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Hair styles have always been an important part of women’s personal style. Hair braiding is an ancient art in African from generation to generation. Each district of Africa has its own traditional styles and each tribe its distinctive aesthetics. Braid hairstyles have been there for a long time now.

Braids and cornrows have been around for years, they have remained popular because they are cheap to maintain and they are versatile. A braid hairstyle is a fashion statement that is hard to hard to miss and no wonder it has been there in existence ever since women began styling their hair. If you have long hair, then braided hairstyles are a particularly comfortable option. They exactly help you keep your cool during summers. These days a lot of women, especially those belonging to the younger generation try out several variants of the braided hairstyle.

Types of Braid Hairstyle:

Cornrows: Braiding involves taking three strands of hair, starting at the scalp, and over laying one strand on another, until the desire effect is created. While cornrows are braids under woven to lie flat on the head and then sculpted into simple or complex parting and sectioning. There are different types of braids and cornrows.

Micro braids (also known as Pixie Braids): These versatile and easy forms of hair braids are also known as the ‘invisible braids’. Micro braids permit your hair to be natural as they can also be structured into a neat and professional look. An elegant kind, these are made up of small, delicate braids that can be curled for those willing to go beyond the plain old micro! Do consult a professional before you go in for this look for it does not work well with dry or brittle hair.

Tips for maintaining braids and cornrows:

• Always make sure your hair is properly washed and treated with deep conditioner before putting in braids and cornrows.
• Do not use heavy hair cream this tends to weigh your hair down causing build-up and flaky scalp.
• For you comfort selects a style that is appropriate for your hair length and texture.

Source : B4tea.com

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You are unique and beautiful, and one way to express this inner beauty is through your hairstyle. In recent years, African-style hair braids have become increasingly more popular as African-American women and men have become more comfortable with embracing our heritage. These styles are very versatile, can be made totally your own, and will offer you a unique stylish edge that will get you tons of compliments. One advantage to having your hair done in micro braids or box braids is that they can be manipulated into so many different styles, whether you are going out on a Saturday night or impressing your boss with your professional style during a Tuesday morning meeting.

Braids by Breslin is an excellent resource for learning how to do both simple and complex styles of braids. Braids by Breslin offers many different instructional videos to help you learn lots of unique and interesting styles, including those that hearken back to African origins. For example, the Braids By Breslin video that introduces unique, easy methods for creating cornrows also notes their origin in West Africa. Even if you’re interested in different weaving techniques, or extension techniques, Braids by Breslin also offers training for dealing with weaves and extensions.

A friend of mine recently had her hair done with beautiful, long micro braids. Not only did she garner many compliments for her stunning style, people also went so far as to ask her about her African heritage. She is from Nigeria, so she was proud to see her nation represented in something as simple as her hairstyle.

Obviously, not everyone who makes use of African braiding styles was born in an African nation, but anyone can use these unique styles to their own advantage. For example, Braids by Breslin offers a training video that will teach you to create beautiful micro braids, just like my friend’s.

After you have learned to do micro braids, the resource is forever yours to do your own hair or to share with your family and friends. That, after all, is what heritage is all about—keeping a tradition alive through love and passion.

The hair can be braided in many different styles according to one’s desire or the shape of one’s face regardless of the hair texture or its length. Any qualified hair braider would be able to do varieties of hair braid style while giving suggestions on what style to adapt. However, the hair has to be cleansed and conditioned thoroughly before any braiding process takes place to minimize the hair damage. Among the most popular braiding style is cornrows, pixie braids and box braids.

There are so many different black hair braid styles that there is a lot to learn if you want to be able to do them. If you are doing braids with your own real hair you can do, among others, waved braiding hair styles. Two examples are the New deep or the Water braiding styles. Nowadays you can find a lot of people using synthetic hair. There are curly braiding hair style that you could use.

Braids Will Help Your Hair Grow

When your hair is braided with extensions, it will prevent your ends from rubbing against your clothing, therefore protecting them. Protective styles encourage growth. In fact, women who are seeking to grow their African American hair long, would do well to consider researching black hair braid styles. There are a variety of styles and you can have the look of long hair while you are actually growing yours out.

Going to Bed with Wet Hair

Ensure that your braids are dry completely before you go to bed. If you don’t, you will likely wake up with hair tangles that can be hard to get out. In addition, damp hair increases the risk of bacterial buildup and mildew. A related issue is going to bed with your hair uncovered. Be sure to cover your hair with a silk scarf or bonnet to protect your hair against the friction of rubbing against the sheets.

