There are so many elegant hair braiding styles that can really upgrade your fashion look. If you are not sure which one is best for you, research the various styles, like cornrows, braided updos, French braids, or box braids.  Many of these styles will perfectly match your hair styling needs and can fit the bill from day-to-day wear to special events. Braided styles can also protect your natural texture.  Below, we will show you the many benefits of hair braiding.

Try Hair Braiding and Embrace your natural beauty! 

Hair braiding has a deep root in history due to its benefits. Women and men have been braiding their hair for centuries.  Many link the cultural heritage of braiding to Africa and you can see this influence across the globe. 

Fast forward to today, braiding is a top fashion pick for special occasions. You can create a unique style and add interesting things like ribbons and beads to enhance your hairstyle. Try new ideas for hair braiding, like recreating old retro styles or something witty or vibrant. Apart from uplifting fashion style, braiding provides hair health benefits. 

Let’s take a glance at the top benefits of hair braiding: 

Braids Lock In Hair Moisture 

Hair braiding helps protect your hair’s natural moisture by locking in your strands so that they are not exposed to the elements.  If you are traveling, or are usually in the habit of styling your hair daily, braids are a great way to protect your hair.  You only need to moisturize your scalp and your hair will benefit from the moisture.  If you are looking for an easy style that can help protect your hair from the elements and daily manipulation, consider hair braiding.

Protect From Frizziness 

Over-manipulated hair (think daily wash and goes) can cause the hair to become dry, which leads to breakage.  Breakage leads to frizziness.  The benefit of having a braided hairstyle is that you do not have to manipulate your hair daily.  And, your hair is protected from environmental factors, such as heat or water exposure, which can lead to damaged broken hair and frizziness. 

Scalp Protection:

A healthy scalp is the key to healthy hair! Too often, the hairstyles we choose can lead to not only over-manipulation of the hair but also too much tension on the scalp.  When you cover the scalp with hairstyles that don’t allow the scalp to have exposure to oxygen, water, and moisture, you can cause the scalp to become dry and scaly or, worse, to allow a product build-up, which can lead to a fungus growing on the scalp.  A braided hairstyle allows your scalp to have exposure so that you can clean it properly, let it “breathe”, and moisturize it properly. 

Braids Are Low Maintenance

Who doesn’t want to gain time when getting dressed? When you wear braids, doing your hair is the one thing that you get to take off of your to-do list. Just wake up, admire your beautiful hair, and start the rest of your daily routine.  Take advantage of the low maintenance benefit of hair braiding.

Variety of Styles

We started this article with the benefit of braiding styles, and there truly is no limit to the type of styles that you can create.  Trending lately are knotless box braids, cornrows, crown braids, braided buns, french braids, fishtail braids, goddess box braids and many twisted hairstyles as well. One great place to see a braided fashion show is on the streets of major urban areas like NYC.  When you see a unique style that you like, ask the person wearing it if you can take a picture and then bring it in for one of our fabulous stylists to complete it for you.

Reduce Split Ends

Daily exposure to pollution or too much exposure to heat, including the sun, can make our natural hair rough and create split ends. Multiple hair styling routines can also lead to damage or split ends. So, following the benefit of hair braiding, braids can lock in hair nourishment and protect against damage that creates split ends. 

Long Lasting Benefits

Depending on the hair braid style, most braids can last from several days to several weeks. So, if you are planning a long vacation and want to travel carefree, try the long-lasting benefit of hair braiding. 

Hair braiding is definitely recommended for maintaining healthy hair and for growing your hair. Have you ever wondered how people with locs have locs to their waist or longer?  Think about it: they do not get to manipulate their hair daily, and as a result, it is allowed to grow.   The one thing that is super important to remember though is that hair braiding that is too tight does more damage than keeping your hair loose. If your braids are ever too tight, you should remove them. At Harlem Natural Hair Salon, our stylists understand healthy hair and braid your hair so that it is comfortable at the root.

Tips To Take Care Of Hair Braids 

So, now that you know some of the benefits of hair braiding, the next step is ensuring your braided styles are maintained with the best care. Here are some tips to provide care for your braided hairstyles: 

  • Maintain hygiene:  a gentle wash will not damage your hairstyle.  It is important to focus on cleansing the scalp and treat your braids like a delicate sweater.  Gently squeeze soap and water through the braid, but do not scrub it.
  • Take healthy measures to provide enough moisturization to the scalp. We recommend oils and moisturizing creams that are penetrating and will not sit on your scalp.
  • Wrap your hair at night!  To protect your hairstyle from becoming frizzy,  wear a hair cover to protect against friction. 
  • Avoid using chemical-based hair care products like dry shampoo or others to get instant effects. It can create deep root damage and increase the potential for breakage.
  • Don’t keep your braids too long.  Follow the timeline that your stylist tells you.  For example, box braids should last 6-8 weeks but if your hair grows fast, you might need to take them down sooner. The area between your braid and new growth can become tangled due to product build-up and dust, making it more difficult to take down if you leave the braids in for too long.

The positive effects of hair braiding are amazing if we follow the gentle care tips provided above. Remember to nourish your scalp to maintain healthy hair growth and enjoy your hair!

Get the Best Hair Braiding Services In NYC At Harlem Natural Hair!

A reliable place for getting awesome hair braiding with gentle and caring methods is the Harlem Natural Hair Salon.  We offer various braiding styles, including knotless Box braids, cornrow styles and just about any style your heart desires. If you are not sure about a style, give us a call.  Our hair stylists can help you pick the best look to enhance your facial features. Let us put a smile on your face and give you back some time in your daily routine with a beautiful hair braiding style! 

Book your desired braiding services with a trained hair stylist. We allow online appointments or you can contact us directly at 212-694-6593!