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How to Braid CornrowsThree Parts: Getting Ready to Braid Cornrowing the First Section Taking Care of Cornrows

Ready to braid a beautiful set of cornrows? Braiding cornrows is a traditionalart that anyone who has the patience can learn, but it takes some time andskill to master. This article will help you get started with the basics whileavoiding some of the mistakes beginners often make. Read on to learn how tobraid cornrows.

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Plan your style. Having in mind what your end goal looks like will help you to forma path for getting there. You can do this in your head, draw a picture, or make

some marks on a Styrofoam wig holder. The easiest amount to begin with will probablybe four to six sections from the front to the back of the head.

Draw the path you want the rows to take. Do you want them to go straight fromfront to back, or do you want them to curve?How big do you want the rows to be?

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2 Wet the hair. Spritz some water, or water mixed with detangler, on the hair. Combor brush it through to remove all major tangles. The hair should be slightly damp,

but not too wet. The reason for this is that you don't want to have to pull the hair a lot tocreate the tension needed to hold the style together. Hair expands when it's wet andcontracts as it dries.

Despite what some people say about a tight braid, this is the best way toachieve it - not by pulling the hair hard away from the scalp.

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Part the hair. Start with a section of hair in the front, where you want the firstcornrow to begin. Put the sides of the hair that you aren't braiding in two pigtails so

they don't get in your way. Move other hair out of the way so that you have a clear pathto follow. Then take a small section of hair where you want the cornrow to begin.

Don't take too much, especially near the hairline, or you will have to pull toohard to continue.You can moisturize the first section with some cream. Keep moisturizing as youcornrow the hair.

Part 1 of 3: Getting Ready to Braid

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1 Separate the first section into three strands.

2 Make a normal braid of about 2 "stitches" to get it started. Pass the right pieceunder the middle, the left piece under the middle, the right piece under the middle,

and the left piece under the middle.

3 Start cornrowing. Holding the two outer strands aside, reach down under thisinitial braid to add a little hair to the middle strand. Fully merge this new hair to the

middle strand so that it becomes a part of it, and you again have 3 strands. Make a braidstitch out of these strands. Continue braiding, each time adding a little more hair to themiddle strand, and repeat this until you've run out of hair to add.

If you've reach the end and there is still hair left over, then continue with aregular 3 strand braid.

4 Secure the cornrow. You can use a snap bead, hair clip, end bar, barrette, bolotie tip, or whatever you like, just so long as you will be able to easily remove it later.

Uncovered rubber bands (elastics) are not recommended unless they are thekind made specifically for hair. The ones made for office use will break off thehair.

5 Start the next row. Loosen a section of hair next to the first section. Make sure it'sthe same size as the first section. Moisturize the new section of hair, then start the

braid with two stitches. Cornrow the section all the way to the tips, then secure it.[1]

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Finish cornrowing the rest of the hair. Work methodically to create evencornrows running from the forehead to the nape of the neck. The cornrows should

each be the same size.

1 Keep your cornrows neat at night. Wear a scarf on your head at night to keepthe hairs from coming loose. Your cornrows should be able to stay in place for a

week or longer.

Part 2 of 3: Cornrowing the First Section

Part 3 of 3: Taking Care of Cornrows

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2 Wash your hair every few days. Simply wear a stocking cap over it, and use ashower massager or water pick to force water underneath the braids. Use a diluted

shampoo and water mixture to wash, clear water to rinse, and spritz the hair with a leavein conditioner or hair oil afterwards.

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Be careful in the sun. It is very easy to get a sunburn on your scalp, because therows will expose the skin. Rub in sunscreen or wear a hat.

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Precise braiding, not pulling hard from the scalp, is what makes a longlasting style. Pulling too hard from the scalp does nothing to help astyle to last. It only leads to pain and hair loss.Narrow braids stay in longer than larger ones.People with fine or sleek, straight hair may want to use some sort ofbraid spray to help make the hair "stickier" so that the braid does notfall out as it's being put in the slicker, fine hair.For thick, curly or "kinky" hair, braids can last for up to a month.Don't pull too hard!If you tuck the hair under, you are making an "invisible" track braid, andif you reach for hair from beneath outwards, you are making a "visible"track braid.People with straighter or slicker hair may need to use what is called"aqua wax" or a protein hair gel to help the style last, and to precludethe need for extra tension during styling.If you have thick and long hair use aqua wax.If you do not wish to wet the hair first, you may consider at least usinga hair cream or hair mask or leave in conditioner. (However if you wetfragile hair it could cause breakage because hair shrinks as it dries.)Some people don't like to wet the hair, and this is fine. However, if youdon't, you will need to be extra mindful of tension. Use a feather-lighttouch.

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If you don't have wax you can use Pomade, You can find this at Target,Walgreens, Walmart and even drugstores.

This style should not hurt. If you can see the scalp is raised, or theperson is complaining that it's painful, back it up and start over. Toomuch braid tension can cause traction alopecia (a specific type of hairloss), and it might be permanent. It can also lead to infections andirritations.To keep braids in place, use a moisturizing flexible hair gel or aquawax during styling.

A rat tailed comb. These can be found at many beauty supply stores,but if you can't find one, the end of a tint brush may suffice.Coated rubber bands for hair.

You may need hair grease and/or aqua wax.

For straight hair you may need to use a hair wax that is based ondistilled water, not oil. It looks sort of like a firm gel. Aquarius Wax andIce Wax are good ones. Butch Wax may do the job, but it is a little oily.Very tightly curly hair should be treated with a moisturizer that doesnot break down too soon. This excludes most hair creams. The bestthing to use is a hair food or hair grease, or a natural oil mixture.Spray bottle to dampen if hair gets too dry.

1. ↑ http://www.untrainedhairmom.com/cornrowing-for-beginners-tips-and-easy-styles/

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In other languages:

Español: hacer trenzas africanas cosidas, Deutsch: Cornrowsflechten, Русский: заплести корнроуз, Italiano: Fare le TreccineAderenti, Português: Fazer Tranças Africanas, Français: faire des tresses africaines

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