Divatress Individual Braids

Another day, another protective style brought to you by Divatress. This time around I wanted to try medium sized individuals and stay as close to my natural hair color as possible. I’ve been loving this style so much and of course the low maintenance of it all is pure bliss. I took your questions from IG and included them in another FAQ style blog post. If you haven’t read my first FAQ post about Crochet Hair, click here! Okay, here we go.

What Is This Style Called?

Medium sized individuals with triangle parts. My girl, Steph did such an amazing job and we were both loving how long and beautiful the hair from Divatress was, that we decided to keep the braids a bit on the longer side. Well, waaay on the longer side (for me), these damn braids were touching my butt! Steph has worked with several types of braiding hair and she said, “I love the texture of the hair and how well the hair just forms with the braid!’

We used 2.5 packs of the Freetress Braids -3x Africana Braid in the color medium brown and it took about 4 hours. I wanted a color that would match my natural and I was pleased to know the color swatch shown online was almost exact to the color I received. Selecting color can be so difficult when dealing with online companies, so I have to applaud Divatress for giving us accurate visuals. Wa-hoo!

Is It Heavy?

To be completely honest, the first day of having this style I didn’t think it was heavy at all, just long, but I loved it. This is by far the longest hair I’ve ever had in my life. I definitely had to make sure my hair was out of the way when I went to the bathroom so it didn’t dip into the toilet lol. By the second day, after it had time to settle, it suddenly weighed more than the day before. What the heckkkkkk! I truly wondered how long I could go before a headache would set in.

I rocked the length for a week while I was in Miami, thennn it started bothering me. When I got back to LA, I cut about 6 inches off, which was SOOOO much better! I physically just took my scissors and chopped it, and dipped them in hot water to seal the ends. The braids now sit bra strap length and I can enjoy my top knots and ponytails without feeling like my edges and neck are suffering. 100% better and no headaches!

Does The Installation Hurt?

The actual install doesn’t hurt me at all. If anything I find it quite relaxing having someone manipulate and play with my hair for a few hours. It’s after the install (day 1 and 2) that can make the scalp feel tight and sensitive. To help with the tightness, I like to spritz water on my scalp mixed with some peppermint oil to help soothe. Placing warm towels on your head can help soften the tightness, as well as taking a hot shower and letting the steam work it’s magic.

In addition to these remedies, leaving them down for a few days is ideal. Trying to place fresh (tight) braids in any sort of style can do more harm like breakage and severely irritate your scalp. Sleeping can be tricky, but just do your best for a couple days and the feeling will pass. By day 3 I was able to move the braids around and put half up in a top knot. Vic-tooory!

How Do You Wash Them?

I wash my scalp once a week with Devacurl Buildup Buster Micellar Cleansing Serum. I go into the shower as normal, stand under the water as usual and let the water completely run all over my braids. I then take the Buildup Buster and apply it directly to my scalp (not my hand) and gently massage my scalp in small circular motions.

I love that the Devacurl Buildup Buster does such a thorough cleanse, all while delivering moisture back into my scalp and hair. It smells fresh and leaves me feeling insanely clean! I prefer to wash my braids first thing in the morning so they have a few hours to air dry. I then apply my own mixture of olive oil and peppermint oil on my scalp with an applicator and massage that in. I love how easy it is to oil my scalp regularly with individuals because everything is already separated!

How Do You Sleep With Them?

I just twist it and shove it inside a satin sleeping cap. I like to keep it loosey goosey in the sleeping cap to avoid any pulling or tugging with a ponytail. If for whatever reason I don’t use my sleeping cap, I always make sure I am using a silk pillow case. I use a silk pillow case regardless of my hair style. There are so many benefits outside of hair care, it’s about skin care too! I did a whole blog post about it, check it out here!

Do The Big Braids Cause Hair Loss?

Well, I suppose it could, but that depends on soooo many things. I personally haven’t experienced severe hair loss caused by trauma and my edges are in tact! Braid placement is huge when it comes to saving your edges. Braids that are too tight and too close to edges can definitely cause breakage, but a stylist who knows what they’re doing should already be avoiding all these things.

When styling your braids, pulling the hairline braids too tight can also cause breakage. When I style my hair I always make sure those braids are nice and loose. For example, if I wear a top knot or a high ponytail, I’ll pull the hairline braids out a bit to loosen the tension.

Keeping the scalp moisturized is also a great way to ensure edges can move around freely without breaking off. As mentioned before, my favorite scalp treatment is simply water and peppermint oil. Peppermint oil helps with stimulation and can encourage hair growth. Win-win!

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I would totally do this size of individual braids again. I have nothing but great things to say about this particular hair by Divatress. It looks greats, feels great, washes great, dries great, and more! To shop the Freetress Braids- 3x Africana Braid click here. As if things couldn’t be any better, each pack is on sale for $9.95 USD (regular price $14.95)!

If you have any questions or comments, leave them below!

Happy braiding, loves.