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
How long before installing my braids can I treat my hair? I bought it already, but am not sure when I will be able to get them installed.
My natural hair is dreaded and I’m considering adding dreaded kanekalon extenders for length. Can I soak after they’ve been crotcheted prior to install? Or does this have to be done before the hair is braided/crotcheted?
You can use a spray bottle and spray down the hair with diluted ACV and wrap it up in a plastic cap or bag for a while then rinse like you normally would.
Does it have to be ACV or can regular vinegar work too? And will the smell go away after you rinse the hair?
The smell goes away after rinsing the hair and air drying.