Why do we wear braids?

Throughout history, braiding has been used for several reasons—from defining tribes, social status, and other societal classifications to mapping escape routes for slaves. This tradition of carefully intertwining tresses has been passed down through generations and become an integral part of Black and African cultures.

What is the purpose of braids?

"This style is used for kinkier textures as a form of protective styling—not just for fashion. Wearing braids protect natural hair from heat damage and humidity.”

What are the benefits of having braids?

What is the spiritual meaning of braids?

In Native American tradition, hair is a signifier of one's spiritual practice. Combing represents the alignment of thought; braiding is the Oneness of thought, and tieing is the securing of thought. Flowing strands of hair are considered individually weak, but when joined in braids they demonstrate strength in unity.

What does God say about hair?

The Bible says that any woman who cuts and styles her hair to be so short as to look like a man's might as well be shorn (shaved) to symbolize a fallen woman. God views a woman cutting her hair short as a sign of open rebellion toward her Creator (verse 6). Cutting one's hair is not the same as shearing or shaving it.

The History of Braids

Why do Africans braid their hair?

Braids are considered a protective styling on African curly hair as they allow for easy and restorative growth.

Do braids grow hair?

Though braids don't have a direct impact on hair growth, they have an impact on hair health. They can help growing hair stay healthy and strong, keeping it moisturized while it continues to grow. For more information on hair braiding and health, visit a hair Pro in your neighborhood and discuss your style options.

Does hair grow faster when braided?

Mythbusting: Braids & Hair Growth

But unfortunately, braiding hair does not speed up growth rate. Your hair grows at a rate determined by genetics, while lifestyle factors like your diet and stress levels can cause thinning and breakage. But the way you wear your hair is not a factor in your hair growth rate.

Is it healthy to keep hair in braids?

Prevents breakage

As you're getting your beauty sleep, you may not realize it but natural tossing and turning pulls your hair and causes it to break. Keeping your hair in braids reduces friction between your hair and pillow, reducing hair breakage. Amp it up, and get silk pillowcases for even less friction!

Are braids part of black culture?

They are an integral part of Black culture—past, present and future. ANCESTRAL ROOTS The discovery of ancient stone paintings depicting women with cornrows in North Africa shows that braids date back thousands of years.

What did slaves use braids for?

In the time of slavery in Colombia, hair braiding was used to relay messages. For example, to signal that they wanted to escape, women would braid a hairstyle called departes. “It had thick, tight braids, braided closely to the scalp and was tied into buns on the top,” Asprilla Garcia says.

Why did slaves do cornrows?

Cornrows were a sign of resistance for slaves because they used it as maps to escape from slavery and they would hide rice or seeds into their braids on their way to enslavement.

Is it OK to sleep in braids?

Benefits of Braiding Hair at Night. Sleeping in braids can help reduce hair damage. Tossing and turning during the night can cause breakage and damage. When you sleep in braids, you're less likely to get tangles or snags in your hair.

Do braids ruin hair?

Ponytails and braids -- "Ponytails and braids can cause hair to break, especially if your style is pulled tightly," Mirmirani says. "If you wear it that way every day, permanent hair damage can occur." Braiding or putting your hair in a ponytail when it's wet can cause damage sooner because wet hair is more fragile.

Do braids cause hair loss?

Yes, tight braiding and weaves—even tight buns and ponytails—when worn over long periods of time can cause irreversible hair loss, called traction alopecia (baldness). This is because chronic pulling of the hair causes too much tension and traction on the follicles, causing them to permanently dislodge from the scalp.

Why do my braids itch?

Braids take forever to dry, so it's tempting to go for longer stretches between wash days. “Your scalp collects dead skin cells, sebum and dust, which then becomes trapped at the roots and needs to be cleared as it can cause itchiness,” says trichologist Anabel Kingsley.

How long should you leave braids in?

Although braids can last anywhere between two to eight weeks depending on which kind you go for and how you wear them, you should be prepared to cleanse roughly every two to three weeks. If you've been swimming (or happen to sweat a lot), your scalp will require a bit of TLC.

Which hairstyle is best for hair growth?

Is braiding your hair before bed good?

Keeping your hair braided helps to avoid snarls and unbearable tangles in the morning that could lead to breakage when you brush through your hair! Braiding your hair before bed keeps your strands structured while you sleep. This helps to avoid friction that creates breakage.

Why do dreads grow faster than braids?

First, dreads can grow infinitely long. There is no limit to their length because new growth continues to bind and connect older hair, that would have normally shed, to your head. This is why the record for the longest hair in the world is always held by someone with dreads.

Does braids make hair curly?

You can get soft, wavy hair by braiding instead of curling. This method of creating waves works best for people who have naturally wavy or curly hair. Make sure you braid hair that has been washed and is still slightly damp. If your hair is naturally wavy, a loose side braid will give you relaxed curls.

What do box braids symbolize?

Hair-braiding styles were used to help differentiate tribes, locations, and also possibly a symbol of wealth and power due to the amount of effort that went into styling braids. Box braids were not given a specific name until the 1990s when popularized by R&B musician Janet Jackson, but have been used for years.

Why do they put rice in braids?

As Dutch slave owners forcibly transported people from West Africa to colonies in modern-day Brazil and throughout the Americas, some African women, namely rice farmers, braided rice seeds into their hair as a means for survival of themselves and the culture of their homeland.

What do cornrows symbolize?

1 Cornrows

Warriors and kings were identified by their braided hairstyles. Still largely worn throughout West Africa, Sudan, and the Horn of Africa (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia), cornrows can signify one's age, religious beliefs, kinship, marital status, wealth, and were also a form of self-expression.

Why are braids protective?

“It's a protective hairstyle... because, when having box braids, you're not putting heat to your hair or styling every day, which over time causes damage.” Sargent explains how this gives your hair time to rest and focus on that amazing growth. “This protective style also helps alleviate breakage.