All about Senegalese braids

Many women seek to make their appearance unusual, without resorting to any complicated and expensive procedures. An excellent option for a non-standard and at the same time practical hairstyle is the Senegalese pigtails, which are especially popular among ladies who are not afraid to attract the attention of others. Such braids have a certain ethnicity, but at the same time they can be amazingly beaten with the help of modern accessories.

Senegalese braids, like ordinary African ones, originate on the territory of the African continent in the country of Senegal. The main difference from the classic version of the braid is the number of strands of which they consist - only 2 pieces. Such weaving immediately takes on a more unusual look. For such braids, both natural hair and artificial fibers, such as, for example, kanekalon, can be used. It is calculated based on the desired length of the strands, as well as the color that you want to choose for this hairstyle.

Like any afrokos, Senegalese weaving has its advantages and disadvantages that must be considered before creating such a hairstyle. The main advantages of such harnesses include a number of characteristics.

• Weaving such braids is possible, almost independently of the original length of natural hair, so a greater number of women can embody this hairstyle. A sufficient length of natural strands is 7 centimeters.
• These braids are not as heavy as classic African ones; they put less pressure on the root zone. Therefore, this hairstyle is quite acceptable for weakened and thin curls.
• Due to the possibility of weaving artificial strands of various shades into the bulk of the hair, you can give the hair any color, as well as use the ombre technology and the material that will change the tone depending on the lighting. Some strands are even able to glow in the dark.
• Harnesses can be done independently if you have some experience in braiding, as well as free time.
• With such a haircut there is no need to wash your hair every day. Therefore, it is often chosen for travel.
• Thanks to the interweaving of artificial hair, you can experiment by creating bundles of various thicknesses.

This hairstyle has its drawbacks.

• The service life, as a rule, does not exceed two months compared to other African methods of weaving.
• The hairstyle cannot be supplemented with any accessories, beads and other decorative elements, for example, as in dreadlocks. They will increase the load and shorten the life of this hairstyle.
• After braiding, you need to regularly care for such harnesses, using many different means to maintain their presentable appearance.

Senegalese braids are not suitable for every lady. A similar hairstyle most successfully looks on those representatives of the fair sex who have an oval shape of the face. Such weaving assumes that the face will be completely open, it emphasizes the forehead, as well as the line of the cheekbones and chin.

If you like to wear a bang, then it will most likely have to be braided. The initial concept of this hairstyle does not imply that the forehead was covered with hair. But modern ladies sometimes leave bangs if it is thick and straight.

But also important is the overall style that the girl adheres to. Clothing should be in harmony with the hairstyle. The most relevant in combination with such harnesses are youth styles, such as casual. And also such pigtails look good in the image of girls who love ethnic prints in clothes. But the glamorous or strict ladies who prefer the classic style, Senegalese braids will not work.

In choosing the color scheme of strands for Senegalese harnesses, a number of trends can be traced each of which brings a certain zest to the image of girls.

• Solid natural colors - a classic option. It is preferred by those girls who need only emphasize the unusual texture of hair. And also natural colors will look appropriate for lovers of ethnic style and a plentiful number of accessories. They will not overload the image.

• The ombre technique is still popular among young people. Among the artificial products for such braids are options with different color transitions from dark to light. Strands dark at the roots and gray at the ends deserve special attention.

• Colored Artificial Materials suitable for those young ladies who want to impress others. However, some girls simply spice up their hair, weaving several colored strands into braids of a natural shade.

Before you create a similar hairstyle, you should stock up on all the materials, tools and some other compounds, necessary for a full procedure.

• Kanekolonovaya thread in the amount of four packs.It is necessary if you want to use additional material, in addition to your own hair. Especially this thread will be needed if you want to make colored braids.
• Comb for dividing hair into strands, as well as the usual comb for combing.
• A tool for untangling hair will be an essential component for preparing natural strands for weaving.
• To fix kanekolonnye threads in natural hair, you can use the special hook that is used to build curls. This tool will help to pass an artificial strand.
• Hair clips will help to separate and fix the required number of strands, so that it is convenient to braid hair in small sections.
• And you will also need a pot with boiling water, a scarf made of silk or satin, special hair oil.

At the first stage, you need to prepare natural hair and artificial strands. The latter is enough to fold in half and cut to the desired length, but your hair needs to be washed, combed and sprinkled with a tool to prevent tangling of the strands. Then you should dry the hair with a hairdryer.

Weaving starts from the bottom. Delimit the lowest layer of hair, securing the remaining mass at the top with clips. Select a strand of small width in the middle of the bottom layer and comb it carefully.

Weaving Senegalese braids for both short and long hair begins the same way - with the creation of a strong weave of three strands at the roots, which create an additional fixation for bundles. If you weave artificial yarns, you need to prepare them: fold the yarn of the desired length in half, bend the bend into natural hair, so that at the beginning of weaving, the two parts of the bend are not in adjacent strands.

Weave 2-3 centimeters in a similar way, and then the remaining part of the hair must be divided into two parts and twisted each into a bundle. These harnesses should then be twisted around each other in the same direction. Repeat this procedure with the rest of the hair. Remember that it is recommended to weave pigtails of the same thickness, otherwise the general view will look messy. The number of additional strands in each bundle should also be the same.

So that the bundles do not become loose, you can additionally "seal" their ends using boiling water. To do this, bring it to a boil in a pan by the time of braiding. Dip the tip of each cord into boiling water so that it is completely immersed in it. Follow the same procedure with the rest of the strands, regardless of whether artificial or natural materials are used when weaving, this technology works. But if the hair is uncut at the ends, it will be necessary to fix each bundle with an elastic band before fixing it with boiling water.

Leaving directly affects how long your Senegalese braids will last, without losing accuracy and aesthetic appearance. Therefore, you need to take care of the harnesses.

• Wash your hair only once a week. In this case, the shampoo should be diluted with water 1 to 2. From more frequent washing, the strands will look stretched much faster.
• To moisturize the scalp, at least a couple of times a week, apply coconut, oil or peppermint oil to it.
• Do not use conditioners that require flushing. Instead, choose your counterparts as a spray and spray them daily on the braids.
• So that the braids do not fray during sleep, they must be protected by collecting in a ponytail and then tying a scarf from smooth materials.Alternatively, a hair dyeing cap can be used.

If you think that loose hair is the only hairstyle from Senegalese braids, then you are mistaken. There are a huge number of ways to lay such harnesses, thereby creating a variety of images:

• you can collect the upper part of the hair and twist it into a volumetric bundle, while leaving the lower part loose;

• additional piquancy to the image will be given by Senegalese pigtails, gathered in a spikelet;

• even more interesting is the braid, braided along the hairline, turning into a neat knot;

• You can also make a ponytail or its more extravagant version by volumetricly laying the front of the hair above.

For information on how to braid Senegalese braids with your own hands, see the video below.