Braid Out Basics
A braid out is achieved by braiding your hair and allowing it to set. Once the braids have set, you can take them down and your hair will be set in a wavelike pattern. Braid outs our versatile and can be done on relaxed, natural, or transitioning hair.
Braid outs can be done using individual braids ( plaits), cornrows, or a combination of braids and perm rods. Braid Outs can be used for half up/ half down styles or as a stand-alone styles.
In this post, we explore the benefits, techniques, and products that can be used for braid outs on natural hair.
Benefits of a Braid Out
Natural hair has a tendency to shrink making it appear shorter than it actually is. A braid out helps to elongate the hair and show off some length. Braid outs stretch the hair and show off length. You can try a braid out using any styler that you already have on hand.
Braid outs can be achieved without using any heat. Other methods to stretch natural hair require heat such as blow outs or flat ironing hair,
Braid Outs are a reliable style. I get consistent results with braid outs. Twist Outs and rod sets are hit or miss, but braid outs usually work out for me. Braid outs are a very beginner-friendly hairstyle. The most common reason a braid out to fails is that the style is not completely dry when you take the braids out. ,
Wet vs Dry Braid Outs
Braid outs on wet hair will have more definition than braid out on dry hair. Braid Outs on wet hair will also be a little more shrunken than braid outs on dry hair
If you do a braid out on dry hair it will show off more length. If you do a braid out on dry hair you will need to use a styling product to add some hold. Styling Cream and butter add a gentle hold that will last a day or two. Gels provide a gentle hold
Cornrows vs Individual Braids
You can set your hair and cornrows or individual plaits. These two methods yield different results.
An Individual Braid Out is very beginner friendly. I normally separate my hair in to four sections and make
A cornrow braid out gives the hair lots of definition. Each section of hair added to the cornrow as you braid results in an additional curl for the final style. Four large cornrows can result in a head full of curls.
How Long Does it Take to Create a Braidout
It takes about 30 minutes to an hour to braid hair in preparation for a braid out. The larger the braids the shorter the styling time.
Time for the style to set depends on three things:
- If braid out was done on wet or dry hair
- If you plan to use heat to set the style
- The styling products that were used
Braid Outs on wet hair using a heavy gel take the longest to dry.