You're Doing It Wrong: Maintaining Your Braids

Kelly Rowland reveals her secrets to well-kept plaits

Box braids, cornrows, fishtails—the versatility and longevity of braids make them timeless and a clear go-to.

From her day-to-day life as a mom to the red carpet, Kelly Rowland continuously proves that plaits are both beautiful and practical. We get the obsession. In comparison to other glam styles, box braids have longevity to last past any event. And, they make the typical top bun or half-up style more impactful, without requiring too much additional time. 

On the flip side, braiding hair into box braids can take anywhere from four to 12 hours, depending on the length and width of the braid. Thus, making them last is essential. 

While sharing her makeup bag essentials with us (which includes both Band-Aids and Kevyn Aucoin mascara), she revealed her tip for maintaining her braids.

"Someone recently told me to put olive oil and water in a spray bottle, shake it up and then spray my scalp," The Voice Australia judge told E! News.

The tip is actually pretty genius. The olive oil helps to hydrate the scalp and hair, yet the added water keeps the hair from getting too greasy. By using a spray bottle, it's easy to evenly distribute the DIW formula throughout the hair and between the small braids. 

It is inevitable, however, that the braids will start to fuzz. At that point, taking them out is more than a notion. It's time-consuming, and let's be honest, quite annoying. Kelly's tip: "The best [advice] I can give you is knowing where your hair stops, cutting below it, then unraveling them."

 

With all of the time invested, at least they're worth, right?