Do's and Don't of Hair Braiding

Oct 24, 2007
Wearing braided hair designs are one of the most requested
hair styles today. We see this popular design on men women
and children. Many consumers should become educated on some
important facts, which are listed below.

Do schedule an appointment with a doctor of Trichology to
confirm if your hair is strong enough for a braid service.


Do not-get your hair braided if your hair is brittle or
weak. Excessive tension on brittle or weak hair will
contribute to additional hair breakage, traction alopecia,
folliculitis, and cicatricial alopecia.


Do shampoo and deep condition your hair before a braid
service. It is also important to use a medicated or
therapeutic shampoo weekly or as often as necessary. to
maintain scalp health.


Do not- braid dirty or oily hair. Your scalp will itch much
sooner, and this may contribute to inflammation and lesions
on the scalp. Always shampoo and condition your hair and
scalp prior to any braid service.


Do request to see the comb that is being used on your hair
and scalp. Contagious scalp disorders can be spread easily
with dirty combs being used on several people including:
fungal infections and bacterial infections.


Do inform the braider if the braids are too tight,
immediately. You should be able to move your eyebrows,
forehead, smile, touch your scalp and braids, all with no
pain. You should also not see any rolls or lumpy scalp
areas after your hair is braided.


Do wash your hair scarf, silk scarf, or du-rag often. If
you continue to use a dirty hair covering after shampooing
your hair, you are re-applying dirt, and odor to your clean
hair. I often see men wearing du-rags all the time,
morning, noon, and night. When does your scalp have time to
get fresh air and circulate properly? It is not healthy for
your hair or scalp to wear ANY headcoverings 24/7.

After wearing a braid style for 3-6 months, many consumers
have complained about hair loss. You should actually only
wear braids a maximum of 2-3 months, give your hair a rest,
then if you would like them reapplied, your hair will be
healthier. You will notice more hair strands in your comb
after removel because you have not been combing your hair.
On the average, a person will loose 80-100 hair strands per
day, however, if you feel your hair loss is excessive, seek
the expertice of a doctor of Trichology to confirm with a
microscopic analysis.