The popularity of African American Hair Braiding styles has surpassed race. In other words people other than those of African American descent also try these Hair Braiding styles. There are several types of Hair Braiding styles to choose from. Some include: Goddess Braids, Micro Braids, Pixie Braids, French Inverted Braids, Pixi Pin Curls, Candy Curls, Bantu Knots, Fishtail Braids, Flat Twist, Locks and Undetectable braid and Cornrow Extensions, Invisible Braids, Tree braids, Senegalese Twist, Silky Locks, Interlock Weaving, Latch Hook Weaving, Silky Corkscrew, African Twist, Kinky Twist, Two-Strand Twist, Nubian Corkscrew, and Cobra Stitch.

If someone is else braiding your hair, ensure that you speak up if the hair is being braided too tight. Medium tension is best. The last thing you want is for hair breakage and thinning to occur due to the pulling tension at your hairline.If your braids were braided too tight, then can get some relief by taking a hot shower. The steam from the shower will help loosen the braids a bit.Do not use heavy conditioners and shampoos on braided hair. These can cake residue on to your hair and can be hard to remove.

In this article I want to show you how to grow black long hair!

To begin the most powerful tip for growing black hair long and strong is to STOP using chemicals on your hair. Simply put your hair up on cute buns and once in a while it\’s ok to use a hot comb. If you did just this one suggestion you would have strong African hair

 You also need to stay away from commercial hair shampoos and conditioners! Use a herbal shampoo at worst, even better is to use a hair oil and wash your hair with luke warm water

 If you want to grow your hair fast, stay away from washing your hair with hot water! How water will weaken your hair roots and lead to hair loss and scalp damage!

 Next suggestion I have is to wash your hair more often with water. Once a week just won’t do if you want to grow black long hair. The best frequency to wash your hair to grow long black hair is every other day and make sure that it does not dry out

If you are concerned about which hair style to use when growing long hair simply put some leave-in conditioner in your hair and put in some clips or just wear your hair down naturally.

If you used these simple suggestions I have just given, in about a year your hair will have grown a few inches longer.

Another hair growth tip is: Do not use relaxers, etc.

You can get long hair without chemicals (relaxers)
 

Another hair growth tip is make sure that you keep moisturizing your hair with an all natural hair oil like Mira  hair oil as drying out of the hair and scalp is the major cause of hair loss or hair weakening with African hair

I also suggest you use all natural hair oil like Mira hair oil.

Other tips include: make sure you deep condition your hair.  And if you are going to blow dry it make sure you do so in sections and moisturize with a good hair oil before doing so.  To do this just takes a section of hair and comb it while blow drying it. This is the best method of moisturizing and straightening your long black hair without having to use a hot comb.

Use the oil bi weekly and wear braids and ponytails

Finally I should mention that if you do want to straighten your hair make sure to use a flat iron and not a perm. You will get the same hair growth results with a less harsh process.

Simple suggestions to grow long thick and beautiful hair !

First and foremost drink lots of water – I am talking about 8-12 glasses of water a day. Carry a bottle around with you and make sure you get this intake of water; water will flush your body of all the harmful toxins in it and will also create equilibrium in your body promoting healthy hair growth

Second Rule for growing long hair

Leave your hair alone- it is has to be natural!

Remember many of the products and hairstyles designed for African hair are unsuitable for African hair, be proud of your hair and stop wanting it look like something it is not! You will notice that when it comes to black hair, that those individuals who leave their hair alone have great hair, for instance a lot of black people with dreads have stunning hair growth compared to the ones who do too much with it.

Black hair is not designed by nature to through presses and all heavy chemical use

Again black hair grows better if it’s left alone. You can test it and see, if you have breakages you can just not do anything to it , meaning don’t press it, don’t style it, then apply any product to it just leave it alone or at worst wear it as a ponytail or wear it down. Your hair will be back to its original length in a year.

If you absolutely have to flat iron/press/straighten) your hair, please do so every two weeks or less. Please make sure you don’t do it everyday or every week.

Fact is heat and chemicals are not good for your hair.

Another grow long hair secret is: make sure you avoid chemical gels, you need to stop doing and using these gels, they truly stunt your hair growth!

Finally use good herbal oil like Mira which contains essentially oils and herbs that will nourish your scalp and hair-use the oil every two days…

Next point is when you go to sleep or take a nap, put something silk over your hair, or under the part you are sleeping on, this makes sure that when you move your head and hair you don’t pull your hair along with the movement which causes your hair to break

Finally be sure to MASSAGE YOUR SCALP, it is best to massage your scalp when putting oil on it. If you do want your hair to look stylish as you grow it you can use braids or cornrows

I personally recommend French braids or cornrows , make sure however that you don’t get them back to back

next hair growth tip is -do not style your hair with water, many black women do this, they use water to tame or slick their hair down , fact is water used that way seems to do more damage to your hair, rather use natural oils like I mentioned and tame your hair with that

Finally, wash your hair often, a clean scalp and healthy unclogged hair follicles is the key to longer healthy black hair. There is a myth that African hair should not be washed often because it becomes dry, this is not true, use the suggestions and the oil I recommended and you will never have this problem.

