Oct 01, 2012 at 11:22am

Ghanaian women are now hooked onto weaves and braids for varied reasons. Some do it to aid in hair growth and others just to have a different look. Wearing your hair in braids or weaves however prevents damage caused by chemical and excessive styling which allows the hair to grow.

Nevertheless, when this is done regularly or kept over a long period of time, it may contribute to hair loss because according to research, black hair has a morphology that makes it more susceptible to damage.

But when you take proper care of your braids and weaves, you will reap its benefits. The most important thing is you should always remember that you have real hair under the braids or weaves and the care you give to it will help your hair to be healthy and longer if that is your aim.

The lack of proper care will make your hair dry; it will break and will also become brittle. So here is what to do.

Before you braid your hair or fix on the weave, apply deep condition to prevent breakage and thinning of your hair. After this, you should always ensure that your hair dresser or stylist doesn’t braid your hair too tight because it doesn’t make them last longer as it is widely perceived. It rather pulls your hair out.

Once you are done and looking all pretty, get yourself an anti-itch conditioning braid spray which is to be applied regularly to your scalp. Obviously, this will relieve you of itching and possibly, dandruff.

To keep the braids or weaves looking fresh and healthy, apply a light oil sheen spray on the hairdo. But be mindful not to use too much of it as it could settle on you scalp, mix up with your sweat which will form knots at the base of the braids and cause itching.

If the braids around the edges or hair line get loose, go to the salon, take them out and re-do them as loose braids weakens your hairline.

You may question this advice due to the weather conditions we experience in Ghana but it helps with braids especially. Before you go to bed at night, you’re your hair with a silk or satin scarf. This will prevent your braids from getting frizzy thereby smoothing it out by morning. This could however cause you to sweat on you scalp so you can either sleep on a silk or satin pillow case.

The best time to take out your braids or weaves is between 6-8 weeks; exceeding this time will destroy your hair and your target for a longer and stronger hair will be fruitless. But after three weeks, wash your braids with a diluted shampoo while focusing on your scalp.

Let the time and money you invested to get the braids plus the patience and tolerance for discomfort you experienced while getting the braids and weaves be worth your while.


By: Efua Idan Osam/Citifmonline.com/Gha na