Baby Girl's Box Braid Maintenance

For anyone who gets box braids for the first time it's an experience. My daughter of course has learnt a lot of things due to having her first box braids; the tightness after getting them installed, the itchy scalp, the weight, the reactions. We both have had to rethink how we deal with her hair now that it is in box braids. 

Before she got the braids installed we did a proper deep conditioning treatment (actually several - once a week leading up to the day of the braiding). This to infuse the hair with lots of moisture and get it into the best possible state before the braiding. The healthier the hair is when the braids are installed the better it will cope during the time the braids are in. 

Two days after the braids were installed I rubbed her scalp with coconut oil 'cause she said her scalp was itchy. Twice a week I have spritzed her hair with water to moisturize the hair. Even though the hair is "tucked away" it needs its moisture to stay healthy. 

About ten days after the braids were installed we washed her hair for the first time. I used this YouTube video with Breanna Rutter for tips since it had been years since I had synthetic hair in my hair (Marley twists back in 2014). She was overjoyed once her hair was washed and felt comfortable with keeping the braids in (she was hesitant pre-wash since she was bothered by her itchy scalp). 

We also figured out that the Snappee's we started using a while ago were perfect for box braids. We put two together to be able to put all her hair into a pony tail. 

To keep the hair from frizzing I would recommend sleeping with a bonnet or satin scarf, but baby girl can't deal with that so I let her sleep with her hair the way it is. The goal is not to have the braids in for long anyway.