Hey Mireille
How are you? After a long time. Hope all is well. I have a question for you. I am nine almost ten months post relaxer and would like to braid my hair. Just six medium cornrows. My problem is that my edges are very thin from the years of excessive braiding. I have not braided my hair in 6 and a half years. I would like to braid it so that it helps protect my hair during this transition phase. Please help
What should I do?
Hello T,
I'm fine. Thank you for asking and thank you for the question.
First of all, you should know that braids should not break your hair or make it thin. In fact, braids are a perfect way to let your hair rest and grow.
The main reason why women get damaged hair from braiding is because:
1. The hair is tied tightly.
2. And this is the really worst, they braid the hair after the hair has just been processed.
You can't add extensions to hair that has just been chemically processed because it will only weaken the hair. Since you are natural now it's not really your problem now but I think it could be the culprit of your thinning hairline.
If your hairline is just thin, hair can grow back as long as the hair follicles are not damaged. The best thing you can do to help your hairline grow back is to leave your hairline alone and make sure you don’t put any tension on the hair around the hairline. You can still braid your hair, but you want to make sure that your hair is not braided tightly at all.
To prevent tension at your hairline, instead of pulling it into a braid, simply letting it go and brushing it down the braid with a light oil is much better. Look into products that are specifically formulated to help with thinning problems. Jamaican caster oil is also often recommended so you can try that too. I haven't tried it myself but the reviews are good although I'm not sure if it works for everyone.
Good luck and I hope you have a super great holiday.