It's a common refrain: "my braids broke my hair." But are these protective styles truly the culprits, or is the real issue a lack of proper care and maintenance?
It's often believed that braids and weaves severely damage hair. Indeed, when we remove our hairstyle, we notice hair loss. So, what can be done to prevent hair fall?
1. Pre-Hairstyle Care:
First, it's important to know that before getting braids or a weave, you should not relax your hair on the same day. It's recommended to relax your hair two weeks prior. Indeed, relaxing weakens the hair, so combining it with braids is a guaranteed recipe for hair loss. Furthermore, when styling, it's best to have very clean hair. This means you should do several shampoos and a mask or treatments to strengthen the hair. Another unfounded prejudice is that some people think a single shampoo is enough to wash hair, when several are needed. A tip to know if your hair is clean: when you apply your shampoo and there's a lot of lather, then your hair is clean, but the lather doesn't really appear with the first shampoo, or it's only partial.
2. Installation:
When styling, avoid braiding too tightly or making the cornrows for the weave too tight. This will pull on the hair roots and damage your scalp. Moreover, there's no need to braid too tightly because as long as the stylist does a good job, the hairstyle will hold even with minimal tightness.
3. Maintenance:
Once styled, avoid tying your hair with an elastic band or a scrunchie; it's best to use a hair clip. Because the tighter you pull on the braid, the more you risk losing your hair. Furthermore, you should try to shampoo at least once a week. The trend is to believe that shampoo damages the hairstyle, but how can one imagine a month without washing their hair? And after that, we're surprised when hair falls out!!! Nothing prevents using an anti-hair loss serum.
4. Removal:
When you remove your hairstyle, you should immediately do a treatment and shampoo to revitalize the hair and nourish the scalp. And most importantly, do not relax or get a new hairstyle right away, but let your hair rest and breathe for a few days, at least two days. The trick is to undo them on Friday evening after work and style them on Sunday afternoon for those in a hurry. But above all, you should keep your hairstyle for one month, no longer.
Laurette
Photo: Aya Nakamura
