The Pros and Cons of Wearing Braids - Clary Sage College (2024)

FAQs

What are the cons of braids? ›

“Braids can worsen or exacerbate existing scalp conditions like psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, and central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia,” Dr. Adeline Kikam, Houston-based board-certified dermatologist and founder of Brown Skin Derm, shares.

The protective cocoon formed by box braids helps retain moisture, promote hair growth, and minimise the risk of damage, making them a preferred choice for maintaining healthy tresses.

For the sake of your scalp's health and hygiene matters, don't have your braids on for more than eight weeks — six weeks is considered the ideal period. Whether they're twists, dread braid twists, crochet braids, or Bantu knots, having them for months on end can damage your hairline and result in hair breakage.

Pick a Braid, any Braid

Braid your hair before going to sleep. This old trick works every time and is one of the best ways to wear your hair when sleeping. It not only protects your hair – stopping it from tangling and breaking – but also gives you gorgeous beachy waves the next day and cuts down on frizz.

While braiding itself doesn't make hair grow, it does help in maintaining hair health by preventing breakage and retaining moisture. This creates a healthy environment for hair growth, ensuring your hair can grow long and strong without being hindered by damage.

Some braided styles may increase your chances of excessive hair loss and can cause balding. Try to stay away from styles that are too tight or pull along your hairline. High Tension Styles To Stay Away From Include: High ponytails/buns.

If you're looking for a longer-lasting, more durable style, choose braids. If you prefer a higher-maintenance style that's gentler on the hair, twists are for you. Still looking for hairstyling ideas? Check out our easy protective hairstyle guide.

Braid hairstyles are a very stylish and popular protective style. There are a couple benefits to having your hair braided like preventing breakage (if maintained properly) and saving time and money in styling your hair.

Braids continue to be a staple style for many Black people. From knotless braids which we love for their painless and long-lasting beauty to Black men wearing cornrows and bringing back the 99 and the 2000s, braids afford our hair protection from the blistering heat and frigid winters.

Stylists often recommend that you let your natural hair and scalp relax and breathe before putting another protective style in. If you can allow at least one week between styles, then you'll have time to see the state of your hair.

When should you stop wearing braids? ›

The longer your braids stay in, the harder it might be to maneuver around the build up. Some people end up having to cut their hair after leaving braids on for too long. So how long is safe? I'd recommend 6 to 8 weeks and if you want to go longer, you have to really take good care of it to avoid a lot of breakage.

AVOID CONSTANT UP DO'S WITH YOUR BRAIDS

Constantly styling your hair into high ponytails pulls at your hairline. This constant pulling and tightly weakens the hair along your hairline .

Braiding wet hair can help to keep your strands protected and when you wake up, you'll have gorgeous loose waves. Allow your hair to slightly dry before you start brushing and braiding it. It's best to work with damp hair for this wet hairstyling option so the more time your hair has to dry, the better.

Braids are a great protective hairdo as you don't have to style your hair every day, but it won't be healthy unless you nourish it. “Once your braids are installed, it's important to keep your natural hair moisturised and lubricated. Synthetic hair often dehydrates natural hair.

So, do box braids damage hair? Not necessarily. When done and cared for correctly, box braids can serve as a beautiful protective style without causing harm to your hair. Remember to listen to your scalp, maintain regular care, and enjoy the versatility and beauty of your box braids.

Yes, tight braiding and weaves—even tight buns and ponytails—when worn over long periods of time can cause irreversible hair loss, called traction alopecia (baldness). This is because chronic pulling of the hair causes too much tension and traction on the follicles, causing them to permanently dislodge from the scalp.