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You just left the salon feeling yourself after getting that box braid style that's been sitting on your Pinterest inspo board for months—life is good. But just a few short weeks later, as you've been enjoying your low-maintenance style, your braids start to frizz up. Sure, you could go back to the salon for a refresh, but you're not keen on spending the extra money (we get it), and you're not quite ready to take out your style (you did pay a hefty price for them, after all).
Thankfully, you have other options. There are tried-and-true tips for getting your braids to look as good as new (or almost new) again—all by your self. To guide you through, we asked experts for their advice on how to freshen up your style so you can keep in those braids or twists for just a bit longer, without having to shell out another dime.
Meet the experts
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- Anna Chacon, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in Miami.
- T. Cooper is a hairstylist in New York City.
- Susan Oludele is a braider in New York and Los Angeles.
- Brendnetta Ashley is a hairstylist in San Fransisco.
Clean buildup on your edges
After the initial install, the area of your hair and scalp that gets hit with the most product is your edges. Most people slick and swoop their edges daily while wearing braids, so it's easy for those delicate baby hairs to accumulate gunk from thick edge-control product.
Cleansing the area is not only beneficial for refreshing your style but essential to the health of your hair too. "Product buildup on the scalp can lead to scalp disorders," warns Anna Chacon, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Miami. “It can also be uncomfortable; it may lead to itching, redness, and can be embarrassing to have a shower of dandruff or product flakes on your clothing.”
For quick, daily cleansing, the Creme of Nature Scalp Relief Wipes are a great option for wiping off that dried-up edge gel at the end of each day.
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Carol's Daughter Wash Day Delight Sulfate-Free Shampoo With Aloe
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Scalp Relief Wipes
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If you need a heavy-duty cleanse, use a light water-based shampoo, like the Carol's Daughter Wash Day Delight Shampoo. The nozzle tip “gives you more control over where the shampoo goes,” says T. Cooper, a hairstylist in New York City.
Treat your braids to some hot water
You can also revive your braids with a little hot water. Susan Oludele, a braider in New York and Los Angeles, recommends boiling a pot of water, then dipping a towel into it. Using tongs, remove the towel from the pot and let it cool enough so that it's still very warm, but not too hot to touch.
Then lay the towel on top of your braided hair. The hot water will tamp down the frizz, immediately giving your braids a fresher look. While your braids are still slightly damp, rub a lightweight oil between your palms and smooth it all over your hair. This will lock in moisture and help lay down any remaining stubborn, frizzy hairs sticking up from your braids. Don't already have a go-to oil? We recommend the Ceremonia Guava Gloss Drops, which has a subtle tropical scent and leaves hair with a light sheen.
Oludele suggests following with edge control to touch up your hairline. We like the Shea Moisture Define + Edge Gel. The alcohol-free formula is gentle on baby hairs, while effectively slicking them down all day. On the other hand, Brendnetta Ashley, a hairstylist in San Fransisco, prefers to use a curl cream, which is gentler on hair than regular edge gels and pomades.
The Camille Rose Guava Slip Whipped Souffle is great is you prefer softer hold on your edges. It's a thick cream that doubles as a pomade and can be used for everything from twist-outs to lightly slicking down your edges.
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Coconut & Hibiscus + Flaxseed Edge Gel
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Guava Slip Whipped Souffle
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Always sleep on silk or satin
One of the basics of having natural hair is sleeping in a silk or satin scarf or bonnet, a practice you should maintain no matter what style you're wearing. “Silk is a natural protein fiber and its breathable, smooth, and slip-rich qualities allow hair to glide rather than snag overnight," Cataanda James, a licensed cosmetologist in New York City, previously told Allure. The Glow by Daye Satin Bonnets is an Allure-editor favorite and comes in a number of cute colors and patterns.
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If you are one of those people who often forgets to put on your scarf or bonnet before falling asleep, invest in a silk or satin pillowcase. As cosmetic chemist Erica Douglas previously explained to Allure, many pillowcases are made with absorbent cotton, which, "when you're sleeping, silently [robs] you of the moisture that is in your hair." Silk, however, can help your hair retain that moisture. The Slip Silk Pillowcase is a good choice that will protect your hair from friction and add a luxe touch to your bedding.
How to refresh boho braids
Certain box braid styles like boho braids need a little more maintenance than regular box braids. “You have to do something to that loose boho hair,” says Ashley. She tells her clients to use a lightweight leave-in conditioner or detangling spray once a week to moisturize the hair, and to finger-detangle the curls and waves in the style so they look defined and refreshed. She recommends the Dippity-Do Girls with Curls Leave-in Detangling Conditioner, which provides lightweight moisture and slip, making it easy to rake your fingers through the hair to define and detangle.
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Bread Beauty Supply Hair-Foam: Curl Defining Mousse
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Ashley also recommends using a soft-hold mousse or foam to further define the loose hair. “It keeps the curls in the style hydrated and fresh without weighing them down,” she says, recommending that you do this two times a week. We love the Bread Beauty Hair-Foam Curl Defining Mousse because it defines curls and waves, leaving hair feeling soft with touchable hold.
“Braiding or twisting the loose hair in your boho braids at night can also help keep them from getting tangled and frizzy,” adds Ashley.
Twist or re-braid your new growth
Sometimes the front of your hair simply needs to be redone. "Twist your new growth [by adding tension with your fingers] no more than three times to freshen up the braids at the front perimeter of your hair," says Oludele. "If you twist more than three to four times, it will loc your hair." Use water or a hydrating leave-in spray to prep the hair first, making sure to work the product into your new growth before adding a curl cream or edge control to begin twisting.
Of course, you could fully re-braid the front of your hair. If you're familiar with the technique for creating box braids using extensions, this will be fairly simple. If you've never done it before, it's best to go back to the salon; most braiders and salons will charge 25% to 50% of the original price you paid for the braids.
If you do opt to re-braid yourself, it's worth washing the section you're working on. Use a clarifying shampoo and a moisturizing leave-in conditioner to ensure you're re-braiding on a clean base. When refreshing her braids, Allure associate beauty editor Annie Blay-Tettey likes to use the Olaplex Clarifying Shampoo for it's ability to deeply cleanse her scalp and hair of product build-up; following that with the Rizos Curls Multivitamin Leave-In, which leaves her hair soft, moisturized and protected from heat.
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No. 4C Bond Maintenance Clarifying Shampoo
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Heat Protection Multivitamin Leave-In
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Next, blow-dry your hair to dry and stretch it before you begin parting; this step will make for neater parts and braids that will ultimately last longer. “You will want to section your hair in four or six parts to make it more manageable," says Oludele, "and then divide those parts into your desired size for each individual braid.” Try to remember the number and size of the parts you originally had so you can replicate it—taking a picture of your braids before starting is helpful.
Now, go forth, and keep those box braids looking cute!
