I posted an article and stated my opinion of extension braids versus mini braids. In my opinion mini braids are a much healthier option for protecting natural hair. There is a way, however, to benefit from both. This is something I’ve only done once, but I followed someone on Fotki (a photo sharing site) who styled her hair like this regularly. Be forewarned, this is a time consuming hairstyle…
Essentially, what you need to do is braid your hair in mini braids. From there, you can put in extension braids. The mini braid will be one part of the larger braid. Place the extension hair around the mini braid, cross the extension hair over the mini braid, and begin braiding as if the center mini braid is no different that the loose extension hair. No, it won’t look exactly like regular extensions because the mini braid will make the hair look bumpy. The aesthetic is not a deal breaker, in my opinion. Once you braid past the real hair, you can leave the extension loose and curl it…or braid to the end. Since this is a laborious process, I recommend starting with really chunky braids- parts should be at least 1 inch x 1 inch.
It sounds a bit complicated but what you are doing is adding extensions to hair that is already protected within a braid, rather than loose hair that can stick out and break off. The mini braided hair is less likely to be pulled out from the tension caused by fake hair. Another option is to do hair wraps or ‘fake locs.’ In this case, the fake hair is wrapped around the center mini braid or twist and is completely protected.
My hair is currently flat ironed (#heatchallenge #fail) but I did one braid as an example and took a few phone pics. Hopefully they are clear enough for you to get the picture. The first pic is my hair braided, second is my mini braid in the center of the extension hair. The next two pictures are of the completed braid with extension added.
If you have any questions leave them below. Thanks for reading!
Hey so I want to try doing the mini braids then the extension braids but I don’t know how my hair regimen will benefit from it i.e. leave in conditioners, Cowash, and trimming. So how long do you recommend doing the mini braids & extensions?
Hmm, that’s a good question. I think that will largely depend on how fast your hair grows and what the braids look like as they age. I think it’s important to do what you need to do at the time, rather set a date (I’ll keep these in for X weeks) and stick to it without considering the current state of the hair. Perhaps plan for 4-6 or so weeks. Take a braid or two down and check on your real hair to determine if you can go longer.
I think a liquid conditioner or a diluted conditioner in a spray bottle is the best option for daily moisturizing. Washing and cowashing is not so easy while in extensions. Many people use diluted shampoo in an applicator bottle to thoroughly cleanse the scalp. Conditioner should probably be diluted as well. Cowashing should be kept to a minimum because it will cause the extensions to loosen and frizz. Trimming can wait until the hair is taken down.
I hope that helps! Let me know how it goes. 🙂
My hair stylist used human hair and added loc extensions to my hair. I love them. They look just like regular loc. I get them shampooed and conditioned and she palm rolls them and I sit under a dryer. They look natural. My plans are to transitioned them to regular locs. I spray oil on them 2-3 times a week.
I’ve seen those and they look really lovely. For some reason the idea of leaving them in permanently freaks me out a little bit. They sound like a great protective style.