Sometimes it seems that maintaining black hair styles is a constant battle against frizz, dryness, and hair tangles. But with consistent care, inside and out, you can keep your hair beautiful and any style looking terrific.

The first principle is that in order to have great looking hair on the outside, you need to ensure you take care of your health on the inside. Eat properly is essential to giving your hair the vitamins and minerals it needs to keep your hair strong and healthy. To maintain a healthy scalp so that it produces the oils needed to make your hair shine, then you need to eat adequate servings of Omega-3 Fatty acids.

How can you add Omega-3 Fatty acids to your diet? The best way is to consume a 3 ounce serving of cold water fish like salmon, sardines, or herring two or three times a week. But if you can’t eat fish, no worries, Try adding 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds to smoothies or cereals. You can find ground flaxseed in any health food or vitamin store.

Another nutrient that you want to be sure to include in your diet regularly is water. It is no coincidence that many fashion models carry around a bottle of water with them because they know that water keeps you hydrated and your cells supple, including those of your skin and hair. Be sure that you drink a minimum of 8 cups of water a day; you need more if you are overweight.

As you are taking care of your inside, there are certain steps to take care of black hair styles on the outside. First, you must trim your ends regularly to keep a polished appearance. Split ends contribute to a dry, frizzy appearance.

If your hair is dry and damaged, then regular hot oil treatments are essential. It is best to give yourself a hot oil treatment at least once a week because it helps you to lock moisture into your hair. If you are going have your hair braided, having a hot oil treatment beforehand can make your hair easier to manage. In addition, don’t allow your hair to be braided too tightly because that places unnecessary stress on the hair, leaving it more vulnerable to breakage.

Speaking of unnecessary stress, you want to protect your hair from other sources of it. Be sure to cover your hair with a hat or scarf for prolonged sun exposure. The sun’s ultraviolet rays can cause your hair color to fade or your hair to dry out. You also want to cover your hair with a silk scarf or bonnet while you sleep.

Follow these simple tips and any of the black hair styles will look fabulous throughout the day.

Caucasian hair and African American is obviously different.

But, the ways that they are different is almost kind of funny.

Perms:

When a black women says that she is getting a perm, she means she is having all curl removed and is now going for the straight look.

Just the opposite for a white woman.

When a white women says that she is getting a perm, she is going for the curly look.

Washing hair:

White women will sometimes wash their hair everyday. If they do not then they get the “greasy, oily” look which most times tell onlookers that she is not washing her hair as often as she should.

Black women may only wash their hair weekly or bi-weekly and sometimes longer. They are not looking to wash their natural oils out of their hair as a white woman would.

Quite the contrary, black women want to have oils in their hair. And, if they do not have enough oils, they may purchase a “hair grease or oil” and manually apply it to their scalp to give the oil/shine appearance. If their hair becomes dry because of a lack of oils, they may get dandruff and an itchy scalp.

Braids/Weaves/Extensions:

Both African American and Caucasian women have been having their hair braided/weaved for years unknown to all.

White women  primarily as children,  have worn their braids normally in the back of the hair or even one braid on each side of their hair with a part separating the braid down in the middle of their scalp.

The same goes for black children for the most part as far as wearing braids as a hairstyle.

But, today, both races wear braids, extensions and weaves for different purposes.

White women will wear extensions to give their hair a “more hair” look and feel. This applies to black women as well.

Bo Derek gave white women the permission (for lack of a better word) to start wearing braids as a hairstyle.

But, black women have been wearing braid extensions for years. They do it for more practical reasons. Having their hair braided with extensions allows their hair to take a rest from brushing and combing which allows for their own hair to grow naturally. They do it for hair loss to give the appearance of longer hair as their own hair starts to grow.

Both races use these hairstyles to look more beautiful.

We can ALL make a difference with a little thought process and drive.

Good luck to you all.

So you have a corn row, hair braids or are wearing weaves and the question comes up, how do I grow my hair faster whiles having hair braids, weaves or even a Rasta?

There are a few things you want to do to grow long black hair and there are a few steps you need for effective black hair care. So in this article I will discuss:
how and what to wrap your hair when you go to sleep…that is should you wear a pony tail? Or Leave your black hair loose? Or cover your black hair with a scarf?
And more importantly I want to show you the best way and how often to wash it…
What to put in it.

So first let’s start with how often should you wash your hair if you have a cornrow or braids?

