Box Braids are my go-to style. I love them for many reasons that I’m going to share with you today. What is Box Braids? Box Braids are usually braids parted with block, moon, diamond or triangle parts that are free-flowing, meaning, the braid is not attached to the scalp like a cornrow. A hair extension is attached to a block of your hair, which allows for versatility when styling. When considering this style, here are some tips to use when going to your favorite braid shop or braider. Make sure to stress or drive home the point that healthy and manageable hair is your goal, and that sensitive areas (edges) should not be overstressed to avoid breakage when removing your braids. If your braider shows disinterest in what you’re saying then you may want to shop around for a salon that emphasizes that healthy hair is a priority to them, like our salon Sistah’s Braid Too! If the braider, braids tight, leave your edges out, and use a really good edge control like HICKS EDGE CONTROL” or FLY AWAY EDGE TAMER by ORS OLIVE OIL GIRLS to swoop them up (it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your edges because the damage can sometimes be permanent) After your Box Braid install, do you like your braids pulled into a bun right away? If so, please pull them up gently. By gently, I mean stand up, and hold your head down towards the ground. Once all of your braids are falling towards the ground, take your hands, while still in the down position and pull your braids together slowly. Once you have them all in your hands, apply your scrunchy or rubber band. Once that’s done slowly come to a regular standing position and style them. This avoids too much tension on the scalp. I’ll do a short video on how to do this for clearer understanding on my youtube channel sistahsbraidtooeast Box Braids can be worn for several weeks depending on your texture of hair, If you have a softer texture of hair, you should be getting a touch-up at around four weeks (because your hair is not strong enough to handle product build-up, sweat, and dirt which add tension to the extension over time. If you have a thicker, tighter, coil you should get a touch up at around 6 weeks. If you opt-out of getting a touch on your braids then we recommend no longer than five weeks for fine hair and 8 weeks for thick hair. For help with your texture, feel free to email me at sistahsbraidtoo@icloud.com and I will be more than happy to help you. Lastly, make sure to choose the right type of braiding hair for your box braids. Here at Sistah’s Braid Too! We use Kanekelon hair, we prefer Pre-Stretched its less clean up and gives the client a polished look overall. Below is a list of some of the hair that we like to use, and have used over the last 12 years. When it comes to getting the hair for your box braids, choosing the wrong braiding hair could cause long term damage. Here are some brands we recommend here at Sistahs Braid Too! -Ruwa 3X Pre-Layered Braids X-Pressions -Queen B Pre-Stretched Braid -Fretress Braid 101 Pre-Stretched -Outre X-Pressions Pre-Stretched EZ Braid If the brand that your using isn’t one of the options above, please feel to share that brand with us, and we will look into it for you. Pssst….When getting ready to get your Box Braids,(if you shampoo your hair before you get there) make sure to use a good moisturizer like Sistah’s Shea @sistahsshea just apply a small amount to your hair before you blow-dry it, this keeps your hair protected and soft, while you’re rocking your braids, and your hair will still feel soft when you take them down. If you are getting your hair shampooed at the salon, take your Sistah’s Shea Aloe Vera & Shea Butter Hair Moisturizing Cream @sistahsshea
