Box braids are a unique hairstyle that can be done by women of all ages. The secret to these types of braids is the box-like shape that is designed at the roots of the braids. It is a protective hairstyle that will serve you best during the summer season.
Most types of braids are easy to wear and maintain too. The braids can be done by a hair stylist from the salon and can also be done from home. Doing your own braids from home will save you money and time that you could have to spend going to the salon. The following are tips on how to do box braids by yourself.
- Prepare Нour Рair
If you want the box braids to serve you as a protective hairstyle, it is important you ensure that your natural hair is cleansed and protected before actually adding the style to it.
Preparing your hair for braiding involves aspects such as washing it using the hair products of your choice and finishing by deep conditioning the hair.
As part of preparing the hair, you can part it into sections and apply a protectant which you leave in. you can dry up the hair by blow-drying it slowly, section by section.
- Part Your Natural Hair Into Sections
To make the work easier, you can part your hair into smaller parts of your liked sizes. You can also divide it into even smaller sizes for braiding purposes.
The smallest sizes you choose to divide your hair into determines what sizes your braids will be. Therefore, you can decide to have these sizes as small or big as you may like your final braids to be in.
It is also important to keep the sectioned hair out of the way if it is not currently being braided. This will help you to properly install braids onto the natural hair and effortlessly.
- Spilled the Small Parts Into Three Pieces
Once you have portioned your hair into smaller sizes, you can split it into three pieces where the braid will be rooted. You should be careful when dividing the three pieces to ensure they are of the same size.
- Proceed to Gather the Extensions
The hair extensions are usually split into two sections—one which is larger and another smaller one. Once you have divided the extensions, you can fold the small section onto the larger one to come up with the three pieces that make up box braids.
If you are a beginner who encounters the issue of unraveling box braid ends, you can use pre-sketched hair to help you get rid of any blunt ends that may come up.
Braiding down to the edge helps keep your braids put and minimizes the chances of the braids running later on.
Another thing you need to consider when choosing the extensions to use is the type of products used on them, just in case you are allergic to some of them. Reactions to hair products from the extensions can be extreme, especially to the face.
- Braiding the Hair Extensions With Your Natural Hair
Using the three divided pieces of your natural hair, loop the extension close to the scalp as much as possible. To do so, you need to use your index finger to loop the extensions down the scalp as much as possible.
Once you get a good angle and hold your hair together with the braids, you can begin braiding slowly, just like the idea you have about braiding.
Ensure you repeat the same braiding pattern down on the braid. You can use hair jam to keep the hair blended intact for a longer time
- Repeat the Same Process with All the Other Small Portions
By repeating the same process on each small portion, you will end up having your head completely covered with box braids. Ensure that the braids are not too tight to avoid breaking your hair, especially from the edges.