5 Do’s and Don’ts of Braid Extensions

by Natural Hair Rules

It’s widely believed that braid extensions help to “grow” hair, which in part can be true. While they are certainly a great protective style that helps you retain length, here are 5 Do’s and Don’ts of Braid Extensions to keep in mind:

1. Braids don’t “make” or “promote” hair growth instead they help with length retention.  Every time you style and detangle there’s a risk of breakage.  It just happens. When your hair is braided, you dodge the risk of mechanical breakage from manipulation.  This is why braids are a great protective style.

2. Wearing Braids Long-Term (more than 4-6 weeks without touch-ups) Can Decrease Length Retention. “Six weeks is the maximum I would recommend [leaving in extensions],” says Natural Hairstylist Diane Bailey. For many this is around the time that the hair begins to lock or mat.  Leaving them in longer makes it difficult to detangle. It’s also good to throughly clean your hair and scalp without the extension to prevent infection and other conditions of the scalp.

My Fair Hair Suggestion: I would advise not keeping extensions longer than 3 weeks at a time for optimum hair health.

3. For those who have sensitive and thinning edges, you have a higher chance of experiencing traction alopecia or increased hair loss in those areas.  Its best that you avoid any and all tugging and tightness in this area.  This is a concern if you continuously wear braids back to back without any breaks. If you already have an issue with thinning or sensitive edges braid extensions may not be the best thing for your hair.

Read: Oils Best for Regrowing Thinning Edges

4. Keep Them Loose. During my last trip to the braiding salon there were so many beautiful braided styles being created around me. But I couldn’t help but notice that many of these women were victims of traction alopecia. If you feel that your hair is being pulled too tightly kindly ask your stylist to reduce the tension that is being applied.

Read Prevent and Treat Female Pattern Baldness 

5. I know they look pretty but the small teeny braids (micros) put a lot of tension on the hair. This isn’t to say that you can never wear micro braids if you want, but constantly wearing them may lead to thinning hair rather than healthy length retention. Plus, its not fun taking all those tiny braids down. Which if you don’t have the patience, micro braids might not be for you. In order for your protective styling to be beneficial it must protect your hair and scalp from breakage. Otherwise, if you rough house with your hair, all of the length that you retained can easily break off.

What are your tips for wearing braid extensions?

Photo credit: Instagram


Suffering from Alopeica (Hair Loss)? Unsure of which type? Read about Traction Alopecia HERE and CCCA Alopecia HERE.

How to wash and condition hair extensions

When you wear hair extensions like havana twists, yarn twists/braids, or kinky twists, you need to wash your hair regularly. Extensions should be kept in no longer than 3-4 weeks depending on the hair type.

How to wash and condition hair extensions

Step 1: Fill a spray bottle half way with distilled or filtered water. Add 4-5 tablespoons of your favorite shampoo, mud wash, or hair cleanser to the spray bottle. Shake the bottle until the ingredients are mixed well.

Blogger Naptural85 tying her hair into a bun.

Step 2: Tie your extensions into a loose bun at the base of your head with a hair band. Step into the shower. Spray your hair with the spray bottle until damp, focusing on the scalp. Massage your scalp with your fingertips for 1-2 minutes.

Step 3: Turn the shower head on and rinse your hair. Let the water rinse your scalp first then let it run down the hair extensions.

*Step 4: Empty the spray bottle containing the shampoo mixture. Repeat Steps 1-3 again with your favorite conditioner.

Step 5: Dry your extensions with a 100 % cotton T-shirt or a microfiber towel to avoid frizzy hair. Let your scalp air dry. Condition your hair as usual.

*This step is for those who use a shampoo that is not a mud wash or for those whose shampoo and conditioner are separate products.

How to create a schedule for washing hair extensions

Wash your hair as often as you would if you did not have extensions. For example, I wash my hair every two weeks. So when I wear extensions, I also wash my hair every two weeks. You can extend your wash day up to one week. For example, sometimes I wash my hair after three weeks of wearing my extensions instead of two. The longer you wear hair extensions, the dirtier your hair and scalp will become. Make sure to schedule your washes!

Hair washing chart

This chart displays ideal washing schedules, however everyone’s hair is different and those differences should be taken into account. Use this chart as a guideline to create your own washing schedule.

photo courtesy of Naptural85.com

more: yarn extensions: everything you need to know

havana twists: everything you need to know