Afro braids are boho chic, but having them professionally done in a salon can cost a lot. However, if you have time and patience, you can do them yourself at home.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Hair
Step 1. Wash your hair with lightening shampoo
Hair laden with heavy residue and dirt can be difficult to braid neatly and even harder to loosen when the time comes. A lightening shampoo is more effective at removing excess residue than most regular shampoos.
- This is especially important if your hair is covered in impurities such as waxes, thick oils, and chlorine. The buildup of these substances can make your hair brittle like straw, and it can make it difficult to condition your hair.
- If you have particularly dry hair, however, and are afraid of further drying it with a lightening shampoo, you can use a regular one.
Step 2. Apply a detangler or conditioner
You need to fix as much moisture in your hair as possible, so a conditioner is a good idea. A detangling conditioner or detangling and moisturizing spray is even better, as they also make hair smoother and easier to braid without tangling.
If you want to lower the pH of your detangler and make it last longer, you can dilute it with distilled water, aloe vera extract, apple cider vinegar, almond or castor oil. A water-based substance, including fruit juice and vinegar, should be mixed in a one-to-one proportion with the detangler. While the oil should be mixed in one part by three of detangler
Step 3. Dry your hair
Before you can do afro braids, make sure your hair is relatively dry. You can use a hair dryer or you can air dry them, whichever method you prefer.
Step 4. Gently detangles the hair
Use a wide-toothed comb to comb out all the knots, making them as smooth as possible. Straight hair with carefully separated strands will be easier to braid.
Your hair absolutely needs to be untangled from root to tip. Otherwise, when you try to undo the braids, your hair will only become more knotted and tangled. With the presence of knots and skeins, the risk of breakages and split ends increases
Part 2 of 3: Creating The Pigtails
Step 1. Divide the hair into four parts
You should make four box-like parts: front left, front right, back left, and back right. Leave the first part you plan to work on loose, but attach three large hair clips to the other three to hold them in place.
- These parts don't really have to look like "boxes", but they do need to be neatly separated sections with defined edges.
- If you can't separate your hair into sections using just your fingers, use a wide-toothed comb to help you out. However, avoid those with clenched teeth, as they tend to cause more knots and skeins.
Step 2. Take a strand of hair from the first section
Traditional afro braids are quite small, so all you need to do to have enough hair for a braid is to grab a small section between your thumb and forefinger.
- Most people find it more comfortable to start with the front section of the non-dominant side, but the choice is yours. Similarly, it is advisable to start with a section close to the edge of the section you have chosen to make it easier.
- You will also need to make sure that all future strands have the same amount of hair. Otherwise, the afro braids will have an uneven look.
Step 3. Pin some synthetic hair to this section if desired
You can make afro braids both with real and natural hair, and with extensions. If you plan on using extensions, now is the time to put a strand of fake hair between your natural ones.
- Detach a section of synthetic hair from the package. You can stretch your synthetic hair to help make it longer and more natural looking, or you can also try cutting it a little shorter if you wish.
- Fold this section of synthetic hair in half, forming a horseshoe or inverted U shape.
- Separate your strand of natural hair into three parts. The central part should be slightly thicker than the two sides.
- Place the crease of the extension on the center of your real hair. The ends of the extension should overlap the right and left strands of your hair.
- Make a single braid with your hair like this. Cross the left section below the middle section. Then, pass the right section under the middle section, completing a first weave.
- The extension should now be fixed. Redistribute the hair of this separate strand by creating three strands of equal thickness and length.
Step 4. Weave the first strand
You need to divide your first strand of hair into three equal sections as you weave. Doing this creates a smoother, tidier braid that will be easier to loosen later.
- Braid or continue braiding your hair by always bringing the left section of hair under the middle section, and then the right section under the new middle section.
- Braid your hair to the end of the section you separated.
