Top 6 Ways To Keep Your Braids Fresh

Keeping braids smelling fresh and neat is always a great way to look presentable. Imagine hugging someone and the person quickly pulls away because your braids smell like spoilt yogurt.

People opt for braids during hot seasons thus the need to keep them well. The scalp sweats during this hot season trapping dirt.

Whether it is goddess braids, passion twists, locs, or cornrows, braids can be kept for at least four to six weeks depending on how well you prepped your hair before and after installing braids.

Simple ways to keep your braids fresh and clean

Prep hair before braids

Just a day before you braid, it is advisable to deep clean your hair and condition it well. Gently massage your scalp and wash it with lukewarm water. This process will help prevent flaking and itching by clearing away any dirt and excess oil.

Also, use hair made of good quality, whether synthetic or not. The type of hair used for braiding, if made of low quality can cause the hair to smell.

Hair drying

To keep braids healthy, wash the braids every two to three weeks. Dry it immediately with a dryer to prevent the buildup of oil and dirt. After braiding, avoid pouring water on the scalp, that is when beaten by the rain or getting soaked whiles swimming. Water in braids causes molds and causes them to itch and become tender causing lingering.

Loose hairs

To keep braids looking fresh after weeks of braiding, cut the loose hairs around the braids with scissors and smooth the ends of the braids. If the ends look frizzy or curled up, dip the ends in hot water to keep them straight and frizz-free to refresh braids.

Sleep right

Wrap braids in a scarf, hair bonnet, or hair net to keep it from damaging when sleeping. Make sure the hair wrap is not too tight to allow some ventilation in it and maintain freshness whiles protecting your hairline and edges. Covering your braids at night help keep moisture on the scalp and prevent hair breakages.

Wiping the scalp

If washing your braids is much work for you, you can just wipe your scalp with baby wipes or facial wipes. This can be done once every week since it is not a thorough cleaning. Cotton wool dipped in methylated spirit or hair deodorizer sprays can be used to clean the scalp too.

Fresh hair edges

The edges of hair (also known as baby hair) are the first thing you see when you tie your braids. Hair edges are the small short hairs found in the hairline area. It is important to keep the edges neatly laid. This is done by applying a little edge control on laying them down using a pointed tip and tie with a headband. It is important to lay your edges to give you a perfect finishing touch to your braids.

Here are some other quick tips to keep braids fresh

• Avoid tying your braids with a rubber band that pulls tiny hairs around the braids when tying them. Get hair ties that are looser for braids and easy on the strands.
• Avoid tight styling of the braids as it might cause damage to your edges.
• Braids should not be kept for more than 2 months. Even though it is a protective style, if it’s kept for a long it might cause damage to your scalp.
• Apply natural oils like argan oil, coconut oil, and shea butter to your hair for moisture as it will give elasticity as the braids start to tug at the new roots.

Do not forget to keep the braids neat and smelling fresh so you smell and look groomed always. So what are some things to do to keep your braids longer and smelling fresh? Please share in the comment section.