What You'd Need to Know Before Getting Your Box Braids (Latina Hair)
Hola Como Estan todos?
HEY ! How are yall doing,
Today I'm writing to tell you about my experience getting box braids, what it was like, and how to maintain them.
Want to start off by saying I Love box braids I think their beautiful and the ladies that wear this hairstyle look like an absolute Goddess (*heart eyes*). Also, have so much love and respect for these beauties who rock this beautiful hairstyle, for now, I know how painful it is!
I felt confident! I was Loving trying new Hairstyles and just felt like a Goddess!!
I will show you some pictures of me in my braids ;D
OH and a couple supplies you might want to get to be prepared for your braids are:
*Satin scarf/wrap/bonnet and/or Satin Pillowcase.
*Spray bottle - So one thing I learned is your scalp is like a garden, Water it.
*Argan Oil - helps with the Regrowth/Growth of your hair (since your hair is in constant tension and being pulled you will lose hair so you want to just make sure you're trying to use some ALL NATURAL Ingredient products to help continue that healthy hair growth... PS don't get frightened about losing hair.. you lose hair even without braids Daily. It Will Grow Back.)
*Dry CONDITIONER - This is what the lady told me to use, and told me to avoid dry shampoo. Keeps your roots from tangling too much and helps keep them fresh.
*Mousse - OK so one thing she didn't tell me either but I discovered and learned on my own was having to Reseal my ends every now and again to keep the ends nice and sealed and your braids looking nice and not frizzy. I will explain this process later. But the mousse is to keep those braids from FRIZZING!
*All Natural Frizz Control Shampoo and Conditioner - For wash day. YAY!
When I got my braids done the hairstylist who braided them (kind soul) told me to not water or wash them for At Least the First 3 WEEKS!
SAY WAAHHH ... now, me being me, someone who was working out almost daily and sweats buckets, also someone who had prior tried the not washing my hair that often thing but could only last max 2-3 days before I'd give in and just wash it. When she told me this, I was like oh lord.
The First Week:
..Was probably THE WORST. My head was so sore and tender from the braiding.
Sleeping was VERY Uncomfortable.
I literally slept face down on my pillow those first couple days haha.
Also, the itchiness gets excruciating!!
Be prepared to find a way to satisfy the itch WITHOUT scratching with your nails (AKA JUST PAT THE F**k OUT OF YOUR HEAD) lol!
Or what I would do in the beginning was push my finger where the braid begins and just rub it in circular motions on my head (ahhh *sigh* feels good doesn't it)
So my theory to remember why the itching gets bad is because of,
1. Synthetic hair. If you're a newbie at braids like I was, that fake hair is poking in your scalp and will get Itchy AF!
and 2. You're probably used to washing your hair often, and a week or two later, you're getting build up and are craving Wash day.
The first week I was using a scarf I had at home but it was not satin and was using my regular pillowcase (cotton), after a couple days I wanted to use something more Breathable, which is why I made a run to Sally's and bought a head wrap, satin scarf, bonnet and a satin pillowcase, which I think, allows your head to stay fresher than cotton.
I tried a bonnet that was cone shaped looking.
At first, I was like WTF, but then realized how convenient that was because instead of having to put your hair up in a bun while sleeping you can do a loose low ponytail and this bonnet had a tail for the ponytail part! COOL HUH.
Except one thing, the stretchy part that goes around your head starts digging in the back under your braids and pulling them OUCH!
So, I later started putting my hair in a low ponytail, wrapped my head part with the satin scarf and put the ponytail bonnet on ON TOP of the scarf (double trouble) so that way it wasn't pulling on my braids rather, just resting on top.
It's definitely trial and error.Your headscarf will slip off eventually or you will just wanna take that dang bonnet off because if it's not slipping off it's on your eyebrows.
Which brings me to The Satin Pillowcase (thirds a charm). Ah, at least you have that staying put and allows your braids to stay safe from pulling and frizzing even if the bonnet falls off or your scarf slips.
Daily Routine:
After that hectic night, in the morning's id use the spray bottle to spray some water on my scalp to feel fresh and because your head will get dry overnight. Then I'd take some Argan Oil on my fingertips and rub them around every root of a braid. Make sure you're rubbing with your fingertips, not your fingerNails. I'd spray some dry conditioner on my scalp as well (maybe every other day). And just leave your braids down and free while you're chilling at home. I know it gets a little annoying the braids always going in your face, so try grabbing some braids from each side of your had and tieing a knot on the back. Then, if I was going out is when id like to try new hairdos .. but one thing I learned as a lesson was to not do too many updos or pull your braids too much because it causes pulling of your natural hair aka more hair loss.
Wash Day. YAY!
Yaassss! let me tell you I looked forward to this day for weeks, I actually only lasted two weeks before I did my first wash although my hair stylist recommended three weeks. I considered the time on length I wanted to keep the braids, and I didn't foresee this going on longer than a month and a half.
This is why I made the choice to wash after a couple days of week two.
