As bold as the braided hairstyles look, they also give birth to quite a few ambiguous theories or myths. Style is an already subjective matter, such myths complicate the thing even more. One of them is if your hair is growing when your braids loosen. Let’s debunk this concept now.
Do loose braids mean your hair is growing
Braids by nature are supposed to be tight. This minimum tightness needed is sometimes too much to carry for many people, resulting in hair loss. So, loosened braids probably do not put that stress, reducing hair fall.
So there is categorically no direct connection between easy braids and hair growth. Braiding by no means can help you grow your hair. The rate of growth of your hair depends on your genetics, daily lifestyle, health, etc.
Is loose braiding good for your hair?
Considering the condition of your scalp is somewhere in the middle between best and worse, then loose braids could be good for you. Because tighter braids will put in troubles involving an itchy scalp, inflammation, and hair breakage.
For those of you who have a highly sensitive scalp, that is more on the worse side, then any type of braiding is not recommended. Loose braiding is still going to be heavy for you. Optimize your hair condition first, then consider getting them braided.
How long do braids remain tight?
Some braids manage to remain tight and intact for a few months. But on average, to stay on the safer side, the braids remain tight enough for one month. Since most people do not have the best of conditions, so this timeline is admissible.
Signs of braids getting loose
One of the most prominent signs of braiding loosening is the hair getting frizzy. When the compact braids slowly start to look a bit unorganized, it is inferred that the braids have loosened a bit.
When slenderly thin strands of hair come out of the braids, that is another sign that your braids are losing their tightness.
Causes of braids getting loose
Improper maintenance could be one reason for this to happen. Properly taking care of them would keep them right in their place.
A dry scalp or hair could also cause the braids to loosen up. The hair strands tangle in an odd way and deviate from the way the braids looked during the time of installation.
Sign of new hair sprouting on your scalp and hairline
One of the most obvious signs of hair popping up on your hairline is seeing dark patches. They will look out of place or odd.
Another one is tingling when you flap your hair with your hand. Those stings or tingles are nothing but the baby hair growing on your scalp and hairline. They are nothing weird, so do not panic.
Do tighter braids cause more hair fall or loose ones?
Tighter braids are more poised to make you lose more hair compared to loose ones. They create a constant pull on your strands from the roots, which eventually break off. Loose braids are not like that, although they do stretch the hair to a certain degree.
Loose braids can cause hair fall, but indirectly. When your braids come out of their original tightness, that means your hair is losing its moisture, your scalp is losing its strength. This in turn will lead to loss of hair.
How do you prevent your braids from getting loose?
The biggest problem causing the problem is not maintaining the braids properly. So the biggest way to prevent the problem is to address this aspect. Apply hair serums before going to sleep, and wear a head scarf so that the strands do not collide and loosen up due to friction.
Try to make your braids as thin as possible. Sharp sleek strands tend to tighten more than thicker strands. Thicker strands will detangle or come out easily. In addition to that, sleek braids will also look much bolder and more aggressive.
Using finishing products can also give you a breakthrough in this recurring problem. Good finishing products will help you in holding the style as it was during the time of installation. But beware of the wrong one. Average products with high percentages of chemical content in them will worsen the problem, not solve it. Your hair will dry up and your braids will be totally ruined.
Does braiding help in growing hair: Truth or Myth?
It is an outright myth. Braiding does not stimulate the growth of your hair. It is totally dependent on your attributes. Braiding does provide a good environment for growth to some extent. But there is no direct contribution from braiding to your hair growth.
Verdict
The bottom line of everything is that you need to maintain your braids the right way. And if you feel the braids are getting too heavy on you, then do not shy away from loosening them a bit yourself.
