There are some essential tips that you need to follow to make sure you get your money’s worth when you get your box braids. Good maintenance is key to keeping your box braids looking fresh and beautiful from day 1 until you decide to take them out. Box braids, typically can last up to eight weeks, but if you are not taking proper care of them, then they won’t last beyond week or so. Luckily, these tips are so simple to follow; you will have no problems at all keeping your braids new and fresh. Below are the top 6 tips on how to maintain box braids
Take Care of Them At Night
You will definitely want to make sure your braids are taken care of nights for optimum longevity. To do so, use a silk scarf or sleep on a silk pillowcase. In fact, you should probably do both because during the night your scarf can fall off, and at least you will have the reassurance that you have the pillowcase for added protection, if that happens. You can get a silk braiding cap that is designed to hold the hair in.
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Wash Your Hair
Even though you have braids in, you still have to wash your hair to get rid of dirt and buildup. We recommend washing every two weeks as product buildup will ruin your braids, not to mention that sweat overtime can cause your hair to smell. You need to use a good shampoo and dry your hair properly so that your braids are not damp.
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This is a great video on how to properly wash your box braids to cut down on frizz and keep them looking banging!
Moisturize Your Scalp
Because you are not washing your hair everyday, you need to keep your scalp moisturized. You can use good old-fashioned water in a spray bottle to spritz your scalp and prevent itching. If water alone is not doing the trick, you can use coconut oil, almond oil, or castor oil.
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Limit Your Styles
You want to change up your braids and style them to match your mood and that is great! But try and limit those change in styles to once or twice per week instead of changing your style each day. High ponytails are great, so are up dos, but you don’t want to put too much pressure on your hairline by pulling and tugging. When you do style your hair, do it with care and avoid styling tools, instead always use your fingers.
Re-Touch Your Edges
The perimeter of your braids is what most people will see—the front, sides and back. So if you want your braids to last a long time, and save you some money, when you see that your braids are looking a bit old, just have the perimeter touched up. If you want to save even more money and your edges, you can remove those braids yourself. Good edge control is a must for this!
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Watch The Time
Ideally, you want your box braids to last about 8 weeks. Following all these tips will definitely make this happen. What you don’t want to do, however, is leave them in longer than that. Box braids are meant to be a temporary protective style, so that your actual hair can get some TLC. Moreover, wearing them for more than 8 weeks can cause your hair to weaken and damage which would defeat the purpose of wearing them as a protective style.
So there you have it! Our top 6 ways on how to maintain box braids so they can look their best and last longer!
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