If you have thick, curly hair, you might have considered putting your hair up in protective braids at least once in your life. They are a great protective style. After all, what’s not to like?
They are awesome for keeping your hair tidy, manageable, and more moisturized. They’re stylish and make a statement as well, which is always a plus. Even with your hair in braids, you’re sure to find a way to create prettier, more elaborate hairstyles with them.
But rocking braids isn’t exactly low maintenance, even if the entire point of getting them in the first place is so that you don’t have to deal with coarse, kinky curls.
You don’t simply get them installed and never think about them again. On the contrary, aftercare is huge to keep frizz and flyaways away.
Not caring for your braids will leave your hair looking unkempt – there will be a poofy frizz in your roots and throughout the lengths of your braids, and your root regrowth could be super noticeable.
Ever wondered how to keep braids from frizzing after getting them done?
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Benefits Of Getting Braids Done
A complex and versatile hair pattern, braids are created by interlacing two or more strands of flexible material, such as the human hair.
The practice of braiding dates back to the olden days, with proof of the craft existing as far back as 30,000 years ago.
Over the years, braids have grown popular for some reasons.
They include:
Protect The Hair
Braids have some magic to them: They serve a protective purpose!
When your hair is in braids, it’s less prone to knotting and snagging on clothing or accessories.
Additionally, braids keep the ends of the hair tucked away and minimize manipulation.
This manipulation can be constant touching or using things like heat styling appliances on the hair.
Braids also help the ends of our hair get a break from harsh weather conditions.
Versatility
Braids are also incredibly versatile, with a variety of hairstyles that can be derived from them.
They’re easy to do, yet are very visually appealing – which is why many women like getting braids installed.
Last Long
Depending on how you take care of them, braids can last for several weeks.
That means they’re a great investment of money, as well as time.
You don’t have to frequent the salon every week, and you get to save some dollars at the same time!
Having said that, I personally wouldn’t recommend staying with braids for more than six weeks.
Having them longer for say more than eight weeks isn’t good for the health of your hair, as well as your scalp.
Related Post: Do You Get Bumps On Edges From Braids?
Stylish
I think braids are quite stylish.
There are different colors of braids you can choose from.
You can also accessorize your braids using wooden beads, gold coils, braiding strings, or pearls.
Why Causes Frizziness In Braids?
Braids always look tight and precise when you first get them installed.
But after a while, they start getting lived-in and frizzy.
This is completely normal especially if your hair grows faster than usual or if you exercise and run errands every day.
Your braids will start to look frizzy when some of the shorter hairs start peeking through the section it’s braided in.
You’ll know this is happening if you see little strands sticking out from your braids.
Frizz also happens at the top of your head.
Over time, your hair will start growing, so the braids won’t be as snatched and tightly twisted by the scalp and hairline.
This can give off an unruly, messy look if you don’t take action right away.
Another reason for frizzy braids over time is that your hair part wasn’t sectioned off neatly and precisely when your braids were installed.
If some strands of hair were tied up in one braid when they were clearly supposed to be part of another section, they’ll be more susceptible to tugging and frizziness.
Why Should I Maintain My Braids If They’re Going To Get Frizzy Anyway?
Wear-and-tear is normal for braids, but that doesn’t mean that your only option is to tolerate and live with the frizz and flyaways that come with it.
There are lots of things you can do to maintain your twists and braids and extend their lifespan.
After all, don’t you want your hair to look fresh and fab for longer?
If your hair is thick and kinky, it can be a hassle to care for when you wear it down.
It will be much more helpful and sustainable for you and your daily routine if you extend your protective braids.
While it does require a bit more effort, it’s still easier than trying to tame crazy curls with a life of their own every day.
Knowing how to safely extend your braided hairstyle is important for protecting your hair and preventing damage.
If you take your braids out every couple of weeks and re-braid each time, you have a higher chance of getting split ends or breakage because of the stress and manipulation.
Because of that, extending the wear of your braids also helps with length retention.
So, it’s a fantastic option for those who want to grow out their hair.
How To Keep Braids From Frizzing
Convinced about the importance of braid aftercare and maintenance yet?
If you’re ready to commit to it, here are some ways to prevent your braids from frizzing up and maintaining your style for as long as possible.
Create Neat, Tidy Braids From The Start Using Gel
One way to ensure that your braids will be smooth and polished for a long time is by getting them right from the very beginning.
