How to Maintain a Sew-in and Braids

How to Maintain a Sew-in and Braids

Do you not know how to maintain your protective style? A protective style is any type of style that safely tucks your real hair away. For example, a sew-in, braids, and/or a wig would be considered a protective style. Do your sew-ins last only two weeks or your plaits only last a month? Continue reading this article to let your sew-ins or plaits last longer and still look fresh, while your hair is growing.

What is a sew-in?

A sew-in is where your permed or natural hair is braided down while you have extensions, also known as tracks or bundles, sewn onto the braided hair. Sew-ins are often used by black women. Most women get them because there is little to no damage and it protects the real hair while your real hair is still growing. There are several different types of sew-ins, but the most common sew-ins are closure sew-ins or a full sew-in with leave out. Leave out is common for women with permed hair since their hair is already relaxed. Closure sew-ins are used for women with natural hair because it protects all the hair and there will not be any heat to their real, natural hair.

What are braids?

Braids are a pattern formed by taking three or more strands of hair and braiding them together. There are several different types of braids. The most common types of braids are plaits, lemonade braids, tribal braids, and feed-in braids. Plaits are often called box braids because you part the hair in boxes all around the head. Lemonade braids and feed-in braids are basically the same things, but lemonade braids are braided to either the left or right side. Feed-in braids are braids that can go any direction, but you must keep adding braiding as you braid. Tribal braids just started becoming popular because it’s a combination of plaits and regular braids put in one hairstyle.

How to prepare your real hair for a protective style?

Here are 4 quick and easy steps to help prepare your hair before getting a protective style:

Wash and condition your hair- Cleaning your hair will help your hair grow while having a protective style

Moisturize your hair- Having dry hair will break off your hair and it will potentially stop growing.

Stretch your hair- Stretching your hair will be easier to manage and it will be quicker, and it will put less stress on your hair which will reduce breakage

Trim your ends- Clipping your ends will help hair growth and it is healthier for your hair

Maintaining a Sew-in

When getting a sew-in, you must get the type of sew-in that you think you can take care of and will last longer for you. When getting a traditional sew-in, (with leave out) you must always tie your hair up at night. No matter if it is just putting a bonnet on or wrapping your hair. Wrapping your hair will be more beneficial in the long run because just putting a bonnet on will still be rough on your leave out. When getting a closure sew-in, you still must tie your hair up, but you don’t necessarily have to wrap your hair up. You can tie a headscarf on your head and braid the remaining hair that is out. Braiding the hair will keep the hair soft and it can come out wavy in the morning when you take the braids out. You can also twist your hair up at night.




Washing your sew-in. When washing your hair with a sew-in, you need to use a spray bottle and spray between your braids. Most people (if they know how to maintain their sew-in) keep their sew-ins in for months and it is not good to not wash your hair for over 2 months. Use your fingers to massage your scalp in between the braids, rinse out the shampoo, then repeat two more times. When you are done washing your hair, sit in a hooded dryer to dry your braids and your extensions. Keep oil in your braids so your hair will stay strong and healthy.

Maintaining Braids

All types of braids can be maintained the same. When washing braids, you can do your normal washing routine because braids are basically your hair. The drying part with braids is the difficult part because it takes longer since there is braiding hair with your real hair. Always moisturize your hair with oils because having dry hair will lead to breakage and then your hair will be falling out. When oiling your hair, you can use any type of oil but do not do it every day. Every other day is fine but using oil every day can damage your hair. Do not leave your braids in for too long. You can get your edges redone when your hair starts to develop new growth so they can last longer but do not have braids in for over 2 months.