If you’re like most women, you probably want your hair to grow as fast as possible. Unfortunately, there is no magic pill or potion that can make your hair grow faster overnight. However, there are a few things that you can do to encourage healthy hair growth and promote longer locks. One of the oldest tricks in the book is to braid your hair at night – does braiding hair make it grow faster? Keep reading to find out!
Does braiding hair make it grow faster?
It is a myth that braiding hair makes it grow faster. The only thing that can make hair grow faster is taking care of it properly, which includes eating a healthy diet, keeping hydrated, and using the proper hair care products.
What Is Braiding?
Braiding is a type of hair styling that is done by twisting two strands of hair in opposite directions and then crossing them over each other. There are several different types of braids that can be created, including the basic braid, fishtail braid, French braid, space braid, and dutch braid. A multi-strand variation on the standard three-strand plait known as a rope twist or herringbone pattern may also be referred to as a form of braiding.
Different Types Of Braids
There are many different types of braids; everyone has their preferred technique, and it’s all about finding the right one for whatever you’re doing. Some braid types can be used as a regular style, to make your hairstyle look cool and unique. Others can help you solve some everyday problems, like not having enough time or feeling lazy. Then we have those rare oddities that we aren’t even sure what they’re good for.
1- Basic three-strand braid – Also called Dutch Braid or Fishtail Braid
This type of braid is pretty straightforward: if you can do a regular three-strand braid, you can also do this one. It’s usually done on medium-length hair, but women with short hair have been known to get it working as well. You basically get three strands of equal size and put them next to each other instead of intertwining them like in a classic braid. What makes this basic kind special is that it doesn’t really have a name, so everyone just calls it the most common one.
2- French braid – Also called inside out or reverse braid
This is not as easy to do as you might think at first glance. It’s done basically in the same way a regular three-strand braid is made, but the only difference is that instead of putting the hair strand over and under other strands from bottom to top, you flip it inside out and put it under and over from top to bottom. Since this looks odd at first sight, braiders usually add some other types of braids (like Dutch Braids) before or after doing something like this. There are also simpler variants like using four strands instead of three.
3- Fishtail braid – This one is also called a Waterfall Braid
Even though it looks nothing at all like a waterfall. It involves using two strands and intertwining them to create a thicker section of hair that will later be braided itself. To do this you have to divide your hair into two parts, split your original two strands into four and cross the right strand over the other as shown in the picture. Repeat this process as much as you need until only a tiny amount of hair is left for tying it off at the end.
4- English Braid – Also called French or braid within a braid
This is basically what happens when you take a fishtail braid and make another one out of it. It’s a little bit more complicated to do than the fishtail itself since you have to manage two strands instead of one, but still not that hard. All you have to do is take the strand from the outside and put it over your middle finger so your palm faces up, then start doing a fishtail braid just like normal. Do this around the section of hair you’re working on until you run out of space for braiding, at which point you simply flip your hand over and use your fingers as a base for the new braid. Once again, there are simpler ways of doing this with four or even five strands instead of two.
5- Five Strand Braid – Also called German Braid or Hair Braid
This braid is basically a combination of the four-strand and basic three-strand methods, or in other words: five strands instead of two. The same rules apply for this one as they do for the regular Dutch braid; take your longest hair strand, split it into five even parts, and start braiding over-under movements from right to left (or left to right if you’re a southpaw). If done properly, this should result in a nice-looking plait that isn’t too thick but not thin either.
How To Braid Your Own Hair For The Best Results?
Braiding your own hair can be a time-consuming process, but if you follow these five easy steps, the results are sure to wow.
Step one: Brush your hair out
Before starting on any type of braid, it is important to brush all knots and tangles out of your hair. It’s easier to get it done before any tangles have had time to set in. For best results, use a detangling brush or comb for this process.
Step two: Lay out three sections
Start by picking where you want the braid to start at. Separate that section into two smaller sections while keeping the top layer separate from the bottom layer. Then take another section behind it and separate that into two smaller sections as well. The bottom layer should be facing up, and the top layer should be facing down.
Step three: Braid all three together
Now take both of the bottom layers and cross them over one another (right over left for an example), then grab some hair from the top section and spin it into your braid.
Step four: Continue braiding
When you reach the end of your braid grab some hair from underneath of it to spin into your next stitch. Repeat this process until you get to where you want the braid to end at, then secure with a clear elastic. Once completed, spray with a light hold finishing hairspray for best results.
Step five: Repeat on the other side
To start the second braid, simply repeat steps one through four on the opposite side of your head. Then bobby pins each finished braid up and out of the way to keep them from getting tangled during the rest of your hair styling process.
For best results, try different types of braids such as a dutch braid or even an upside-down french braid. Once you’ve mastered those styles you can move onto more complex styles like a fishtail or waterfall braid!
FAQs
Have you ever heard that braiding hair makes it grow faster?
Some people believe that braiding hair makes it grow faster because the tension provided by the braid stimulates hair growth. Others believe that it helps keep hair healthy by distributing the natural oils along the entire length of the hair shaft. Either way, there is no scientific evidence to support this claim.
Does it make a difference whether the hair is braided wet or dry?
It doesn’t make a difference whether the hair is braided wet or dry. Braiding wet hair can actually help to prevent breakage, since the hair is more elastic when it’s wet. But if you’re going to braid your own hair, it’s usually easier to do it when the hair is dry.
What kinds of products can help to make hair grow faster?
There are a few things that can help to make your hair grow faster. First, you should make sure that you’re eating a healthy diet and getting enough protein. Second, you can use a shampoo and conditioner designed to promote hair growth. Third, you can use a hair growth serum or oil. And finally, you should avoid using heat styling tools on your hair as much as possible.
