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Braids have been a very popular fashion statement for centuries. People love to do braids on their natural hair to have a more pleasant appearance. Braids look neat, soft, and plush if done and maintained properly, but a tight and stiff braid does not deliver any of that. Stiff braids can be very hard to touch and it can cause serious pain in your scalp.
If you are new to your braiding journey, you might want to know how to make braids not stiff and keep them healthy and plush for a longer time. Stiff braids can be quite damageable to your hair and do not look neat and thick as well. So, I have come up with solutions in this article for all of your concerns about how to make your braids not stiff and maintain your braids for a healthy appearance.
Why Do Your Braids Stiff?
Just like others, you also might want to have soft, healthy-looking, plush braids. If you are new to your braiding journey, you might wonder what can be the reason that makes your hair stiff. Well, there are multiple reasons behind the stiffness of your braids.
Dehydrated hair is one of the main reasons behind the stiffness of your hair. If your lack moisture it becomes frizzy and stiff eventually. Also, if you wash your braids more frequently with hard water, it can make your braids stiff. Another reason can be your wrong choice of hair care products like more use of gel, harsh ingredients of shampoo, use of more heating tools, etc. All of these things can be responsible for your braids to be stiff.
8 Ways to Make Your Braids Not Stiff
No one will love the fact of having stiff braids. Stiff braids are hard to touch and very prone to breakage. To maintain healthy braids, you need to follow a good haircare routine. Here I have put together some ways. If you follow them regularly, you also can have perfectly healthy braids:
1. Take A Shower
A good amount of hydration can help your hair to lose stiffness. You can go with either a warm shower or a cool shower whatever suits you. But make sure, you have a soft water head in your shower. Hard water has harsh minerals like calcium or magnesium which can make your hair stiff, frizzy, and more prone to tangles. Use a water softener filter in your shower. Soak your braids and rub them very gently from one way to another, your stiff braids will lose up eventually. There is nothing to worry about yet. Take some time and loosen your braids up.
2. Moisturize Your Hair
After cleansing your braids with clarifying shampoo, a deep conditioner is a must for your stiff hair. try to use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner. Just be careful that your conditioner does not build up on your braids. You can also use a spray leave-in conditioner for spraying out the conditioner evenly. Try a hair mask for giving extra moisture to your hair. After covering your braids with a hair mask, wrap it up and steam your braids for at least 20 minutes so that the hair can soak up all the good ingredients and become soft, healthy, and not stiff.
3. Consider Oil-Based Products
Oils can do miracles in your hair. when there is something wrong with your hair, consider using an oil or oil-based product for your hair. you can use any kind of oil like argan oil jojoba oil, and mix some essential oil with that such as tea tree oil, lavender oil, or rosemary oil. For an easy D.I.Y at home, you can add these oils with some glycerin and rose water, then spray that on your hair to make them hydrated. The stiffness will be gone if you continue this process for a while and your braids will be flexible, creating a breakage-free situation for your hair.
4. Don’t Tie Your Hair Up
You should not tie your braids up in ponytails or buns too tightly. Any tight pull in your hair can create tension on the hair roots and make them stiff. Also, if you tie it up too tightly, it can weaken the roots and hair follicles. You should always wear your hair down and avoid manipulating your hair too much. Do not pull up your hair to style them differently. Try to be gentle with your hair and your hair will become gentle too.
5. Protect Your Hair from The Outdoors
Sun exposure and pollution can all damage your hair and make it stiff. If you are outdoors too much, try considering a scarf to save your braids from the pollution that can build up on your hair. the heat from the sun can also dehydrate and damage your hair making it stiff. You can use a silk or satin scarf to cover your hair to avoid additional frizzing.
6. Do A Massage
A scalp massage can help you in multiple layers. Take your preferred oil and massage it gently on your scalp. Massage can improve blood circulation and soothe tension. If you have a headache because of the stiffness of your braids, a massage will release the stiffness and headache. You can add lavender essential oil to add extra relaxation in the process.
