Importance of Knowing How To Braid Hair

Some hair braids think that it is by making the braids tight that they look cute and last longer. They forget that when the braids are make too tight, they over activate the blood flow to the scalp. That is why we hear women say that their head was pounding after they got their hair done. Next, the too tight braids can pull on the hair follicles; the skin organ that produce hair. Imagine hair grows in three cycles: anagen, catagen and telogene

Research shows that anagen is is the active growing phase of hair follicles. The root of the hair are dividing rapidly, adding to the hair shaft. During this phase the hair grows about 1 cm every 28 days. The  Scalp hair stays in this active phase of growth for 2–7 years. The amount of time the hair follicle stays in the anagen phase is genetically determined. if your hair is pulled out of the follicle at that phase, there can be two situations: Either an activation of the blood flow that will increase the production of the hair nutrient to the cells of hair grow. At that time you here people say that although my braids were tight, they made my hair grow more and faster. Or the hair will just fall for too much mechanical pulling and might cause a beginning of traction alopecia. At the end of the anagen phase Epidermal growth factor that regulate the cell’s growth, its proliferation, and differentiation causes the follicle to go into the catagen phase.

The catagen phase is a short transition stage that occurs at the end of the anagen phase.Catagen signals the end of the active growth of the  hair. This phase may last for about 2–3 weeks while the hair converts to ” Hair Club” . A club hair is formed during the catagn phase when the part of the hair follicle in contact with the lower portion of the hair becomes attached to the hair shaft. So the hair follicle shrinks.  This process cuts the hair off from its blood supply and from the cells that produce new hair.  Again if the hair pulling appears during this period of the time, you see there will be no blood supply for you hair to nourish the hair cell that are ever far from the blood supplying source. you might even lose the hair at that moment and it can take long to grow back or never, because , the hair will be entering the resting phase. When a club hair is completely formed, about a 2 week process, the hair follicle enters the telogen phase.

Telogen phase is the resting phase of the hair follicle. At this phase, the hair follicle does no work and everything is like pending. If at that period,  the body is subjected to extreme stress, sickness, mechanical pulling such as tight braids, chemical burns,   your hair can prematurely enter a phase of rest,  your hair will  begin to fall, causing a noticeable loss of hair. This condition is called telogen effluvium meaning stress and hair lost subject to telogen phase. The club hair is actually  the final product of a hair follicle in the telogen stage, and is a dead, fully keratinized hair. 50 to 100 club hairs are shed daily from a normal scalp. See how much hair you will lose after some bad chemical day and too tight braids and weaves day.

So back to my experience to say that hair braiders and hair dresser should have in might that their work is done on humain being that have blood flowing in their bodies, subject to functions of regulation, proliferation, division or differentiation, reproduction and the list goes on and on. As doctors are  always gentle in the tasks they perform on human beings so will you too be.

Moreover, listening to your clients from their needs to their feeling is very important. As the lady was braiding it, I could feel pain straight to my chest in my heart. I had to hold my chest and say that it was painful and I could feel it on my heart. Do you know what she said, OH! You are exaggerating, It will be ok. Also she said, it because your hair in natural. So much I have artificial hair then I would not feel the pain. where do I get the artificial hair from to make it mine and get it braided without pain?  At the end the braids were so tight that I did not think that I could  cook or do anything when I get home. So I stopped at the local Little Oven to get some Pizza for my family . As I got home and we were eating, the pain was so much that I had to put ice on my head, poured cold water on. Next I felt like I was going to  faint. Then I lay down. The night for me was full of bad dreams and many times waking ups. The next day, my scalp was very sored with swollen spots on my scalp. Lastly, I lost the hair at different spots of my head. I know that you are wondering why I did not take the braids down right the away . I understand but I couldn’t do that because of the pain, the time, and the future time that I could not have. How will I wear my hair ? Once the pulling is amorsed it is done. there is nothing one can do to stop the already activated hair pulling. I know that it will ease the pain if I have taken the braids off but not the hair fall. That is why I say, that people should learn the science of braiding. I pray the Lord to show me the way so I can come up with the”Science of Braiding” . Remain blessed