Introduction

Box braids can give the chic, bohemian look always desired and make maintaining hair day-to-day much easier. Getting box braids professionally done at a salon can be expensive; while this hairstyle can be easily created at home; by attaching synthetic hair to your natural hair with some patience, you can achieve beautiful box braids. I personally had to learn how to do the box braids the hard way because my six year old daughter loves to have her hair in box braids for school; so I started practicing little by little until it became a habit. Here are a few easy steps to making quicker and neat box braids;

Supplies

Some of the materials needed for this process are; shampoo, conditioner, blow drier or a flat iron, a wide tooth comb, synthetic hair extensions, scissors, elastic hair bands, clips and preferred natural oils, hot water and a towel.

Shampoo and condition the hair. Start by washing hair with normal shampoo in the shower or bath. Then, apply a moisturizing conditioner so the hair does not become frizzy when dry. · Use a leave-in conditioner if your hair tends to be very dry or frizzy. · shampoo and condition hair even if you are going to use hair extensions for the braids, as this will ensure the hair extensions attach properly to the natural hair.

Step 1: Washing Hair

Shampoo and condition the hair. Start by washing hair with normal shampoo in the shower or

bath. Then, apply a moisturizing conditioner so the hair does not become frizzy when dry.

· Use a leave-in conditioner if your hair tends to be very dry or frizzy.

· shampoo and condition hair even if you are going to use hair extensions for the braids, as this will ensure the hair extensions attach properly to the natural hair.

. I prefer Olive products as it gives a nice texture to natural hair.

Step 2: Dry the Hair

Blow dry your hair straight if it is very curly. Apply a heat protectant gel or spray to your hair before you blow dry it. Use a brush to blow dry your hair in sections so it lays flat and straight. This can make parting your hair for the braids easier, especially if it is very curly hair.

· If the blow dryer comes with a comb or pick attachment, use that.

· Alternatively, flat iron dry hair with a hair straightener if you’d prefer. Make sure to apply heat protectant before straightening hair.

· Detangle the hair with a comb to remove any tangles or knots. Start combing hair at the ends, and work your way up the strand, gently removing knots and tangles as you go. Do not tug or pull at hair too hard, as it would tear or rip your hair. Try to remove as many tangles as you can so your hair is easy to braid.

Step 3: Parting Hair

Divide your hair into 4 box shaped sections

with a wide-tooth comb. Create 4 sections by dividing hair down the center from forehead to your neck, then from ear to ear. Leave the first section you plan to work on undone. Make sure the sections are evenly parted, with a clear straight line at the roots, forming a box shape. Use 3 large hair clips to keep the remaining 3 sections out of the way. Make sure hair is evenly divided between each section.

Take 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) of synthetic hair. Place the hair extensions between your fingers in a staggered line. Break the hair into 3 sections. Place 1 section of the hair extensions between your pointer and middle finger. Then, take the next section and place it between your middle finger and ring finger 1 to 2 inches below the first section. Hold the third section between your ring finger and pinkie 1 to 2 inches below the second section. Staggering the hair in a line will give the ends of the braids a feathered, rather than blunt, look, making the hair appear more natural.

Step 4: Braiding

Place the synthetic hair over natural hair at the roots. Turn your hand so your palm is facing inward. Then, hold the synthetic hair at the middle section with your thumb and pointer finger and place it over your natural hair right at the roots. Hold the synthetic hair in place with your fingers, lining up the synthetic hair with your natural hair

Braid your natural hair in with the synthetic hair. Hold tight to the middle section and reach underneath to 1 of the outside sections. Pull hair from the outside section to the middle. Then, reach underneath again and pull hair from the other outside section to the middle. This is the start of the braid, with your natural hair tightly integrated into the synthetic hair. Begin your braid tight near the scalp so that it will look new. Maintain a firm grip on the synthetic hair and your natural hair with your fingertips so the synthetic hair does not slip off.

Continue braiding the hair all the way to the ends, reaching underneath the middle section to place the hair sections on top of each other.

You don't need to braid your hair tightly to get it to stay. Braiding hair too tight can actually lead to damage. Keep even, firm pressure as you braid so the braid appears uniform and smooth. Secure the end of the braid with a hair elastic, if needed. If the synthetic hair is thick, you may not need a hair elastic to secure the end of the braid, as it may stay in place on its own. If the hair is thin or fine, use a non-snag elastic to keep the braid in place.

Step 5: Final Touches

Trim off any flyways with scissors. Once the entire head is braided, use scissors to remove any flyways at the ends. Snip them as close to the braids as possible so the braids appear smooth, being careful not to snip any of your natural hair. Dip the ends of the braids in hot water to seal them. Pour boiling water in a bowl and dip each braid from the midsection to the ends in the water. This will help to remove any remaining flyways and frizzyness on the braids, along with sealing the braids and preventing them from unraveling.

Finally massage natural oils into the scalp to keep it
hydrated. Using a cotton pad or cotton ball, or clean fingers, rub a generous dab of oil over your scalp in sections. Try to cover as much of scalp as possible without getting any oil onto the braids. Coconut oil, almond oil, and shea butter are good options.