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Can Straight Hair Be Braided? Here is a guide that will teach you how to braid your hair in a way that will keep it looking straight for as long as possible.

Picture this: you have all the control over your hair, and you don’t have to invest hours in styling your hair anymore. Your hair is not getting damaged by styling products that use heat. 

Sounds fantastic, right? 

But is it practically possible? Hell, yeah! You can get your hair braided, and your worries will fly away. You can choose a hairdresser of your choice to make braids in your hair, or you can choose to do it on your own. 

Are you wondering if your hair type can be braided? Well, I’ll tell you that I have super thin and straight hair, and I chose to get them braided the previous year. There are a variety of styles in braids, and sometimes they depend on the hair type too. 

In this article, I’ll discuss if straight can be braided, types of braids, do’s and don’ts with braided hair, and my experience with braids. 

Related: How To Braid When You Have Layers?

Can straight hair be braided?

If you have straight hair like me, you might wonder about this question. In a nutshell – YES! Straight and thin hair can be braided, but not easily.

You will have to use more products and work to get the desired result. But you can surely achieve it with straight hair. 

Can short, straight hair be braided?

The other central question is–can short hair be braided? This is a tricky one. Yes, it can be braided, but will it look marvelous?

Well, it depends upon your choice. If you like the cornrows style of braid, you can also braid your short hair.

But it would be best to let your hair grow at least 4 inches more to get a lovely braid. 

Why Is It Difficult to Braid Straight Hair And How You Can Do It?

So, why is it that while braiding straight hair, the stylist faces some difficulties? 

The answer is, straight hair is usually thin and silky which leads to the formation of weaker braids. Braids made with straight and thin hair may even break easily and cause bald patches. 

To make braids with such a hair type, you will have to use certain products that would make the hair thicker in texture. 

You can use pomades and hair clay to add texture and build up your straight hair before actually starting braiding. My hair is straight and thin and I preferred using the clay because it suddenly adds a lot of volume and texture. 

Curly hair is usually thicker and when it is wet, it can easily be braided but with straight hair, the case becomes quite complicated. 

But you can still successfully braid straight hair by using the right products for your hair. 

Do’s and Don’ts before getting your straight hair braided

Ensure your scalp is ready for tackling the tension of the braids before you get your hair braided. 

I would suggest you should get rid of any scalp issues that you might have like dandruff, itchy scalp, or any infection. 

Use a nice cleansing shampoo and make sure there are no product residues on your scalp. 

I prefer moisturizing my hair before getting braids because it helps in the nourishment of the braids afterward. I used coconut oil, you can use any natural product of your choice. 

Ensure your hair is untangled thoroughly and don’t do any heat treatments with your hair before getting braids. 

Don’t Use relaxation treatment with braids.

Please don’t go for a hair relaxing treatment before getting braids or after getting them. I made the same mistake and had to wait five weeks before getting braids on my hair.

The problem is, after a hair relaxing treatment, the braids will put tremendous pressure on your hair, leading to breakage. 

Do I recommend getting braids if you have straight, thin hair?

If you wish to get braids done, no matter your hair type, you can have braids. Straight, curly, and wavy, all hair types are eligible.

Mine was straight and thin, yet I could get braids done. For relatively short hair, you can wait for it to grow a little or get cornrows done. 

What You Should Know Before Getting Straight Hair Braided

Things to do after getting straight hair braided.

You got your braids done, but now comes the crucial part—retention. You will have to be cautious while shampooing your hair and tying them.

They can break and cause damage to the scalp. Be more careful while sleeping. Make sure to cover your hair before you sleep. 

Know your stylist/braider

You decided to get braids done, and now it is time to find a suitable hairdresser for you. You can find authentic stylists with great reviews on social media like Instagram.

Observe their images and testimonials by their customers. What are people saying about them? And whether anybody got any side effects or a bad experience with them.

Then choose wisely. You can take help from other trusted websites online or go for a famous stylist in your locality. 

Which hairstyle do you exactly want?

This is the most exciting yet time-consuming part of the process. I did the research for about 3 hours and then concluded. You will have to decide which type of braid you want.

I took help from YouTube, Google, Instagram, Quora, and my friends. You can do the same as well.

They will show you many hairstyles, and you can choose the perfect one based on your face shape and skin tone. Please do thorough research because it is your beloved hair. 

