Braids command a good amount of money and even take a lot of time to install. They can help preserve the good health of your natural hair even in extreme weather conditions. They’re also low-maintenance and don’t compromise the integrity of your hair and scalp.
However, if you don’t maintain and take care of your braids in the right way, things can go bad.

Do you want to know how to take care of your braids? 

First, moisturizing your scalp is essential as it allows you to control flakiness and dryness, preserving your head and scalp in a healthy condition. Scalp dryness results from skin diseases like psoriasis and eczema. In some severe situations, the skin may even suffer from weeping, crusting, or bleeding. So, it’s better to avoid it, right?!

Second, wash your braids every other week!

It’s not that unusual for many women to go for a long time without washing their braided hair. However, your braids pick up dirt, dust, and sweat, and you definitely don’t want them to stink. So, WASH your braids girl/boy! And remember to use shampoo and water okay?‌ 

PS: When you finish washing your braids, dry them appropriately by squeezing out the water. DO NOT PULL your braids to dry them (pulling increases tension on the scalp). 

Third and last one, don’t wear your braids for too long!

This is a typical braid sin among most women. It’s not a nice idea to wear it for an extended period, particularly if you don’t want to lose your hair. For your scalp’s health and hygiene concerns, don’t have your braids on for more than 8 (eight) weeks! The ideal time is 6 (six) weeks.
Whether they’re twists, dread braid twists, crochet braids, or Bantu knots, having them for months will definitely damage your hair and scalp and will also result in hair breakage.