If you are going to get braids make sure the braids aren’t super tight or super skinny. Not only is it time consuming to get out, but braids that are too tight will pull on the hair and cause lots of shedding and breakage. The braids will also cause more severe breakage around the edges of your head which doesn’t look good at all.

I have a friend that just like the singer Brandy wore braids since I known her and when she took them out her hair was very very thin. Her edges were even thinner. She would put the braids in right after she took them back out because the braids thinned her hair out so much that she had to wear braids to look like she actually had hair. She’s now wearing a wig until her hair begins to thicken again and her hair is also not long at all.

Braids don’t make your hair grow and if they are braided too tight and too small they don’t allow your hair to rest either.

If you’re trying to grow your hair out please don’t put micro braids in your hair. You need to be able to condition weekly and moisturize daily and micro braids won’t allow you to do this.

If you do get braids condition your hair with the Aphogee 2-Step Protein Treatment to help strengthen and repair your hair. Then moisturize you hair at least 2-3 times a day with a  good moisturizer..

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The breakage was caused by the constant pulling of her hair in the front into the ponytail holder. There was no way to even blend this breakage into the rest of her hair. It was broken so badly that the only options were to cut it all off to the length of the broken hair or allow it to stay the same and continue to look as horrible as it did.

It is okay to wear a ponytail from time to time but, the ponytail shouldn’t be extremely tight and it shouldn’t be worn daily. Also if you do decide to wear a ponytail don’t use a elastic ban with the metal piece on it. Use the all elastic ponytail bans that state they will not break your hair and does not contain any metal.

It’s less stressful to the hair to wear the hair down, allowing it to flow free without the stresses of pulling from hair accessories. You should also avoid wearing a ponytail at night while you sleep. Instead wrap your hair and wear a satin scarf or bonnet to prevent breakage.

If you want to grow your hair long don’t start by wearing a ponytail which will cause breakage resulting in short hair in the front and long hair in the back. Grow your hair long and allow your hair a chance. Our hair is delicate and it’s up to us to maintain and keep it on our heads growing long, healthy, and beautiful.

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If you are the hair style diva and you like wearing your hair in multiple styles, changing it daily then growing long hair is not the way to go for you. You are causing way too much stress on your hair and it will take longer for you to achieve length if your hair even holds up against the daily styling stress to even add length.

So what are low maintenance hair styles?

Low maintenance hair styles are:

• hair bun
• cornrows(not too tight)
• french roll
• Asian french roll (french roll with chop sticks)
• Set

The above hair styles will allow your hair to rest. It is okay to wear an occasional wrap which is less damaging than most hair styles because the use of heat is limited to only being dried under a dome dryer. Just remember to use foaming wrap lotion to help the hair stretch and prevent breakage during the wrapping process before the hair is dried.

Credits: Photo from i.ehow.com

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As I was getting my hair braided I remember one of the stylist telling her client to not wash her hair at all. How disgusting! Imagine not washing your hair for 8-12 weeks. That’s completely absurd! Black hair is dry and it needs all the moisture it can get, even when braided so I’ve come up with my own hair care regimen for braids.

1. Step One: Moisturize braids daily with a good braid sheen containing water, a humercant, and an oil. If you can’t find a sheen spray that contains oil, then use a light oil spray daily as well.
2. Step Two: Wash the hair weekly. Braid the braids into 6-8 sections and rinse the hair gently allowing the water to run on the scalp. Shampoo the hair gently using the finger tips to help lift and remove the dirt from the scalp. Rinse hair thoroughly and pat the hair dry. Spray on a leave in braid conditioner with little or no oil. Apply a small amount of moose and sit under a warm dryer until your braids are dry. Next you may spray the braids with a light (mineral/petroleum free) oil sheen or braid sheen again for extra shine.
3. Step Three: Wear a satin scarf or bonnet at night to keep braids tight and to prevent moisture lost.
4. Spray the hair with braid sheen daily. Do not spray the scalp directly to prevent buildup.

Don’t keep your braids in no longer than 2 months. Some people keep the braids in longer, but I think it’s best to remove them after 2 months to prevent the hair from matting and tangling with the braiding hair.

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The following styles are considered protective styles:

• cornrows
• Two-strand twists
• single braids
• bun

Cornrows are a beautiful alternative to other styles that can help both natural and relaxed hair grow by reducing the amount of breakage. If you decide to use this style to aid in growing your hair, be sure that your hair isn’t braid extremly tight because cornrows can cause breakage around the edges. Proper care is also important when wearing cornrows. Hair should be moisturized daily with a moisturizing lotion or spray. The hair should also be taken down weekly for a weekly shampoo and conditioning treatment. You may keep the braids in if you like and shampoo and condition them, but to prevent fuzziness I recommend taking the hair down weekly.

Two-strand twists are also a great alternative. They can be woen in both natural and relaxed hair, but work best in natural hair because they hold better. Twists will not cause breakage of any time and they can be styled in a mulitude of ways. Be sure to moisturize them daily and cleanse and condition weekly.

Single braids (not to be confused with microbraids), are also a great alternative. These braids are a little bigger than microbraids, which ease in the removal of the braids as well as preventing the hair from breaking off unlike microbraids. When you go to your hair braider let them know what size you will like your braids to be and advise them not to braid the braids “scalp bleeding” tight to your head to prevent the unnecessary pulling that causes breakage and thinning around the edges. Be sure to cleanse and condition the hair weekly and mositurize daily following the braid care regimen.

Bun’s can also be a protective style, but should be used with care. Just like ponytails, they can cause damage if you constantly pull your hair back daily into a tight ponytail and tie it up into a bun. This style should be used as a last minute protective style, but it shouldn’t be used as something that you make a habit of wearing daily.

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