It’s Friday evening, and you’ve been in the braider’s chair for seven hours. Your scalp is tingling, and she says, “Don’t worry, it will loosen by Monday.” By Monday, you’re squashed in the taxi, trying not to frown, and you can feel every single braid at your temples.
We’ve all been there, and we love the finished look. But a style that pulls on your hairline isn’t protecting anything. Here’s how to keep the beauty and the length, and keep your edges too.
“Protective” isn’t a guarantee
Protective styles were designed to give your hair a break from daily combing, heat and styling. Braids, twists, weaves and locs can do exactly that. The catch is tension.
Dermatologists call hair loss from constant pulling traction alopecia. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says that styles like cornrows, tight braids and weaves can constantly pull at and damage your hair. The AAD also warns that once the follicles (the tiny pockets that grow each hair) are damaged, hair cannot grow back.
It’s also common. Johns Hopkins Medicine notes that almost half of Black women experience some form of hair loss. The good news is that traction alopecia is one of the most preventable kinds.
Pain is not the price of a neat style
Many of us grew up believing a tight, tender-headed install means it will “last.” It doesn’t. The AAD is clear that if it hurts while your hair is being styled, you should ask the stylist to stop and redo it.
Research from the University of Cape Town found that the odds of traction alopecia were 3.47 times higher when traction was added to relaxed hair than to natural hair. That doesn’t mean you can never braid relaxed hair. It does mean that chemically straightened hair, heavy extensions and a tight base are a risky mix.
A simple test: you should be able to slide a fingertip under the base of a braid. Larger sections, lighter extension hair and a looser edge all reduce the pull.
Also see: Grace Mondlana ditches R3,500 braids 2 weeks after viral 28-hour appointment
Count the weeks: Your style’s sell-by date
That braid-out you’re stretching into week 10 because money is tight? It may cost you more in the long run. The AAD advises wearing braids for no longer than 6 to 8 weeks.
Longer hair is heavier, so it also pulls harder. The AAD suggests keeping braids and locs short. If you love your waist-length braids, that’s fine, but think about going thicker and lighter.
Rest matters too. The AAD suggests that after cornrows, you could wear loose braids or go natural for a few months. A rest between installs saves your edges and saves you a braiding fee.
Your BONA edge-saver checklist
Screenshot this and show your stylist before you sit down.
- Ask for looser edges. Request a gentler hold around the hairline and temples, and thicker braids rather than tiny ones.
- Keep it light. Choose shorter, lighter extension hair where you can.
- Skip the glue. If you want a weave, dermatologists recommend a sewn-in weave over one that uses bonding glue.
- Speak up on the day. Tingling, stinging or tight bumps mean the style should be redone.
- Set a removal date. Put it in your phone calendar the day you get your hair done, at no more than 6 to 8 weeks.
- Switch the pattern. Change how and where the braids lie, so the same follicles aren’t pulled in the same direction.
- Check monthly. Look at your hairline in the mirror for thinning, bumps or patches.
The in-between: wash, moisturise, cover
A style doesn’t look after itself. Under braids, you still need a clean scalp, because build-up and dryness lead to breakage. For everyday AAD hair care, the advice is to wash once a week or every other week to prevent product build-up. Conditioner matters too, especially on the ends, which are the oldest and most fragile part of your hair.
At night, tie it up in a satin or silk bonnet or scarf. The same goes for Sunday church head wraps and doeks. The AAD suggests pulling your hair back loosely beneath any covering, and choosing silk or satin, which is gentler on hair than other materials. Keep that in mind on the taxi commute too, when you rest your head against the window.
Take-down day deserves patience. Detangle gently from the ends up and don’t rush it, because shed hair that has built up over weeks will come out with the braids. That’s normal and doesn’t automatically mean damage.
When to see a professional
Caught early, things look hopeful. The University of Iowa Health Care notes that hair will regrow within months if hair loss is caught early. Leave it, and loss can become permanent.
See your pharmacist, clinic or a dermatologist if your hairline is receding, you have sore bumps along the edges, or your scalp is persistently tender or itchy.
Thinning at the crown also deserves a check. There’s a scarring hair loss called CCCA that affects the crown and mostly strikes Black women. Genetics may play a role, and it isn’t always caused by hairstyles, so earlier attention gives you more options. You can read more about early signs of hair loss on our site.
For the everyday basics, explore more on everyday hair health and what your hair type needs.
You deserve the braids, the compliments and the edges to match. So the next time someone tells you it will loosen up, politely ask them to loosen it now.