more than two braids, some say it doesn't matter even one braid done in that fashion is a cornrow... And some people seem to think white girls shouldn't do dutch/French/whatever braids at all, which I find a bit ridiculous.