How To:
You want to prep wash your hair outside of the shower (i found this to be the easiest way and also did my research and found this is the correct way to do it.)
First, you want to have your spray bottle ready with water, squeeze in some of your Frizz Control All Natural Ingredient shampoo in there. Shake it. And spray it.
Spray it into your scalp and rub it in with, again, fingertips.
Lather it up, part to the next section of braids, and repeat.
Don't worry about the actual braids, the important part is washing away all that build up from your scalp.
Once you have shampooed your whole scalp, you go into the shower and just let the water do the work.
Tilt your head back and allow the shampoo to rinse right off, falling through your braids out.
Your hair will get very heavy, and your neck will want to tap out! LOL
but just allow the water to run through and squeeze out the water in braid bunches.
My hair stylist did not recommend to use conditioner since it makes your hair silky, and causes the braids to slowly slip over time. Me being me again, I still added a little conditioner to my scalp but honestly, you don't really need to since you will be doing the hair routine after the shower again(argan oil, dry conditioner).
Let your braids AIR DRY. Of course, squeeze excess water with a towel (microfiber works well since there is a lot of water dripping).
but other than that allow it to dry on its own (can take an hour or more).
After the first wash, I would recommend resealing your ends.
There were a few people who said "just trim the flyaways with scissors", even had some that said to go over them with a LIGHTER!! LMAO WHAATT.
No.
What we're going to do is do the boiling water method. Save us a big'ol mistake lol.
Boil water in a large pot, once water is boiling I parted my hair halfway front to back.
Hold one side and dip the ends into the boiling water till about halfway up the braid (depending on where your real hair starts). In and out a couple times then squeeze water out with a towel and allow to air dry. Repeat on the other side. DONE. Ends sealed and looking Fresh!
Then you can add your Friss Control mousse on your braids. TA-DA all done.
I loved my braids and was even a little sad when I took them off but there is only so many uncomfortable sleeping nights, neck pain, and hair pulling I can endure lol.
Touchups:
I never got my edges redone because I didn't have them in that long. By the time I took them off, I would've definitely needed a touch p on my edges.
You'll notice white stuff on your scalp after a couple weeks, and you'll ask yourself if that's dandruff? Nope, it's your hair bulbs. Basically, your real hair is being pulled and is coming out with your hair root.
That's when it became a no-go for me and I had to say goodbye.
Hope you like this little informational/how-to/and box braid routine.
Overall, I loved my braids, felt like a brand new confident woman in them. Yes, I would do it again but I'm going to let my hair rejuvenate before that.
Love you Dream Catchers,
Love yourself always,
Marthina Llamas
HEY ! How are yall doing,
Today I'm writing to tell you about my experience getting box braids, what it was like, and how to maintain them.
Want to start off by saying I Love box braids I think their beautiful and the ladies that wear this hairstyle look like an absolute Goddess (*heart eyes*). Also, have so much love and respect for these beauties who rock this beautiful hairstyle, for now, I know how painful it is!
I felt confident! I was Loving trying new Hairstyles and just felt like a Goddess!!
I will show you some pictures of me in my braids ;D
OH and a couple supplies you might want to get to be prepared for your braids are:
*Satin scarf/wrap/bonnet and/or Satin Pillowcase.
*Spray bottle - So one thing I learned is your scalp is like a garden, Water it.
*Argan Oil - helps with the Regrowth/Growth of your hair (since your hair is in constant tension and being pulled you will lose hair so you want to just make sure you're trying to use some ALL NATURAL Ingredient products to help continue that healthy hair growth... PS don't get frightened about losing hair.. you lose hair even without braids Daily. It Will Grow Back.)
*Dry CONDITIONER - This is what the lady told me to use, and told me to avoid dry shampoo. Keeps your roots from tangling too much and helps keep them fresh.
*Mousse - OK so one thing she didn't tell me either but I discovered and learned on my own was having to Reseal my ends every now and again to keep the ends nice and sealed and your braids looking nice and not frizzy. I will explain this process later. But the mousse is to keep those braids from FRIZZING!
*All Natural Frizz Control Shampoo and Conditioner - For wash day. YAY!
SAY WAAHHH ... now, me being me, someone who was working out almost daily and sweats buckets, also someone who had prior tried the not washing my hair that often thing but could only last max 2-3 days before I'd give in and just wash it. When she told me this, I was like oh lord.
The First Week:
..Was probably THE WORST. My head was so sore and tender from the braiding.
Sleeping was VERY Uncomfortable.
I literally slept face down on my pillow those first couple days haha.
Also, the itchiness gets excruciating!!
Be prepared to find a way to satisfy the itch WITHOUT scratching with your nails (AKA JUST PAT THE F**k OUT OF YOUR HEAD) lol!
Or what I would do in the beginning was push my finger where the braid begins and just rub it in circular motions on my head (ahhh *sigh* feels good doesn't it)
So my theory to remember why the itching gets bad is because of,
1. Synthetic hair. If you're a newbie at braids like I was, that fake hair is poking in your scalp and will get Itchy AF!
and 2. You're probably used to washing your hair often, and a week or two later, you're getting build up and are craving Wash day.