7. Take Your Braids Out
Stiff and tight braids can occur several issues like headaches, hair fall, breakage, etc. If your braids are causing little bumps on your hair, it means that your braids are too tight. Consider taking your braids out to give your hair and scalp some relief. You can also remove the braids yourself. to remove the braids, try a hot oil massage on your scalp and your braids. Be a little bit patient and open up the braids one by one otherwise, you can potentially strip out your hair. After opening up all the braids, wash off your hair and apply a mask and deep conditioner afterward. And do not let anyone do tight braids in your hair again.
8. Talk To Your Stylist
While doing your braids, you can easily understand how your hair or scalp feels right way. So, whenever you feel the slightest pull on your hair, let your stylist know that and ask them to redo it. Most of the stylists will not give you extra time for redoing stiff or tight braids later on. Tell your stylist that you have a tender scalp and you do not want tight braids, if they still can’t change that, then you should change the stylist. Do not compromise the health of your scalp and hair.
10 Tips to Maintain Your Braids for A Longer Period
If you want to keep your braids healthy and shining for a longer period, here 10 tips are mentioned for you that can also help with the braids stiffing. Such as:
- Consider redoing your braids within 4-6 weeks. If you keep them longer than that, they will create buildups and split ends. The neatness will be gone and the buildup can make your braids stiff.
- Wash your braids every week with clarifying and sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner.
- Do not treat your delicate natural hair with harsh chemical treatments like relaxing, perms, straightening, and dyeing can harm your hair. They will take out all the moisture from your hair and make it hard and stiff.
- Frequent heat styling can also make your hair dry and brittle causing your braids to stiff.
- Saltwater on the beach can draw out the moisture from your hair and build up on your hair and make it stiff. Do not let the salt water touch your hair.
- Soak your hair with soft water or wear a swimming cap before going to the pool. Chemicals are used in the pool to sanitize the water such as chlorine and bromine, these can make your hair crunchy and brittle.
- Cover your braids with satin or silk cloths from sun and pollution when you are outside.
- Switch your hard pillow cover with a silk one to avoid frizz which can make your braids stiff.
- Hydrate them regularly and lock the hydration with oil solutions.
- Do not rub your hair harshly, always be soft and gentle with your hair and deal with stiffness with patience.
FAQs
1. Does blow drying make your hair stiff?
Blow drying does not necessarily make your hair stiff if your hair is not chemically treated and you use excessive heating tools. You should blow dry your braids with a bonnet hair drier attachment and keep your drier at a low setting to keep it safe from damage and stiff-free.
2. What happens if your braids are too tight?
Too tight braids can create constant pulling in your scalp and can damage the scalp hair permanently. Traction Alopecia is a kind of extreme hair loss that is caused by continuous tension on your scalp. Tight braids, buns, or ponytails can make your root and hair follicle weak and cause permanent hair loss.
3. Can a change in hairstyle make my braids not stiff?
A change in your hairstyle can always help. If your braids are stiff, take your braids out, relax your scalp for a bit, give proper hydration and massage, then for a different hairstyle which should be not tight at all. It can relieve tension from your hair and scalp and help you to be healthy again.
Final Thoughts
Stiffing can be a great problem for your braids to remain healthy, neat, and beautiful. By taking simple measurements, you can easily keep your braids soft and not stiff. To make your braids not stiff you should moisturize Your Hair regularly by applying oils, masks, and deep conditioners. You can also do a massage on your hair and scalp and do not tie your braids up. you should avoid sea and pool waters, and outdoor sun and pollution to keep your braids not stiff. Do not treat your hair chemically for a softer and smoother hair texture. If you follow all these considerations carefully, it can make your braids not stiff and give a healthy and plush look on them.
Key Points
- Your braids can become stiff for lack of water, hard water, excessive heating tools, etc.
- To make your braids not stiff there are some considerations that you need to follow.
- Keep your braids hydrated, moisturize them, and lock the moisture.
- Keep your braids away from the sun, pollution, seawater, chlorine water, and chemicals.
- Give your scalp some massage and use a silk scarf or pillowcase.
- Do not tie the braids too tightly or do not tie your braids up.
