10 Different Types Of African Braids And Twists You Should Try

Do you want to give your hair a break by trying different types of braids? Here are some bold African braids that you can weave your hair and look fabulous.

By Dagmar Thomson
10 Different Types Of African Braids And Twists You Should Try

10 Different Types of African Braids and Twists You Should Try

Weaving your hair with braids will give you a stunning and feminine appearance. Braids give a woman different types of hairstyles to choose from. It does not matter how short or long your hair is when it comes to weaving braids. Weaving your hair with braids will not only give you an elegant look, but it will also make your hair grow longer. Braids have been in the African community for a long time. It is considered as a bonding tradition between mothers and daughters, among friends, and cousins. Despite feeling pain on your scalp when you weave braids, the results will make the pain worth it. African braids come in different colors, length, and texture; the choice is yours. You also have a choice to weave your braids in different forms or patterns. Here are some of the best different types of African braids and twist hairstyles that you can give a shot.

1. Classic Braids weave

Weaving these types of braids requires a lot of time. Classic braids are the most common braids hairstyle that is used by many women. It requires that you weave manually by dividing the braids into three long strands. Then you should weave it all the way to the end. To make the braids durable, you should consider making the strands thinner. This enables you to wear your African braids up to three to four months. There are different types of braids that can be used to make this African hairstyle. They are estimated to be around 250 to 600 types of braids.

2. Senegalese Braids Weave

When you decide to weave the Senegalese braids, you will need to re-do your hair in two to four months. Wearing these types of braids requires you to use two locks to make the weave appear neat and tidy. You can curl the ends of the twist braids or leave them straight. This weaving technique is known as ‘rope or twist.’ The twist braids hairstyle gives a person a beautiful and unique look. It is a personal choice if you want the Senegalese braids to be twisted thin or thick. On average, there are about 600 different types of African braids that are used to weave Senegalese hairstyle.

3. Ghana Braids

Ghanaian braids are more complex to weave. You can use different forms of weaving styles such as horizontal, vertical, or zigzag. The braiding patterns vary on the head too. You can braid small lines or thick lines. When you install Ghanaian braids, they end up looking like cornrow or spikelet hairstyles. Busy women prefer to braid thick lines since they take less time. In order for the hair to look neat always, you will have to re-make the hairstyle in a month. If you weave thick or thin braids, either way, you will still look beautiful. However, it is always wise not to return the same types of hairstyles in your hair. Let your hair rest for a month or so. This will enable your hair to grow strong.

4. Thai Types of Braids

Thai braids require a lot of care since the hair gets dirty quickly. For you to maintain your hair’s neatness, you will have to re-make the braids after two months or less. Women with thick hair should use these types of braids to give the hair a dense look. You can use colored hair bands at the tip of the braids to make the hairstyle look more beautiful. Most women prefer to weave thin Thai braids since they look more enticing.

5. Zizi Braids

These types of hairstyles consist of ready-made thin pigtails that are about 3 mm in diameter. The pigtails are then weaved into braids. It takes less time to make the Zizi braids because the weaving technique is simple and direct. Once you are through making the braids, the hairstyle will have many pigtails. They are estimated to be around 500 pieces of pigtails. Zizi braids make the hairstyle to have a dense look. However, they are comfortable to wear. Young women and pupils like weaving them. It takes three to four months to re-make them. Zizi braids are preferred since they are easy to install and uninstall.

6. Ponytail Braids

A ponytail braid takes a lot of time to weave. They are similar to pigtails in that they have 600 pieces of pigtails of different lengths. The difference between the Zizi braids and ponytail braids is that the ends curl like a pigtail when you finish installing them. It requires that you comb the braids and style them after braiding them. It takes four months or less to re-make them. The ponytail braids give one a beautiful and natural look. It also takes a maximum of three to four hours to finish weaving them. However, it takes some time to remove the ponytail braids.

