Protective styles have a reputation as a break from hair care. They're not. A style left completely alone for eight weeks usually comes down with more breakage than if you'd worn your hair out — dry scalp, matted roots and stressed edges do real damage under there.
Done properly though, braids and twists are the best length-retention tool you have. Here's the difference.
The short answer
Prep before the install — wash, deep condition and detangle thoroughly, because whatever state your hair goes in is the state it stays in. Keep the scalp clean and treated through the wear. Take it down by eight weeks, sooner if it's loosening. And take it down slowly, with conditioner in. Never install on undetangled hair, and never let it be so tight that it hurts.
Before the install
Wash and deep condition properly
Your hair is about to sit untouched for two months. Any product build-up, any dryness, any tangle goes in with it. Wash, then deep condition for a full twenty minutes.
Detangle completely
Every knot you braid over becomes a matted lump at take-down, and matted lumps get cut out. Detangle section by section with conditioner in, ends first.
Moisturise and seal, then stop
Apply a leave-in and a light oil, let it dry fully, and don't add anything else. Installing on greasy hair means the product sits trapped against your scalp for weeks.
Say something if it's too tight
This matters more than anything else in this article. Tension at the hairline causes traction alopecia, and that is the one kind of hair loss on this list that can become permanent. Small bumps along the hairline after an install, or a headache that night, means it's too tight. Ask for it looser. A good braider will not be offended.
While you're wearing it
Clean the scalp without washing the style
A full shampoo turns braids fuzzy and takes hours to dry. A no-rinse refresh cleans the scalp without touching the install — Dry Clean! No Rinse Scalp Refresh is made for this, applied directly along the parts once or twice a week.
Treat the itch rather than scratching it
Scratching a braided scalp with your nails causes small cuts and breakage at the root. If it's itching or feels tight, Scratch Free Zone Itch & Tension Treatment Serum goes directly on the scalp and settles both the itch and post-install tension.
Moisturise the braided hair itself
Your hair is still in there and still drying out. Oh So Strong! Shine Boosting Moisturizer down the length of the braids twice a week keeps the hair underneath from going brittle.
Keep the edges neat without gluing them down
Edge control used heavily and daily is a common cause of thinning at the hairline. Use it lightly, and give your edges days off. Smooth + Swirl Edge Gel smooths without the stiff, cracking hold that has you re-applying constantly.
Refresh frizzy roots
Around week three the roots and the ends of twists start to fluff. Ready, Set, Hold! Braid Setting Foam re-sets them, and Hold Tight! Braid & Twist Gel tidies the parts. This is the step that gets a style from week four to week seven looking deliberate.
Cover it at night
A satin scarf or bonnet. Cotton pillowcases roughen braids and pull moisture out just as they do with loose hair.
When to take it down
Six to eight weeks is the limit. Past that, new growth at the root has started to tangle around the braid and shed hair has nowhere to go. That's how mats form.
Take it down sooner if the braids are slipping, if your scalp is sore, or if you can see matting at the roots.
Take-down without losing length
- Set aside real time. An hour minimum, often two or three. Rushing take-down is where the breakage happens.
- Undo, then detangle immediately. Don't undo everything and then detangle — do one braid at a time, all the way through.
- Use conditioner or oil as you go. Slip is what gets the shed hair out without taking live hair with it.
- Expect a lot of shed hair. Eight weeks of normal shedding — roughly 3,000 to 5,000 strands — has been held in place instead of falling out. It looks alarming and it's completely normal.
- Deep condition straight away. Then give your scalp and edges at least a week off before the next install.
Common questions
How long can I keep braids in?
Six to eight weeks maximum. Two months is the outer edge, not the target.
Can I wash my hair with braids in?
You can, diluted and focused on the scalp, but it's slow to dry and roughens the style. A no-rinse scalp refresh is easier and does the job that matters.
Why does my scalp itch so much?
Usually dryness, sometimes product build-up, occasionally a reaction to the synthetic hair. Treating the scalp directly fixes most of it. If it's genuinely unbearable with visible irritation, take the style down.
Do braids make hair grow faster?
No — nothing does. They help you keep what grows, by stopping daily combing and manipulation. That's why people see length after a few protective styles.
My edges are thinning. What now?
Stop tight styles at the hairline immediately, go easy on edge control, and give it several months. Early traction alopecia usually recovers if the tension stops. If it doesn't improve, see a GP or a dermatologist — there are treatments, and earlier is much better.
How do I stop the ends of my twists unravelling?
A setting foam on damp ends, twisted and left to dry fully, holds far better than gel on dry ends.
Where to start
The Braids & Twists Survival Kit covers the four maintenance jobs above — setting foam, braid gel, the itch serum and the no-rinse scalp refresh. Or browse the full Aunt Jackie's range.
Shipped Australia-wide.