by: Ro’Shunda of NaturalHairBride.com
Oh, the itch! Have you ever been so excited to get Kanekalon or synthetic braiding hair installed just to dread the daily itch and irritation? Well, your not alone. Many of us have an allergic reaction to the coating sprayed on synthetic hair. I promise, it’s not the way your stylist braided your hair nor the brand of hair you purchased. Learn more about how you can enjoy your braiding styles longer by treating your hair first.
What Causes The Hair To Itch: The synthetic braiding hair you purchased was coated with an Alkaline Lye. Akaline Lye is a chemical distributed onto strands by the manufacture to produce a wear or heat resistant product. The overall goal was to create hair that would protect you with a high thermal resistance however, this added component can cause our scalp to become extremely irritated, dry and itchy or form small hairline bumps. Learn more about how synthetic hair is made here: Composition of Synthetic Hair.
How To Overcome The Itch: Yes! You can still wear Senegalese twists, Marley braids and Crochet styles using synthetic braiding hair but first you must remove the Akaline Lye that will causes the irritation by soaking it. See more protective style options using synthetic hair here: Marley Twists
How To Soak The Hair: Simply wash the hair using apple cider vinegar before installing the hair for styling.
The Steps:
1. Fill a bowl, large enough for your hair, with warm water.
2. Pour a cup of apple cider vinegar into the bowl of water.
3. Place the synthetic hair into the bowl for 20 minutes.
4. Remove the hair when you see a white film appear.
5. Take the hair out of the water, dump your bowl of the apple cider mixture then rinse your hair with plain warm water.
6. Squeeze excess water and let the hair air dry.
Do you currently have braiding hair installed and the itch is unbearable? Spray your scalp using a spray bottle of warm water and 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar mix.
Watch Breanna Ruter Explain: How To Make Your Braids Stop Itching?
Have you experienced irritation from braiding hair? Let us know your experience below.
Chat soon,
Ro’Shunda | Editor of NaturalHairBride.com | Bridal Stylist | Event Producer
I always wondered how some people can keep braids in for a month or more. My roots would get frizzy the very next day from constantly scratching, sometimes it got so bad I developed pus. I thought I had a dandruff problem, I have my hair soaking now for an installation this weekend, I’m praying this is the solution.
For the twists in getting I want them to look shiny which is why I’m getting this hair. Will soaking it take away the shine?
I’m no expert in this, but even if it does remove the shine, you can make the hair shiny again by using a sealing oil, e.g grapeseed oil etc.
this was very helpful. i’ve had box braids done w/ synthetic hair before and i did not have this problem. i did a big chop a few months ago and haven’t had any manipulation on my hair except for wash days. so i thought the irritation was from not having my hair done in so long and from the braids being tight . but each passing day my head gets a little more itchy or more bumpy. i’ve gotten my hair done on sunday and it’s thursday and i’ve done nothing but oil and moisturizerize my scalp and it helps, but it’s minimal. i’ll be rinsing the hair in the morning . i really hope it works, i don’t want to have wasted my money