Tips on Caring For Braided Hair

A few days ago, one of our lovely customers asked me for tips on caring for braided hair and dreadlocks. I have never had dreads, but I believe that they can be cared for in the same way one would care for braids.

I wore my hair in box braid extensions for a long time: Off and on from 1990 through 2005. I have NEVER liked wearing any hair style that required a lot of time every day. Maybe this dates back to memories of childhood, when my mother would have to comb and brush my thick, unprocessed, afro textured hair. I wasn’t what we used to call “tender headed”, but my mother had very little patience. When she encountered a knot or tangle, I braced myself and tried to keep my head still. If I flinched or (worse) pulled my head away, I got whacked in the head with the wooden brush. Ouch. In my mother’s defense, she did take very good care of my hair. Every week, she would unbraid it, shampoo and condition it. She usually used a cream rinse and a creamy leave in called “Liv” before corn rowing or braiding it (I just googled “Liv” and I was surprised to see it still exists!) I always slept with a scarf on my head and my mom would “grease” my scalp every 3 or four days with Afro Sheen or Ultra Sheen. I still remember the commercials for these on “Soul Train”…

Rebraiding

When I wore my hair in box braid extensions, I would get it rebraided every 4 or 5 months. My AWESOME husband had the job of unbraiding my hair. As the years went on, he had his technique down to a fine art! Not only did he unbraid it, but he gently combed through the knots and untangled it. I learned the hard way that you should NEVER go to the braiding salon without untangling your hair first. If I thought my mother was a tough cookie regarding knots and tangles… man, oh, man… The braiders at the salon I went to in Harlem did not mess around! They were extremely polite, efficient and fast… but I was super grateful that my husband took care of the tangles before my appointment. They did not approach knots with the same gentle hand (my scalp and forehead hurt just thinking about it).

Unbraiding and Detangling to Prevent Breakage

If you’re lucky enough to have someone to help you unbraid your hair, PLEASE enlist their help! You may be able to unbraid and untangle the front of your hair, but you can’t really see the back, so having a helping hand will save you a lot of time and HAIR! You want to be able to see the hair that you’re untangling so that you don’t end up yanking it out as you attempt to untangle it. Misting tangles with a little warm water and olive oil will prove to be very helpful: The combination will make the tangle easy to loosen with your fingers. Just spray the knot, wait a few seconds and then rub it in between your thumb and forefinger. The tail of a rat tail comb is also an invaluable tool for detangling.

Synthetic Hair

I wore synthetic hair when I got my hair braided. It was the perfect choice for me because it protected my own hair and lasted a long time without looking fuzzy. The night before I’d go to get my hair braided, after my husband unbraided my hair, I would shampoo and then do a deep conditioning treatment. I would also comb daily conditioner through my hair and leave it in, to help protect my hair for the next few months.

Keeping Braids Clean

I kept my own hair well nourished and clean while it was braided. Every Saturday, I would squeeze some shampoo into my palm and then, with my finger, I’d apply the shampoo to the scalp that was exposed in between each braid. In the shower, with my back to the water, I would lean back and let the water thoroughly saturate my hair and scalp. After a few minutes, I’d place my hands on my head and massage my scalp to work up lather. Then, facing the water, I would pull the lather down and over my braids and kind of “pat” it in. Finally, I would lean forward, still facing the water, and flip my braids up and over my head and allow the water to rinse away all the lather. I’d continue to rinse until the water ran clear. Before getting out, I’d gather my braids together and gently squeeze out as much excess water as I could.

Conditioning While Wearing Braids

When I got out of the shower, I’d wrap a beach towel around my braids to soak up the water and then, I’d let my braids hang down. I applied a cholesterol “deep conditioner” or olive oil to my scalp, the same way I applied the shampoo. I would also apply the conditioner half way down my braids: I wanted it to reach my own hair that was mixed in with the synthetic hair. I would then put on a conditioning cap and heat cap and heat my hair for about half an hour. I’d usually give myself a pedicure as I heated my hair: This was many, many years before the discovery of my cordless heat cap!

Since my toes were usually freshly polished, I would rinse my deep conditioner or olive oil out in the kitchen sink. After that, I’d wrap my hair in a beach towel again and then after it was dry (a few hours or the next day) would spray my scalp with a leave in or apply a conditioning gel.

Keeping the Scalp Clean

If you are wearing braid extensions, it’s very important to keep your scalp clean. The area where the braid touches your scalp can get caked with dust, and dead skin. You also want to keep your roots strong because of the additional weight of the synthetic hair. If weekly deep conditioning is not possible, be sure to use a daily conditioner after shampooing. You really should deep condition your hair and braids at least once a month, though. Deep conditioning becomes even more important if your hair is relaxed, because the point where the relaxed hair ends and your virgin hair begins is extremely fragile: The added weight of the synthetic hair can also cause stress at this line of demarcation.

Product Recommendations

For braided or corn rowed hair, I would suggest Phat Head Super Moisturizing Sulphate Free Shampoo and either Phat Head Creamy Coconut Oil Treatment or Phat Head High On Coconut Deep Conditioner for weekly care. For daily moisture and conditioning, I suggest Phat Head Daily Jojoba Mist. Phat Head Coconut Pudding with Silk Protein is IDEAL for use on freshly shampooed hair and perhaps at the middle of the week, in between cleansing and deep conditioning. Another good choice for post cleansing would be Phat Head Organic Conditioning & Styling Oil. Just remember not to over do it, so you don’t get any buildup at the base of the braid.

If YOU have any suggestions, tips, etc about braids and or dreads, please share!