Using a gel during the braid installation process will hold your sections together and make them look super tidy from the get-go.
Not only will a good-quality gel hold your hair together for frizz-free braids, but it can also conceal those split ends you may already have before you start.
With gel, you can count on your flyaways to be tamer and to lay flat for a longer time.
One excellent gel formulated especially for twists and braids is the Cantu Shea Butter Moisturizing Twist & Lock Gel.
It helps make your hair silkier and more manageable as you work with it, making it easier to section off and braid.
It even has silk proteins to strengthen and fortify your hair.
Avoid Installing Braids On Freshly-Relaxed Hair
Hair relaxers help make the hair softer, which helps loosen your curls and make them straight and softer.
But, as you may already know, hair relaxers make the hair weaker as well.
If you want to braid your hair and you’ve just relaxed your hair, give it a few weeks before you have it braided.
This way, you can ensure that your hair is strong enough to take on braids.
The new growth will also help provide some grip when you’re braiding the hair.
Freshly-relaxed hair won’t really give the feed-in braid a good grip.
Be Mindful Of Your Braiding Technique
If you’re installing the braids on your own hair, make sure you do it in such a way that they stay in place.
Keep them tight on the roots, but not too tight that you end up pulling the scalp.
Practice braiding many times over before you actually decide to braid your hair.
This way, you can be sure that they’ll turn out beautiful, without being damaging to the hair.
Choose The Best Style For Your Hair
Your hair type will most likely determine the kind of braids you’ll install.
Some people have hair suitable for thick and long braids; others are more fit for cornrows or box braids.
Before you even start braiding your hair, make sure to take this into consideration!
If within a week your braids have already started getting frizzy, you may want to check out braid types like yarn braids or faux locs.
These types of braids are known to easily “hide” stray hairs.
Constantly Moisturize And Refresh Your Scalp
A lot of the frizz that comes with braids over time has to do with the regrowth you get.
So, it’s important to refresh your roots now and then.
One way to do this is with a hydrating mousse.
Moisturizing your roots will make them less frizzy, and it even gives you a cooling effect to soothe scalp itchiness.
Simply spray your mousse directly into the scalp, making sure to cover every area of your roots.
Then, carefully massage the mousse into your hair.
This will help lay down those baby hairs and tame the regrowth if it’s getting poofy.
Spread it down your braids too to add shine and smoothness.
A really good hydrating mousse for the job is the SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Frizz-Free Curl Mousse.
It contains neem oil, coconut oil, and shea butter to strengthen brittle hair and add intense moisture to your hair.
Because these ingredients are super moisturizing, they will help tame the poofy regrowth while adding extra hydration to your scalp and the lengths of your braids.
What’s great about this mousse is that even if it’s rich and nourishing, it doesn’t dry sticky or crunchy in your hair. It still leaves your hair touchable and flexible afterward.
Related Post: Best Mousse For 4c Hair
Use A Daily Leave-In Conditioner On The Lengths Of Your Braids
Like any hair type, those with braids should always keep their hair moisturized.
That’s why a daily leave-in is a must not only for moisturizing your braids and twists, but for keeping frizz at bay all day long too.
Just spritz your favorite leave-in conditioner into your braids and gently pull them down to tame frizz and flyaways.
Always apply it moving downward from the top of your braids.
Never go upward, as this can cause more hairs to stick up due to friction.
When picking what leave-in to use, make sure it’s relatively lightweight.
You don’t want a ton of build-up in your hair if you want your braids to last long.
One light yet ultra-nourishing conditioner is the Tropic Isle Living JBCO Daily Hair Growth Leave-in Conditioning Mist.
This spray mist contains vitamin E, meadowfoam extracts, shea butter, wheat proteins, and more.
All these are known to be super smoothing in the hair, which is excellent for combatting frizz.
It’s sure to leave your braids feeling soft and looking on-point.
It’s also way lighter than pure, straight-up Jamaican black castor oil, which is known to be incredibly thick and sticky.
Seal In The Moisture With An Oil
If you end up using a water-based leave-in conditioner, you should always finish it off with hair oil.
It’s a terrific way to make sure the hydration from your other products is locked in your braids to keep it frizz-free and hydrated for as long as possible.
Oils also make the hair lustrous, which never hurts.
