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Hair Braiding Styles For Black Women

Updated on July 10, 2009

There is a huge choice when it comes to hair braiding styles for black women. This is a great option if you prefer to keep your hair in its natural state but do not want to deal with the daily upkeep that goes along with untreated process free tresses.

Natural hair can need special care and attention to keep it free from tangles and looking healthy.

The Advantages Of Having Hair Braids

The advantage of having hair extensions is that you can be up and out of the house within minutes. Each morning, you simply have to run your fingers through your plaits to ensure that they are not tangled, add a little hair conditioning spray and you are good to go.

It is true that the initial application of the plaits can take some time but it is definitely worth it for the look that you can get.

There is a huge choice in the type of hair extensions you can get. Here are a few to choose from.

  • Single braids
  • Micro braids
  • Jumbo braids

What Are Single Braid Extensions?

Single braids are when you take a small section of hair and, using a small amount of hair extension you plait them together. You repeat the process until the whole head is covered with plaits.

You determine how big or small you want the plaits to be by sectioning off the hair into a particular size and attaching your chosen amount of hair to it. You must be careful not to add more hair extension than the amount of hair sectioned off because the added weight could cause the hair to get distressed and to either break or fall out completely.

Jada Pinkett-Smith looks beautiful with jumbo braids
Jada Pinkett-Smith looks beautiful with jumbo braids

What Are Micro Braids?

Micro braids are just as the name suggest. They are made up of tiny individual braids. Each braid will have a very small amount of your hair encased in a length of hair extension. This is a choice that is very popular for women who want a little bit of hair plaited and want to leave the rest of the hair extension loose. If human hair is used then it can be styled in various ways.

The advantage of using human hair extensions is that you are able to use hair appliances such as hair strengtheners, flats irons or hair tongs without any fear of damaging the hair in the process. You can choose to have straight hair or curly hair depending on your taste and desire, which therefore makes this type of hairstyle very versatile.

If you use synthetic hair, it is best to opt for the curly type if you want to leave it loose. Otherwise you will end up with an almighty clump of hair that you will find a nightmare to untangle.

Micro braids can last for up to six months if done properly but care must be taken not to make the plaits too tight otherwise the hair will break and you could end up with bald patches.

What Are Jumbo Braids?

This is the complete opposite to micro braids. To create a jumbo braid a larger section of hair is taken and plaited. This is a much quicker process because you do not have to do too many plaits. This can also work out to be the cheapest type of braiding because you do not need to use the very expensive hair. Human hair pieces may be wasted on this type of style. Kanekalon jumbo braid is a good product to use as it is made specifically for this type of hairstyle.

Read More About Hairstyles And Hair Extensions

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