- Add more extensions if needed. If your first strand of synthetic hair doesn't give you the length you want, you can weave other synthetic hair into the strand as soon as you feel the braid thinning. Add the new portions of synthetic hair to the existing braid by weaving them in using the same technique used at the beginning of the braid.
Step 5. Decide whether or not to tie the braids
This type of braids are tight enough to stand up on their own, but if you want extra security you can use a little elastic at the end of the braid. It can be especially helpful if you have very straight hair rather than thick and puffy hair.
- Note, however, that using rubber bands can cause split ends and other damage to your hair, so you should avoid using them whenever possible.
- You can also "fix" the ends of synthetic and natural hair by quickly dipping the dissolved ends in boiling water. However, this may make it more difficult to undo the braids later on.
Step 6. Repeat for the rest of the hair
At this point, you have completed a braid. The rest of your braids should be created the same way, so repeat this process until all of your hair is braided.
- Each separate strand of hair should be approximately the same length. Otherwise, your braids may look uneven once you're done.
- Take it easy. This process takes a long time, but it could take longer if you try to hurry and happen to have to redo your braids.
Part 3 of 3: Caring for the pigtails
Step 1. Cover your braids with a silk or satin scarf overnight
It's not strictly necessary, but doing so can prevent frizz on your braids and keep them from attracting lint.
- Tie the scarf around the braids on the skull. If the braids are longer than the scarf itself, you can gently pinch them before wrapping them into the scarf, effectively shortening them for sleep, or leave the ends exposed.
- Alternatively, you can sleep on a satin pillow to still minimize frizz.
Step 2. Wash your braids with witch hazel astringent
Afro pigtails can feel incredibly heavy when wet, so an easier way to keep them clean is to go over them a couple of times a week with a cloth soaked in witch hazel.
- Dampen a cloth with warm water and dab the witch hazel thoroughly all over the cloth.
- Part your hair and wipe the cloth over your head in sections.
- After cleaning the scalp, quickly rub the cloth over the individual braids. There is no need to scrub them; a quick pass is more than enough.
- You can do this about once a week.
Step 3. Wash your head with regular shampoo
Your head still needs to be cleaned every three to four days to prevent it from starting to itch or getting dirty.
- Focus all your attention on your scalp, especially if you use witch hazel on your braids. Shampoo and water are the necessary components for a healthy and clean head, but the astringent should take care of the pigtails, for the most part.
- Every two weeks, however, you should also try to wash the braids themselves.
- Also, keeping the water away from the tips of the braids will help keep the three strands of hair separate and distinct, and it will be easier to loosen the braids when the time comes.
Step 4. Massage natural oils on the head
Keep your head hydrated by massaging natural, organic oil over it twice a week. Coconut oil, almond oil and shea butter are among the best types.
Part the braids to expose the head. Using a cotton pad or swab, or clean fingers, rub a generous amount of oil on your head in sections. Try to cover as much space on your head as you can, taking care not to get oil on the braids
Step 5. Loosen the braids within two months
Your braids can usually last up to six or eight months, but even if they still look great beyond that time, you should still undo them to avoid causing long-term damage to your hair.
- Keeping your hair braided for too long can cause it to detach from the scalp, causing even long-term damage to the hairline.
- In addition, the hair falls out daily. With pigtails, the falling strands wrap around the healthy ones creating skeins.
Step 6. Untie the braids with your fingers
Untangling the braids can take as long as it took to make them, but if you've done them carefully, your hair shouldn't be too tangled and the braids should be able to come loose with just a little bit of finger pressure.
Avoid using a fine-toothed comb when untying your braids. Because the spaces between your teeth are so tight, your hair can get tangled easily, and you may inadvertently cause knots in the ends of your hair. These knots can tear and break, causing split ends
Warnings
- This hairstyle can take hours to complete, so be prepared accordingly.
- Don't wear your hair so constantly. Doing such a thing can cause long-term traction alopecia - which is just a complicated way of saying that the hair is thinning and breaking at the root.
- Try not to make the braids too tight as it could damage the scalp.
