How to Prep Your Hair for Braids: Here's 4 Tips (2024)

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Braids are beautiful.

But have you ever taken your braids out and your scalp is flaky, stinky, dry, or your hair has fallen out?

I know . . . this can feel like the worst.

But, don’t worry.

If you’ve taken out your braids and your scalp has felt like I described above, then it probably means that you need to prepare your scalp before you get braids again.

In this article, I am sharing with you four ways to prepare your hair for braids.

Before I do. This article is for you if you've ever taken your braids out and wanted to look at your hair like this . . .

What are braids?

Braids have a beautiful history in African culture that dates back many centuries.

Put simply, braids are a type of hair style in which your hair is woven together. While braids date back many, many years, they have greatly evolved.

Today, there are many styles of braids that you can wear. For example, you could wear knotless braids, Fulani braids, coil braids, lemonade braids, bob braids, and crochet braids, to name a few.

One of the great things that I love about braids is that they are a protective style. This means that when installed properly, they can reduce manipulation and tension on your hair to prevent it from breaking.

But if you don’t prepare your hair properly, you won’t be able to get the full benefits from braids.

Here are four tips for how to prepare your hair for braids.

#1) Thoroughly Clean Your Hair & Scalp

Before you braid your hair or have them installed, you will want to make sure that your hair is clean.

Here’s a good rule of thumb: never braid dirty hair or wet hair.

This means that you need to wash your hair really well. To make sure that your hair is clean, you should use a clarifying shampoo to help get rid of all of the dirt and build-up from your scalp and hair. Once your hair is clean, it will help your braids last longer.

Besides, when you shampoo and massage your hair, it can feel so good.

#2) Condition your hair

After you wash your hair, you need to condition it.

When you condition your hair, it helps add moisture back to your hair that was taken out with the clarifying shampoo.

You want to make sure that you condition your hair after washing it so that you won’t experience hair breakage and/or dryness.

#3) Oil your scalp

Most people think that washing and conditioning their hair will be enough to keep moisture.

But this is unfortunately not the case.

You actually need to seal the moisture in, and one of the best ways to do that is by using a hair oil.

Another important thing to know is that oil, alone, does not moisturize your hair. Oil is a sealant and it can only seal in moisture that was already applied. The best way to do this is add a bit of oil prior to blow-drying your hair or immediately after doing so.

When oiling your scalp, you want to make sure that you use an oil that minimizes frizz, treats your follicles, protects your hair, and is full of ingredients that have been shown to strengthen your hair like sunflower oil, avocado oil, and black castor oil, to name a few. If you need an oil that contains all of these ingredients and more, I recommend theVoiceOfHair PureFix Elixir.

#4) Stretch or part your hair

If you are going to add synthetic hair for your braids, blow dry your hair to stretch your hair. When your hair is stretched, it will make it easier for you to install and braid your hair.

If you’re going to braid your hair without any weave, then you will part your hair first. When your hair is parted it will be much easier to braid.

In closing, braids are beautiful and will look gorgeous on you. Next time you braid your hair. Use these tips so that you have the braids that you love.

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