Micro Braid Your Own Hair with Extensions

Instructions

• 1

  Purchase hair extensions

  
  Before you can braid your hair you’ll need to buy appropriate extensions. I personally don’t prefer synthetic varieties and recommend that you go with natural hair extensions.
  
  You might need to visit hair salons in your locality and coordinate with them over the availability of natural hair extensions. Generally these extensions are priced according to length, and you need to pick them to go with your natural hair color and length.
  
  If you have medium or long hair, you will need to buy longer extensions to cater for cutting and adjustments later on.
• 2

  Condition your hair

  
  You need to completely treat your hair, giving them a proper wash and then conditioning them. This is important, not only for styling purposes but also for your hair care. After you braid them, your hair will be locked in for weeks, and conditioning them well beforehand will ensure that they stay strong, healthy and don’t break.
• 3

  Wash your extensions

  
  The same treatment also needs to be done for your hair extensions, especially if you are using human hair extensions. Wash them properly and condition them as well before you start braiding.
• 4

  Dry and divide your hair into sections

  
  After washing your hair you need to dry them thoroughly and part them into sections throughout. Once you have parted all your hair, tie them up with elastic bands for easy management.
• 5

  Start braiding

  
  Now take one section from your hair and brush it properly to prepare it for braiding. Remove any tangles and make sure the section is straight throughout.
  
  Do the same for your hair extensions, pick one and brush it through to untangle and straighten it.
  
  Now you should ideally start braiding from the back of your head. Take a small section from the parted hair (about half an inch in thickness) and attach one extension just above the root of hair for that section.
  
  Once the extension is secured, part the extension into two halves and hold them on each side of the natural hair section you took. The section of natural hair should be flanked by two sections of the hair extension.
  
  Start braiding your hair now, bring the left section of the hair extension over to the right side, then hold the right section and bring it over to the left and finally take the middle (natural hair section) and cross it over to the left (or right) side.
  
  Continue this until you reach the end of your natural hair. Since you bought extensions longer than your natural hair, you can simply clip them off the end once you are done.
• 6

  General Care Tips for Micro Braided Hair

  
  - Keep your hair taut while you braid but don’t pull so hard that it hurts.
  - You can shampoo your hair while they are braided but wash them very gently.
  - Avoid direct sunlight because your scalp will be more visible than usual and can get irritated.