Maintaining Box Braids

**jaydago** · 09-01-2008, 08:29 AM

I just put braids in my hair without added hair. I want to know how to keep this stlye for a while. How long is too long to leave them in? How can I wash them, and what can I use to keep them fresh after they get washed.

**authentica** · 09-02-2008, 03:45 PM

To wash: use a stocking cap or not, put shampoo or co wash in your hands and rub together (not a lot), pat it softly onto each section and squeeze the sections to spread the shampoo around and DON'T ignore your scalp OR better yet if you don't have dandruff use some african pride or africa's best spray on shampoo.
To keep fresh: use fantasia tea tree naturals serum or a regular braid spray.
Don't forget some type of strengthener or leave in conditioner, your hair still needs moisture, I use profective hair strengthener or some jamaican mango and lime

Hope I helped

**blackbeauty398** · 09-03-2008, 01:24 AM

I don't use a stocking cap cause I can't rinse the dandruff flakes out properly when I wore one. So experiment with that. I normally wash my hair once a week then either I put world of curls or qhemets aohc and ohhb on it. Helps keeps my ends soft. For my scalp, I apply vatika oil to keep the flakes at bay.
Now, normally I can leave my braids in for a month or so without any locing whatsoever but your hair
may be different. It's okay to use conditioner when your hair is in braids too. Another important thing is to expect frizz. It's going to happen, no way to prevent it and it's okay.

HTH

**jaydago** · 12-28-2009, 08:51 PM

Originally Posted by blackbeauty398

I don't use a stocking cap cause I can't rinse the dandruff flakes out properly when I wore one. So experiment with that. I normally wash my hair once a week then either I put world of curls or qhemets aohc and ohhb on it. Helps keeps my ends soft. For my scalp, I apply vatika oil to keep the flakes at bay.
Now, normally I can leave my braids in for a month or so without any locing whatsoever but your hair
may be different. It's okay to use conditioner when your hair is in braids too. Another important thing is to expect frizz. It's going to happen, no way to prevent it and it's okay.

HTH

How in the world do you get the braides to be so close to the scalp and look clean like this? I can't do it to save my life!

**brooklynrunz** · 01-05-2010, 01:45 AM

i have a hard time leaving my box braids for more than 2 weeks...bc day 2 looks so frizzy. Ive mixed my shea butter with some ecco sytling gel (in the white container) with some other oils (castor, carrot, grapeseed) and hope that they won't look so bad. Seriously...how do u ladies get urs to last so long? what products do u use as you braid?

**jaydago** · 09-07-2008, 04:12 AM

Thank U ladies

**blackbeauty398** · 09-11-2008, 10:10 PM

okay, so after taking down my box braids I have come to realize a few things.

1) If you have a fair amount of dandruff, wash your hair often. Personally, I wash mine twice a week. This helps get the flakes out and not embed in the braided hair. This will still happen but keep the amount down.

2) If your hair is 4 inches or less, it is fine to do small box braids. Longer hair needs larger braids or the ends will tangle and suffer. I just learned this myself. I have been wearing box braids as a frequent style since my hair was 3 inches.

3) When wearing box braids in the winter time, pamper your ends. This means either baggying or massaging some type of moisturizer in them.

4) It is okay to condition your hair while in box braids. I didn't think so at first but discovered my hair would get dry in between washes even after applying moisturizers.

5) Your hair type depends on how long you can leave them in. Some people's hair will loc after a period of time. I can wear mine for two months IF my dandruff isn't bad during those two months.

6) When taking box braids down, it is very very important to get all the shed hair out to prevent tangling. These can cause knots and break your hair off unecessarily, especially when using this as a protective style.

That's all I can think of at the moment. Hope the additional info helps

**Shatani** · 09-28-2008, 03:55 PM

5) Your hair type depends on how long you can leave them in. Some people's hair will loc after a period of time. I can wear mine for two months IF my dandruff isn't bad during those two months.

[/b]

i am SO JEALOUS! two months?!?! so very jealous....mine starts to wanna lock up in the back after a couple of weeks.

as for the original question...i dont have a set routine really. i wash it whenever i feel like it (once or twice a week), i rinse whenever i feel like it (usually every day or two), i deep condition as necessary and conditioner wash when the mood strikes.

i do like to keep the ends moisturized...i use a mixture of shea butter and cantu leave-in cream.

i think maintenance starts with the braiding...i avoid trouble by braiding pretty loosely, not braiding all the way to the ends and trying my best to never mix strands. all these things make for a relatively painless take down. i never do them tiny, but they range from small to big and lazy. lol...get to know your hair, it'll tell you what it likes.

**cutenappygrl** · 06-29-2018, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by blackbeauty398

okay, so after taking down my box braids I have come to realize a few things.

1) If you have a fair amount of dandruff, wash your hair often. Personally, I wash mine twice a week. This helps get the flakes out and not embed in the braided hair. This will still happen but keep the amount down.

2) If your hair is 4 inches or less, it is fine to do small box braids. Longer hair needs larger braids or the ends will tangle and suffer. I just learned this myself. I have been wearing box braids as a frequent style since my hair was 3 inches.

3) When wearing box braids in the winter time, pamper your ends. This means either baggying or massaging some type of moisturizer in them.

4) It is okay to condition your hair while in box braids. I didn't think so at first but discovered my hair would get dry in between washes even after applying moisturizers.

5) Your hair type depends on how long you can leave them in. Some people's hair will loc after a period of time. I can wear mine for two months IF my dandruff isn't bad during those two months.

6) When taking box braids down, it is very very important to get all the shed hair out to prevent tangling. These can cause knots and break your hair off unecessarily, especially when using this as a protective style.

That's all I can think of at the moment. Hope the additional info helps

Thank you...

**Jaqz** · 09-12-2008, 03:50 AM

2. Wow, really!! No wonder. This is great to know. I can never seem to get my small braids loose without snapping ends off. Yet big braids are hard for me to make since my ends are so fluffy. Time for a plan C.
3. Almond oil is my sealer of choice over a good moisturizer
5. Important for naturals to know, also when it comes to twists. More than a week of twists means starting locs for me, while it means week two of twists for others.
6. If I want to wear a braidout, I will Denman my hair when time to wash so that shedded hair gets out.

To Jaydago, I spritz rose water (Whole foods) and sometimes rose water and lavender oil in my hair too keep it smelling fresh. As for your scalp, you can condition wash with two small drops of peppermint oil.