You must wash the hair at least once a week, 3 times a week is even better, you must be sure to wash your braids and minimize contact of the shampoo with your scalp, commercial shampoos contains chemicals that dry out your scalp

You should use a dry shampoo or an all natural shampoo when taking care if your long back hair

Next you must protect your hair braids and hairstyle with a scarf when you go to bed, aggressive sleep movements can tug at your braids or hair and cause breakages, so wearing a silk scarf will make sure you don’t break your hair and will allow you’re your weave or braids to stay intact and allow it to be strong

Another option is to tie up your black hair into a semi bun and use the scarf to cover it; this is a second option but not the best option as it may flatten your curls or hair…

The final trick to getting beautiful African American hair that grows long fast is to use a good leave in treatment and massage oil that will promote hair growth

, you need a good herbal oil like Mira hair oil, be sure to use it at least twice a week, be sure to use a very good one, don’t go cheap here, the best I know off is Mira hair oil
For the simple reason that it does work and only the best herbs are used. It is expensive but it is made in Canada and by a doctor, so cheap herbs are used and you do get what you pay for

Use these simple tips and your black hair braids will grow fast

Why do some hair braiding styles look great while others less so? It’s possible that one person is following a great program for care while the other might be making some unintentional mistakes.  If you have braids yourself, review the mistakes below and be sure that you are not making them so that your own style falls consistently in the “great style” category.

Mistake #1:  Overuse of Two-in-One Hair Care Products

On the surface, it sounds like a good idea to use a shampoo that has a conditioner included.  Unfortunately, these products can be harsh on the hair and lead it to become dry and tangled. Instead, it is better to use a separate shampoo and conditioner that complement each other.  For hair braiding styles, you want to use products that have Panthenol in them to strengthen your hair and protect it from breakage.

Mistake #2: Overuse of Artificial Hair Coloring Products

Overuse of harsh hair coloring products will make your hair become straw-like and more prone to breakage. However, this doesn’t have to happen. If you want to update your style, then seek out gentler hair coloring products with natural hair dye ingredients. Natural hair colorants include henna, chamomile, and black malva flowers.

Mistake #3: Blow Drying Too Much

Hair is fragile, so you must treat it with care. One of the primary causes of hair damage is heat from styling implements. So the best guideline to follow is to only blow dry your hair when necessary. However, if you must blow dry your hair be sure to use a nozzle on the end of the dryer to diffuse the heat. Without it, you might scorch your hair if it touches the dryer’s heat coils.

Mistake #4: Excess Shampooing

Don’t make the mistake of washing your hair too often because that will rob your hair of its natural oils. This will make your hair dry, frizzy and lead to breakage over time. It is sufficient to shampoo every 1-2 weeks with a dry shampoo or one formulated especially for braids.

Mistake #5:  Sleeping with Wet Hair

One of the best ways to prevent hair tangles after you shampoo is to let you hair dry naturally before you go to sleep.  However, if you let your hair dry and then keep it covered with a silk scarf or bonnet while you sleep, then you can protect your hair and help keep it tangle free.

These are just a few mistakes you may be making to keep your hair from looking its best. And even if you are, you can correct these mistakes easily and help ensure that all of your hair braiding styles look as good as possible.

Want to know how professionals get quality hair braid results? Here are some tips straight from the pros on what you should do before and after getting your hair braided to keep it looking fabulous:

1.    Before you get your hair braided, be sure to wash and blow-dry your hair thoroughly.  Since it is more challenging to keep your hair clean after your hair is braided, you want to ensure your scalp is thoroughly clean before you start.

2.    A hot oil treatment can replenish dry hair. Getting a hot oil treatment before getting your braids done will lock moisture into your hair and make it easier to manage during the braiding process. In addition, you will want to apply oil to your scalp regularly after you get your braids.

3.    Avoid having your hair braided too tight because this places the hair under unnecessary stress and the constant tugging may even cause hair breakage or thinning around your hairline. But in the event that your braids do feel too tight after your hair braid appointment and are causing you to have a headache, then try a hot shower. The steam should help to loosen the braids slightly and provide some relief.

4.    Avoid using thick shampoos and conditioners on your braids since this can leave a residue behind that will be hard to remove. Instead, try a “dry” shampoo or a shampoo specifically designed for braids that you can spray directly on your scalp. Another tip is to dilute a moisturizing shampoo in a spray bottle which you can also use to clean your scalp.

5.    As an alternative method to clean your scalp, try soaking a cotton ball in Witch Hazel and applying it to your scalp. Not only will this remove dirt, but it will also soothe an itchy scalp, which sometimes occurs as a result of braiding.

6.    If you’ve experienced scalp burn from being out in the sun too long, then next time try applying a sunblock of at least SPF-15. It should protect your scalp as it would protect the skin on the rest of your body.

7.    Never keep braids in for longer than 3 months if you have extensions. Keeping them in longer puts your hair at risk for thinning and even breakage.

Taking just a little extra time for hair braid care will ensure long lasting results and ensure that the time you spent on getting the braids was time well spent!