Do you lose more hair than you retain after removing your braids?

Hairstyles like braids can make life easy. Styling and daily maintenance become a glide after installing the hair extension.

Braids are protective hairstyles. The function of protective hairstyles is simple - protect your natural hair from manipulation and environmental factors (e.g. weather, contact, etc.).

Wearing protective hairstyles like braids is a standard length retention strategy, but this is not always the case. You can miss out on all the benefits of wearing braids when removing or taking them down.

Applying too much tension (pulling too hard on your hair) or using sharp tools like scissors to take down your braids can damage your hair.

Losing all your new growth when taking down your braids defeats the essence of the hairstyle.

You need to follow a braid removal method to prevent damaging your hair. You will learn tips to remove your braids without damaging your hair.

Get the right tools

You need to get all the tools that you need before you start. Avoid using sharp objects like scissors, pens, broomsticks, etc.

You need to get the following tools:

• A spray water bottle

• A rat-tail comb

• A wide-tooth comb

• Detangling cream/braid removal

• Hair clips or elastic bands

Get the right tools

You need to get all the tools that you need before you start. Avoid using sharp objects like scissors, pens, broomsticks, etc.

You need to get the following tools:

• A spray water bottle

• A rat-tail comb

• A wide-tooth comb

• Detangling cream/braid removal

• Hair clips or elastic bands

Steps to remove your braids without damage

You should work in steps to remove your braids without damaging your hair. Follow these simple steps to remove your braids without damage.

Step 1: Cut off the hair extension

Cutting off the hair extension helps you work in smaller sections. You can manage your hair better when they are short and light.

Pulling tight on a long hair extension can put too much tension on your hair. Pulling too hard on your hair can cause breakage and bald spots.

Make sure you mark where your natural hair stops before cutting off the hair extension. Add extra 2 inches to your natural hair mark to prevent cutting your hair. Cut one braid at a time instead of grabbing a bunch and pulling too hard.

Step 2: Divide your hair into four sections

Divide your hair into sections before removing your braids. Working in sections makes the process less daunting. Divide your hair into four sections, and work on one at a time.

Use hair clips and elastic bands to secure each section. Divide your hair into smaller sections if you have short hair.

Step 3: Spray your hair with water, leave-in water mix, or braid removal

You need slip or moisture to make the braid removal process easy. Spray your hair with water-hair condition mix, braid removal, etc. Don’t forget to spray your roots to dissolve buildups.

Your hair needs to be damp and not wet. To make the process easy, you should:

• Remove all your hair accessories before spraying your hair to prevent rust.

• Take out one braid at a time and spritz it with water, leave-in conditioner, or braid removal

• You can add oils after spraying your hair to make the hair slippery. You can skip this part if you are using a braid removal.

Detangle your hair

Once all the hair extensions are removed, it is time for you to detangle your hair. Don’t be quick to reach for a comb, leave your hair in sections. Work on one section at a time, start detangling with your fingers from the bottom to the top.

The roots of your hair may have formed a mat if you have had the braids on for more than six weeks. Gently pull the matted roots apart before detangling them with your fingers.

You can continue to spray your hair with a water-leave-in mix or braid removal to make detangling easy. Once you have detangled your hair using your fingers, you can use a wide tooth comb to completely detangle your hair.

Detangling your hair can take a while, so you need to be patient to avoid damage.

To properly detangle:

Spritz water-leave-in mix gently over the buildups at the roots of your hair.

Then apply some amount of Tazol braid removal cream to the roots and massage into the hair. This will help the hair detangle easily from each other.

Comb and twist out your hair

When you have finally detangled all the sections of your hair, go ahead to comb it out with a wide tooth comb. Start combing your hair from the tip, then carefully move toward the root.

After combing each section, twist it out to keep it stretched and avoid tangling. To properly comb your hair, you need to:

• Take down the sections of twisted hair.

• Comb out all the twisted sections with a wide tooth comb.

Shampoo and condition your hair

Once you have completed combing out your hair, it is time for you to cleanse it. You can use shampoo and conditioner to cleanse your hair.

It is better to work in sections especially if your hair is long. Gently massage your scalp to get rid of the specks of dirt and buildup on the roots of your hair.

You can use a rinse-out conditioner or deep conditioner to moisturize your hair. You can go ahead to style your hair as desired after rinsing out the conditioner.

Removing your braids is a form of manipulation, so you need to give your scalp and hair time off before installing another extension.

Note: It is normal for your hair to shed. The average rate of hair shedding is about 50 - 150 strands per day. So, if you have had your hair extension on for more than six weeks, then you will experience more shedding.