Simply warm up some oil in your hands and apply it directly into your braids from root to tip.
Squeeze the oil into each section of your braids.
Some excellent oils you can use for this moisturizing, frizz-defying trick include coconut oil, argan oil, sweet almond oil, and any other vegetable oil you love to use in your hair.
Recommended Post: Top 10 Light Oils For Low Porosity Hair
Oil Treatment
Make sure you pamper your braids now and then with some oil treatment.
Not only will this improve the overall health, softness, and shine in your hair, but it will practically eliminate frizz.
Oils make incredible deep conditioners for braids.
They’re rich and nourishing but won’t cause build-up unlike heavy conditioners and hair masks.
All you have to do is apply the oil of your choice to your locks, making sure your braids are saturated instead of just being lightly coated with the oil.
Then, put your hair up in a bun and let it sit for a few minutes to around an hour.
You can also put a plastic wrap around it to trap the heat for extra effectiveness.
This helps your hair soak up all the vitamins and fatty acids in the oil you just applied.
Carefully rinse out the oil with some lukewarm water, being careful not to shake out your braids, which will cause even more frizz.
Expect your braids to be a bit heavier while they’re wet.
When they’re completely dry, you’ll notice they’re shinier, more hydrated, and have little to no frizz.
Retwist Your Roots After Regrowth
To fix the problem of obvious regrowth, try retwisting your roots.
This is a quick and easy way to make your braids look newly installed and a little bit tighter again.
All you have to do is take a light moisturizing cream and apply it on the roots to smooth it out and tame frizz.
Then, tie elastic bands around each braid, making sure they’re secured near the scalp.
They shouldn’t be too tight, as that can bring damage to the follicles and pain for your scalp.
Make sure you can still tug and pull lightly on your braid without it hurting so that you can still put your braids up in a ponytail whenever you want to.
Lay Your Edges Down For A Polished Look
Sometimes, your edges can make your braids look frizzy and untidy.
One way to polish your fine hairs that aren’t part of your braids is by laying them down with gel and an edge brush.
To do this, spray your edges with water.
As soon as you do that, they’ll start looking less like frizz and more like curls with a solid pattern.
From here, you can either twist your locks to form cute tendrils framing your face, or you can lay them down onto your hairline with a flexi-hold gel to keep them in place.
The latter is a better, more feasible option if your edges are too short.
Apply Products In A Downward Motion
Another tip to be gentle with your hair is to always apply your oils and conditioners in a downward motion.
Rubbing products upward can cause more stray hairs to flick upwards, creating frizz and flyaways.
Worst case scenario is some of the hair will be pulled out of the braids if you do this. Yikes!
How To Keep Braids Neat Overnight
Prevent any further frizzing by avoiding tension and friction on your braids.
Switch out your cotton pillowcases with satin or silk ones instead.
That way, your hair will simply glide on your pillows as you toss and turn in your sleep.
Cotton tends to snag at your hair and cause braids to frizz.
Plus, it can also absorb the moisture from your products, dehydrating your hair.
With silk or satin pillowcases, you won’t face the problem of having cotton sheets absorb your hair’s moisture.
Wrapping your hair when you go to sleep at night is imperative.
People with braids should consider wrapping their hair with a satin bonnet right before going to bed.
This tossing and turning in bed against the pillow results in your braids getting frizzy.
Just imagine: If you constantly have your open hair rubbing against the sheets, it’s inevitably going to get messed up and tangled together, right?
Well, in the same way, if you’re in braids, friction is sure to loosen the hair in some places, while also frizzing it up.
Conclusion
If you’ve been wondering how to keep braids from frizzing, you now have all the information you need to keep them looking neat.
The thing is, women with thick and coarse locks opt for braids so that they won’t have to think about their unruly hair anymore, but it shouldn’t stop there.
You also need to care for your braids afterward so that you can stop frizz in its tracks and keep your pretty protective style for as long as possible.
But if you do mess up and your braids look a little more frumpy than usual, don’t beat yourself up over it. No hairstyle lasts forever.
The most you can do is moisturize diligently and avoid tension by your roots so that you can extend the longevity of your braids.
Use this list of tips as a blueprint for how you take care of your braids from now on.
Not only will your hair look fresh, snatched, and on-point at all times, but it will be protected for longer than you anticipated.
Bye-bye frizz, hello smooth braids that always look newly installed!