The first week I was using a scarf I had at home but it was not satin and was using my regular pillowcase (cotton), after a couple days I wanted to use something more Breathable, which is why I made a run to Sally's and bought a head wrap, satin scarf, bonnet and a satin pillowcase, which I think, allows your head to stay fresher than cotton.I tried a bonnet that was cone shaped looking.
At first, I was like WTF, but then realized how convenient that was because instead of having to put your hair up in a bun while sleeping you can do a loose low ponytail and this bonnet had a tail for the ponytail part! COOL HUH.
Except one thing, the stretchy part that goes around your head starts digging in the back under your braids and pulling them OUCH!
So, I later started putting my hair in a low ponytail, wrapped my head part with the satin scarf and put the ponytail bonnet on ON TOP of the scarf (double trouble) so that way it wasn't pulling on my braids rather, just resting on top.
It's definitely trial and error.Your headscarf will slip off eventually or you will just wanna take that dang bonnet off because if it's not slipping off it's on your eyebrows.
Which brings me to The Satin Pillowcase (thirds a charm). Ah, at least you have that staying put and allows your braids to stay safe from pulling and frizzing even if the bonnet falls off or your scarf slips.
Daily Routine:
After that hectic night, in the morning's id use the spray bottle to spray some water on my scalp to feel fresh and because your head will get dry overnight. Then I'd take some Argan Oil on my fingertips and rub them around every root of a braid. Make sure you're rubbing with your fingertips, not your fingerNails. I'd spray some dry conditioner on my scalp as well (maybe every other day). And just leave your braids down and free while you're chilling at home. I know it gets a little annoying the braids always going in your face, so try grabbing some braids from each side of your had and tieing a knot on the back. Then, if I was going out is when id like to try new hairdos .. but one thing I learned as a lesson was to not do too many updos or pull your braids too much because it causes pulling of your natural hair aka more hair loss.
Wash Day. YAY!
Yaassss! let me tell you I looked forward to this day for weeks, I actually only lasted two weeks before I did my first wash although my hair stylist recommended three weeks. I considered the time on length I wanted to keep the braids, and I didn't foresee this going on longer than a month and a half.
This is why I made the choice to wash after a couple days of week two.
How To:You want to prep wash your hair outside of the shower (i found this to be the easiest way and also did my research and found this is the correct way to do it.)
First, you want to have your spray bottle ready with water, squeeze in some of your Frizz Control All Natural Ingredient shampoo in there. Shake it. And spray it.
Spray it into your scalp and rub it in with, again, fingertips.
Lather it up, part to the next section of braids, and repeat.
Don't worry about the actual braids, the important part is washing away all that build up from your scalp.
Once you have shampooed your whole scalp, you go into the shower and just let the water do the work.
Tilt your head back and allow the shampoo to rinse right off, falling through your braids out.
Your hair will get very heavy, and your neck will want to tap out! LOL
but just allow the water to run through and squeeze out the water in braid bunches.
My hair stylist did not recommend to use conditioner since it makes your hair silky, and causes the braids to slowly slip over time. Me being me again, I still added a little conditioner to my scalp but honestly, you don't really need to since you will be doing the hair routine after the shower again(argan oil, dry conditioner).
Let your braids AIR DRY. Of course, squeeze excess water with a towel (microfiber works well since there is a lot of water dripping).
but other than that allow it to dry on its own (can take an hour or more).
After the first wash, I would recommend resealing your ends.
There were a few people who said "just trim the flyaways with scissors", even had some that said to go over them with a LIGHTER!! LMAO WHAATT.
No.
What we're going to do is do the boiling water method. Save us a big'ol mistake lol.
Boil water in a large pot, once water is boiling I parted my hair halfway front to back.
Hold one side and dip the ends into the boiling water till about halfway up the braid (depending on where your real hair starts). In and out a couple times then squeeze water out with a towel and allow to air dry. Repeat on the other side. DONE. Ends sealed and looking Fresh!
Then you can add your Friss Control mousse on your braids. TA-DA all done.
I loved my braids and was even a little sad when I took them off but there is only so many uncomfortable sleeping nights, neck pain, and hair pulling I can endure lol.
Touchups:
I never got my edges redone because I didn't have them in that long. By the time I took them off, I would've definitely needed a touch p on my edges.
You'll notice white stuff on your scalp after a couple weeks, and you'll ask yourself if that's dandruff? Nope, it's your hair bulbs. Basically, your real hair is being pulled and is coming out with your hair root.
That's when it became a no-go for me and I had to say goodbye.
Hope you like this little informational/how-to/and box braid routine.
Overall, I loved my braids, felt like a brand new confident woman in them. Yes, I would do it again but I'm going to let my hair rejuvenate before that.
Love you Dream Catchers,
Love yourself always,
Marthina Llamas
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