7. Herringbone or Fish Braids

Herringbone braids are small thin braids that are intertwined with small thin pieces of hair. The name herringbone comes from the word fish since their braids resemble a fish skeleton. Despite the long hours of sitting down, the braids will look good and neat. The maximum time to stay with the herringbone braids is three months or less. This kind of hairstyle takes a lot of time to weave. Therefore, it will take a lot of time to undo it.

8. Different Types of Yarn Braids

Yarn braids are made of yarn. The yarns are divided into three strands, which are braided together with the hair. You can further twist the braids by dividing the yarns into two strands. You can make the yarn longer or shorter. It takes a lot of time to weave and unweave the yarn braids. The best thing about these types of braids is that you can stay with the hair for four months. If you like experimenting with different types of colors, you can choose a yarn that has a different color. Yarn braids can be braided thick or thin. However, most women like weaving the thick braids. With these types of braids, you should avoid your hair being exposed to water. It takes a yarn longer to dry.

9. Faux Locs or Silk Locs

:: sleeves ::#sisterlocks #braidlocks #interlocks #sisterlocs #microlocs #braidlocs

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If you like having the look of dreadlocks, then you should try these types of braids. You do not have to use your own hair to make dreadlocks if you do not want to commit to them. Faux Locs are the extension of braids that are attached to your hair by either twisting or braiding. They require less time to make and uninstall them. They give a person an edgy look.

10. Tree Braids or Micro Braids

Micro braids take time to weave. If you have plenty of time, then a micro braid is the hairstyle you need. They are micro strands of braids that are knotted at the root of your hair. The rest of the synthetic hair is unbraided. This kind of hairstyle takes longer to braid as well as unbraid. Most young women in college use this kind of braids. They look neat and tidy and they give a person a tree-like look. A person can stay with these types of hairstyle for three to four months. If you do not like small thin braids, then you should avoid these types of braids. When you weave braids, you can decide to style in different ways by using turbans, headbands, barrettes among others. Give your hair a rest and try out different types of braids that will suit you. The African braids hairstyle has its own merits and demerits when it comes to weaving.

Merits

1. When you weave braids, it means your hair will always be neat. You will not style your hair often. Therefore, braids weave saves time and energy. 2. If you like experimenting your hair with different colors, try to weave braids. Braids will give you the choice to select different colors and weave them. There will be no need for dying your hair every few months. 3. When you weave braids, your hair will get enough rest. This will give your hair a chance to grow without being tampered with every day. 4. Having short hair is not a problem when it comes to weaving braids. It will give your hair an extension to make it longer. This is the best thing about African braids. You do not have to worry if your hair is short or long. 5. There are many options for braids styles to consider. Examples of braids styles are box braids, jumbo braids, Senegalese twists and so on. 6. Braids can last for a long time. That is, you can stay with the braids for two to four months. You also have a choice of remaking the braids edge to keep your braids looking neat and tidy.

Demerits

1. African braids require special care. Once you braid them, you cannot wash them. For a person whose hair requires frequent washing, weaving braids is not an option. 2. People believe that when you weave African braids, you will have hair loss, especially around the edges. Therefore, you cannot braid your hair with African braids for a long time. However, African braids do help with the growth of your hair, but that does not mean you weave the braids for a very long time. Your hair needs a rest either way. 3. A tight weaving of braids comes with a headache. 4. Weaving your hair with braids and removing them, will take a lot of time. Unless you have the whole day, weaving braids will not be the best choice for your hairstyle. 5. You will constantly feel pain on your scalp as you weave braids, especially if you have a sensitive scalp. 6. Buying a braid is pricey, depending on where you buy them. Weaving braids can also be expensive. It depends on how long you want your African braids to be or how short they should appear. The longer the braids the more expensive they are. The advantages outweigh the disadvantages, thus you should go for these braids. African braids have different textures, colors, and lengths. They are an all occasions type of hairstyle. They are always neat and tidy. If you want to look confident with your hair look, you should visit a professional stylist. However, if you want to save money then you can do it locally. Try out some of these African Braids and you will not regret it.

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