Too tight braids are dangerous

Styles like cornrows need tight braids, so they are an exception. Ensure not to get too tight braids, which may lead to breakage.

I had my braids quite tight, and it resulted in brittle hair. It can even leave you with a bald patch if it is not taken care of properly, especially while sleeping.

Braids are temporary

Just know that braids are not going to last forever. You can redo them after 4-5 months, depending on the braids’ damage.

You can choose to redo all or some or whether you want braids again or not. Usually, people redo their front braids often instead of all of them. 

Will Your Straight Hair Become Wavy After Braids?

The short answer is, yes. It will become wavy after you remove your braids. It will not become permanently wavy but it will stay that way for a good 2-3 months.

And there is nothing to worry about it, when my hair was wavy for a long time, I did not have to use heat and curl my hair. It was naturally looking beautiful and voluminous.

Which types of braids can you do with straight hair?

Box braids for straight hair 

Yes, box braids can be done on straight hair and look cute. The things I would recommend to keep handy during the process: 

• Comb
• Spray bottle/water
• Hairspray
• Brush
• Small rubber bands (should be of the hair color)
• Synthetic hair/braiding hair
• Styling gel
• Clippies
• Edge wax
• Scissors

How is it done?

For any hairstyle, ensure you saturate your hair thoroughly, or it will be challenging to make sections.

When not appropriately saturated, it will cause uneven thickness of the braids. I prefer soaking my hair with a spray bottle containing water. Remove all the tangles and section the hair into two from the middle. 

Then take the edge wax in your non-dominant hand and tie the hair with rubber bands in each box while putting the edge wax in the middle and every other section.

Then section both the right and left sides into four parts. Then make two sections in each region. You are left with boxes. 

Now, take the synthetic/braiding hair and braid it with the natural hair. Make two sections of the natural hair and keep adding the synthetic hair as you continue braiding it.

I put hair gel while doing this process, enhancing the result. Some people use hair pomades and mousses. 

Cornrows for Straight Hair

To do cornrows, the things you’d need would be:

• Rat tail comb
• Butterfly clips
• Duckbill clips

How is it done?

Saturate the hair and untangle it thoroughly. Then make two sections from the middle. Then make a straight row section and braid it.

I use the styling gel during this process. Similarly, make rows throughout your head and braid them.

Apply edge wax in the rows and scalp to tame the baby hairs. Now, you get the cornrows braid style.

Iverson Braids for straight hair 

They look like two eyes on your head after you complete the process. You’d need the same stuff: 

• Sharp tail comb
• Styling gel
• Braiding hair (if you need it)

How is it done?

The early process is similar—saturation of hair, removing the tangles. And then part your hair from the middle. Then unlike other hairstyles, you have to start from the center itself.

Take a small section, braid it and take it in the right area while braiding, then clip it. Then do the same downwards, take from the opposite side, braid it and take it in the left section. You’ll see two eyes afterward.

Then go ahead and braid your hair into rows as you’d in cornrows, then take all the braids and braid them together on edge. That means the edge braid would look super thick. Then you’re done.

Straight backs braiding for straight hair 

As the name suggests, the hairstyle looks like every braid is in a straight line and going backward. It is more or less like cornrows. 

How is it done?

Follow the usual process—saturation then untangling—part your hair from the center. Make rows and braid them from the start—each with three sections.

Keep braiding, and you’ll reach the bottom. Remember to add braiding hair while doing so. You can choose the length you want. Some like it till the butt, some to the waist. 

Double Dutch braids for straight hair

These are my favorite kind of braids. Period. They make you look so adorable and sassy.

They are the easiest ones on the list. They are the best when you have straight hair. I’ve done it several times, and I felt amazing. 

Things you need: 

• Argan hair care spray, or even a regular hair spray is fine. I prefer using hairspray. 
• sharp tail comb
• rubber bands

How is it done?

The first time I did this, I saturated my hair too much, making the braids look thin. Don’t saturate too much, and part your hair from the middle into two sections.

Then start doing one section by taking a small bunch of hair and then braiding them. Keep adding new sections along your way to the tips.

And keep the braids tighter at the roots but a little loose at the end to give an illusion of thick braids. Repeat the process in the other section. Now you have your cute hairstyle. 

I hope this article was helpful to you and I was able to clear your doubts about braiding. Comment and let us know which braid yo

Also Read:

• Stylish Big Box Braids Hairstyles
• Stylish French Braids Styles