Braiding & Braid Extensions Ch#18

Braiding Roots This art form can require an enormous investment of time with some elaborate styles taking up to an entire day to complete. In some African tribes styles of braiding signified a person’s social status within the community.

Natural Hairstyling Using no chemicals, dyes, and does not alter the natural curl or coil pattern of the hair Braided hair designs can last up to three months with 6 to 8 weeks being preferable Giving clients a through and detailed consultation including analyzing the hair is the best way to avoid misunderstandings

Hair Analysis Diameter – coarse, medium or fine Feel – oily, dry, hard, soft, smooth, wiry Wave pattern / coil configuration – straight, wavy, spiral, loop Density – thick or thin Condition – damage, breakage Length – can style be executed properly Scalp health – any disease / disorder

Twisting Overlapping two strands to form a candy cane effect

Weaving Interweaving a weft or faux hair with natural hair (wrapping and locking)

Natural Hairstyling License / Lockticians / Braider’s license Some states offer these licenses , NJ does NOT These stylists CANNOT perform chemical services

Boar Bristle Brush Best for stimulating the scalp as well as removing dirt and lint

Square Paddle Brush Good for releasing tangles and preventing breakage in fragile hair

Vent Brush Speeds up blow drying

Wide Tooth Comb Removes tangles

Double Tooth Comb Separates the hair; great for detangling wet curly hair

Tail Comb Excellent for sectioning & opening and removing braids

Finishing Comb AKA cutting comb

Pick Useful for separating and lifting textured hair

Blow Dryer w/ Pick Nozzle Diffuser Pick Nozzle – loosens the curl pattern as it dries (use care because it can cause frizz) Diffuser – dries hair w/o disturbing the finished look and does not dehydrate the hair

5” Scissors Creating shapes and finished look &/or cutting bangs

Long Clips Used for separating hair into sections and keep flat

Butterfly slips Used to separate hair into sections

Hood Dryer Used to remove excess moisture

Small rubber bands Used to secure the ends

Extension Fibers Human Hair , Kanekalon, Nylon or Rayon Synthetic, Yar, Lin or Yak

Hackle Board of fine upright nails through which human hair extensions are combed. They are used for detangling or blending colors and highlights

Drawing Board Flat leather pads with very close fine teeth that sandwich human hair extensions. The pads are weighted down with books, allowing a specific amount of hair to be extracted without loosening and disturbing the rest of the hair during the braiding process

Human Hair Most expensive The majority is imported from Asia The most expensive is imported from Europe

Kanekalon Manufactured, synthetic fiber of excellent quality Some are heat resistant Some are made for braided styles Some mimic human hair Durability – holds up from shampooing and styling

Nylon / Rayon Synthetic Less expensive than many other synthetics Drawbacks: 1.These fibers have been known to cut or break the surrounding natural hair 2.Melt from high heat such as blow dryer

Yarn Available in many colors Does not reflect light / gives a matte finish May expand during shampooing but it will not slip from the base

Lin Wool fiber imported from Africa has a matte finish Only comes in black and brown Comes on a roll and can be cut to any length Cotton like fabric is very flammable

Yak Strong fiber from the domestic Ox found in the mountains of Tibet and Central Asia Mixing human hair with yak hair helps to remove the manufactured shine

Wet vs. Dry Hair In general it is best to braid curly hair when it is dry If curly hair is braided wet it will shrink and recoil when dry which creates pulling and scalp tension which in turn leads to breakage or hair loss called Traction Alopecia Straight / resistant hair is best braided slightly damp or coated with a pomade to make it more pliable

Visible Braid Is a three strand braid created with and under hand technique (aka plaiting) in which the left section goes under the middle strand, then the right section goes under the middle strand. Technique used for cornrowing (aka canerowing)

Invisible or Inverted (French) Braid Is a three strand braid produced with an overhand technique in which the first side section goes over the middle one then the other side section does over the middle strand

Rope Braid Created with two strands that are twisted around each other

Fishtail Braid Simple two strand braid in which hair is picked up from the sides and added to the strands as they are crossed over each other

Single Braids (Box Braids) Free-hanging braids, with or without extensions, that can be executed using either and underhand or overhand technique

Locs Separate networks of curly textured hair that have been intertwined and meshed together Hair locks in several slow phases that can take from 6 months to a year Phase 1 – hair is soft and coiled into spiral configurations. The coils is smooth and the end is open. The coil has a shine or glossy texture Phase 2 – Prelock – Hair begins to interlace and mesh. The separate units begin to puff up and expand in size. The units are no longer glossy or smooth Phase 3 – Sprouting – A bulb can be felt at the end of each loc. Interlacing continues Phase 4 – Growing – Hair begins to regain length. Loc may still be frizzy, but also solid in some areas Phase 5 – Maturation – Locs are closed at the ends, dense and dull and do not reflect light

3 basic methods of locking The Comb Technique- placing the comb at the base of the scalp with a rotating motion, spiraling the hair into a curl – offers tight coil and is excellent on short hair The Palm Roll – gentlest on the hair and works through all the stages. Place styling product on hair subsections and in between the palms of your hands than roll in a clockwise and counterclockwise motion as you move down the coil Braids or extensions – effective way to start locs. After several weeks the braid will grow away from the scalp, at which time the palm roll method can be used to cultivate the new growth to form the loc