Jazz up your braids
One of the many perks of protective styles are the versatility; not only from the wide array of styles you can opt for, but also how to wear the style you choose. Below are a few simple ways you can jazz up your braids/twists.
Curl them.
Though it’s pretty common to get your braids curled immediately you get them done, delaying this allows you to pull a 2 in 1 hairstyle lol, rocking your braids straight for a while and curly for the rest of the duration you’ll have them in. If you plan to keep your style in for about a month, the two-week mark would be the perfect time to switch it up.
To curl your braids/twists, you will need a jug of hot water and a towel. Braid your braids/twists into sections, the number depends on how curly/wavy you want your hair (I wanted loose waves so I placed my twists into 4 braids). Boil some water and place it in a jug, about a litre of water is enough if you intend to curl the entire length of the braids/twists. You will require a lot less water if you only intent to twist the bottom, maybe half a litre. To be extra cautious, I suggest placing the jug of hot water in a sink, and dipping the braided sections into it. In this case if the water spills it will go down the drain instead of on you.
I placed my twists into 4 firm braids and got loose waves as a result.
Work on one section at a time;
Step 1: Dip the length of the braid you want curled into the jug of hot water and allow it to soak for about a minute.
Step 2:Fold your towel at least once, slowly lift your head away from the jug (so the soaked braid slowly rises from the water),
Step 3: wrap a portion of the towel around the part of the braid that has just come out of the water, wringing the braid as you go along; wring each part of the braid as it comes out of the water; Be sure to do this from the roots downwards towards the ends of the braids.
Step 4:Repeat this process for all the sections. Allow you’re the braids to dry first before taking them down to reveal the curls/waves.
Accesories your braids.
Serve some serious African princess vibes by adding beads or metallic cuffs to your hair. White and wooden Beads are particularly stunning when added onto Fulani braids, or the ends of box braids. Metallic cuffs work throughout the length of the braids and twists, and their adjustable size allows them to fit onto any size of braids/twists. The fun part about jewels and beads is you can get as creative as you want to, with the colour options being pretty wide with both options. Be sure to experiment with as many as possible. Gold twine also looks lovely when wound around braids, in some cases the stylist can do this as they braid your hair, especially with cornrows. This also adds some serious queen vibes your hairstyle. All of these options also work great when your styling your hair for a festival.
Accesorise your hair with beads and cuffs, styled by Alex Njeri.
Cut the braids.
This is one of the more radical ways to style your braids/twists. This works when you installed braids or twists that are longer than your actual hair. I would recommend doing this when you are just about to take the style out (cause you’re going to have to cut them either way). This adds such an edge to the style and makes the take down process much easier.
All in all, make sure you enjoy wearing your hair in whatever protective style you choose. Experiment with as many accessories and styles as possible; serve us all kinds of black girl magic looks! Make sure you have fun with protective styles as this is one of the huge perks of having afro hair.
That is all for this post, thank you so much for checking it out. I hope you found the info in it helpful and once again, be sure to enjoy wearing your hair in whatever style you opt for as our hair is part of what makes us magical.
Xo - Alexandra
