If you want to get your hair braided but wonder if you can do it with wet hair, today is your lucky day. I have gathered as much info about this as to help you decide braiding day. Take a look!
Although you can braid your hair whilst its wet, this is not recommended if you intend to do braids that require hair extensions. This is because wet hair is heavier and weaker making more susceptible to breakage. Ensure that your hair is at least 20% dry before braiding it, it should not be sopping wet.
Keep reading to find out what braiding styles work best when braiding wet hair as well as an in-depth step-by-step method on how to do these braids. Also, some other helpful info about wetting your braided hair!
The Best Braids For Wet Hair
When it comes to braiding wet hair, ditch the hair extensions and opt for styles that will put little to no strain on your hair as wet hair is a lot weaker and can stretch up to 15 times more than dry hair. Take a look to find out what styles are ideal for braiding wet hair!
The best braiding styles for wet hair are ones that make use of the classic three-strand plait; these styles include French braids, Fishtail braids, and a classic dutch braid. These styles will pull and stretch your wet hair the least, thus maintaining your hair’s elasticity and prevent damage or breakage of hair strands.
Keep reading to find out exactly how to do these braids on your wet hair!
1. How To Do A French Braid With Wet Hair
All you will need to create this effortless let classic French braid is a small clear elastic hair tie. Here’s what you need to do:
Step 01: Brush all your hair and get a big section level with your ears. Separate this section of hair into three equal sections.
Step 02: Get the left piece over the center, then the right piece over the left as you would when doing a normal three-strand plait.
Step 03: Add hair from the left side and join it with the braid.
Step 04: Repeat this on the right side to create a French braid.
Step 05: Keep braiding down the back of your head. I usually use large sections in order to make the braiding process go quicker.
Step 06: Secure the end of your braid with a small clear elastic hair tie
Pro Tip: You can even tuck the end of the braid to make it into a bun by rolling up the end of your braid and push it up under the rest of your braid, then secure it with bobby pins.
2. How To Do A Fishtail Braid With Wet Hair
To do a fishtail braid all you will need is 2 small clear elastic hair ties. Here’s what you need to do:
Step 01: Secure your hair in a side ponytail using a small clear elastic hair tie
Step 02: Split your ponytail in half. Hold aside in each hand so that they are kept separate whilst your braid
Step 03: Take a small section of hair from the left side and cross it to the right side by taking a little bit of hair from the left half of the ponytail and move it over to join the right ponytail.
Step 04: Repeat the above step on the right. Take a little bit of hair from the right half of the ponytail and move it over to join the left ponytail.
Step 05: Continue repeating this process, alternating sides, all the way down. Each time, cross a little bit of hair from one ponytail to the opposite side. As you get lower down on the ponytail, they cross over, creating the fishtail braid.
Step 06: Secure your fishtail braid by tying the end with a small clear elastic hair tie
Pro Tip: when your hair begins to dry, you can gently pull along the edges of the braid to stretch it. This makes your hair look fuller and thicker and makes the braid’s shape stand out more.
3. How To Do A Dutch Braid With Wet Hair
To braid your hair into this dutch braid you will need a clear elastic band and a lot of patience! Here’s what you need to do:
Step 01: Start by taking a part of your hair along the side of your head. I normally take a two-inch section of hair from my natural part to my ear. Separate this part into three sections, equal in size.
Step 02: Start a Dutch twist. This is the opposite of a French braid. Take the left section under the center and the right section under the left. Include a thin section of hair to the centerpiece and bring that under the right section.
Step 03: Keep braiding across the back of your head, including little sections of hair as you go. Continually bring the hair underneath, so your plait sits on top of your hair.
Step 04: Braid your hair going slightly diagonally from the top right-hand side of your head to the bottom left. When you get to the end of your hair, finish in a reverse braid to ensure your braid won’t unravel and secure the end of your braid with a small clear elastic hair tie.
Pro Tip: If you’re in a rush or new to braiding your hair in this style, you can add large sections of hair to the braid instead of small sections.
Can You Wet Braided Hair?
If you’re thinking of braiding your hair and wondering how your braids will fair when you go for a dip in the pool or take a shower, then you’ve come to the right place. Wetting your braids can be tricky, and there are some things you need to keep in mind.
You can wet your braided hair, but this may shorten the lifespan of your braids. If you have cornrows, then wetting your hair will cause your braids to unravel, but if you have braids that have been done with hair extensions like box braids, then wetting your hair won’t unravel or dislodge your braids, but it will make your braids and hair frizzy.
With that said, if you have your hair braided for longer than a week at a time, then you need you can wash your braids once per week. This will help you keep your hair clean without having to use a lot of hair products on it.
If you have an oily scalp, you should wash your braided hair regularly (once a week). Though if you have a dry scalp, you might be able to get away with waiting 2 weeks between wash days.
Related Questions
Is it better to braid African-American hair wet or dry?
It’s better to braid African-American hair when it’s dry instead of wet; this is because wet hair is a lot weaker and more prone to breakage, so interlacing wet hair in tight braids will only exacerbate this. It would be best to let your hair air dry completely before braiding it to prevent any hair breakage or infections such as folliculitis.