How To Braid Your Own Hair (For Black Men)
Them “Who do hair?” posts getting old.
Step 1: Wash your hair
This one’s not rocket science (or so you’d think). Working on clean hair when starting a new style is mandatory to remove any buildup and dandruff; no one wants a snowing scalp. So grab some shampoo and scrub that scalp real good. Make sure you completely wet your hair first before adding shampoo. Start with the roots and work your way down to the ends, using your fingerpads instead of your fingernails to scrub your scalp. Rinse and repeat!
step 2: Part your hair
This is probably the most dreaded part of doing hair, but I promise it doesn’t have to be so complicated. Using the end of a rat-tailed comb, part out a section of hair. For a basic square part, use your scalp as a guide to see whether or not your part is straight. Once you have your section parted, separate the rest of your hair with a clip or hair tie. Parting your own hair can be a little tricky the first time around, so don’t worry if it’s not perfect it’ll come with practice. If you can, ask a family member or friend to help you. Ultimately, you just need to be patient.
Step 3: Moisturize and detangle
Alright, so now that you’ve got your first section of hair parted you’re ready to braid, right? Wrong. Please don’t try to braid your hair without moisturizing it first, we don’t want any crunchy braids. Take the section of hair you just parted out and spritz it with water if it’s not already damp. Once your hair is damp, work some leave-in conditioner through your hair first, then follow with an oil of your choice.
But we’re not done just yet. To make sure your hair is properly prepped for braiding, you must detangle it. I know that might be a trigger for my tender-headed folks, but there’s a proper way to detangle hair to make it painless. Using a wide-tooth comb, or what I prefer, the Wet Bush Original Detangler, start combing out the ends. Then gently work your way up until you can comb through the whole section without any snagging.
A common misconception about detangling is that it should hurt, but if you’re taking your time and handling your hair with care, the process should be painless.
Step 4: Apply gel and braid
Okay, now it’s time to braid! First, apply some edge control or holding gel along the perimeter of your part to control any flyaways and to make your part look sleek. Then, you’re going to split the hair into three sections. Cross the right section over and under the middle section, then cross the left section over and under the middle (I’ve added a video explaining this for my visual learners). Repeat those steps until you’ve reached the end of the hair. This is optional, but you can tie the end of the hair off with an elastic rubber band to prevent it from unraveling. Once you’re done with your braid, move on to a new section and repeat steps 2-4 until you’re finished!
