Be Patient & Practice

See My Braidout Tutorial - Satin Scarf Method

( Scroll to the bottom for new tips)

1. If you haven’t already done so see my Braidout Tutorials here.

 

2. Make sure your braids are smooth. Pay close attention to the front, the top layers of your hair and the ends. Reasons: The top and front of your hair will be visible to everyone. The ends will be frizzy if you do not apply moisturizer and smooth while braiding. See products I use for my braidout here.

 

3. Don’t do braidouts on soaking wet hair unless you have a really long time to wait for your hair to dry. If you do a braidout on soaking wet hair it most likely will not dry overnight. In the morning some of your hair will still be damp. And that’s a recipe for frizzy hair and a really bad braidout.

 

4. If you insist on doing braidouts on wet hair, allow ample drying time or speed things up by using a hair dryer or a blow dryer. But trust me, you are better drying your hair first before doing the braidout.

 

5. For a soft, long lasting curls that lasts for days, apply a moisturizer before braiding – the moisture will give you better curl/wave definition and of course shinier hair. I use V05 conditioner mixed with water and olive oil for my moisturizer. I cannot recommend any products that works as well as the conditioner and water. See my conditioner and water mix here.

 

6. Do not use setting lotion/ foaming wrap lotion or mousse to set your braidouts. Your hair will come out crunchy and the curls will not even last till the end of the day. Conditioner mixed with water gives the best hold and the softest curls with the least frizz.  See my experience with using foaming wrap lotion to set my braidout here.

 

7. Never comb your braidout with a comb. Once you unravel your braids, all you need to do is finger comb – fluff and separate the curls.

 

8. Do not apply water based products  to your hair after taking out your braids. Water-based products will guarantee that you lose all those beautiful curls/waves. Use an oil such as olive oil instead.

 

9. Pre part your hair according to the style you will be wearing your braidout in. I.e.  If you want a center/side part, make the part before braiding. The last thing you want to do is put a comb in your hair once your braidout is done.

 

10. Make all your braids relatively the same size. You will get more consistent size curls/waves throughout your entire head.

 

11. Try to make your braidout as symmetrical as possible. Whatever you do on the right side of your head, also do on the left side – this is particularly true when you are doing a center part braidout. Things need to look symmetrical.
    • Don’t vary any of the following from side to side:
      • The amount of water /moisturizer
      • The types of braids
      • The position of braids

 

12. For bigger curls, use a bigger pieces of satin strips. Instead of 4″ use about 8″. In some cases you can use the entire satin scarf to do your braids. Just make sure you have enough scarves to do your braids/cornrows.

 

13. Don’t do completely straight parts when sectioning your hair. Especially in the middle back. It will be hard to blend all the sections together for a seamless look when your hair is already set with a straight line down the middle of your head.

 

(Originally published 1/31/10)

Updated 2.12.10

• Cornrows give you spiral curls while single braids give you more of a uniform wave look.

• Don’t do cornrows or braids too tight, it will be uncomfortable to wear for an extended period of time. Especially to sleep in.

• For Bigger curls, make bigger sections and braid with thicker pieces of fabric.

• Do not use gels or holding products on your braidouts. You will end up with crunchy and possibly flaking hair.

• The smaller the satin fabric, the smaller the curls at the end of your hair. For example, if you want pencil sized curls at the ends, use a satin strip that when rolled up (satin tends to roll in at the sides) is about the diameter of a pencil.

• Even if you make big sections but you use a 3 inch wide piece of satin fabric, the curls at the ends of your hair will only be about the size of the rolled scarf.  

MORE ON BRAIDOUTS:

• Shorter, Thicker, More Texture and My Braidouts Never Looked Better
• Last Week's Hair - Loose Beachy Waves
• Braidout or Jheri Curl?
• My Braidout Lasted the Entire Week!
• I am sucker for punishment...the wrap lotion again
• Braidout FAQs
• Braidout Tutorial - PLAITS - Satin Scarf Method (VIDEO)
• How Long Does Your Braidout Last?
• I'm Going to Call this one The Wet Look Braidout
• What Happens When Your Braidout Doesn't Dry Properly
• Satin Belt Tie Braidout - Another Novel Braidout Idea
• How to Do a Braidout Tutorial - Satin Scarf Method
• 3 Cornrow Braidout (Video)
• My 3 Cornrow Braidout
• Braidout Tips - Secrets to a Better Braidout - Revisited

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