The first step to a successful sew-in installation is to braid your hair down. And if you already understood that, you're well ahead of most people. But before you begin, you must choose the precise braiding pattern. You can choose from various sew-in braid patterns, so it's important to be familiar with them all if you want the sew-in results you want.
In this post, we'll discuss the importance of sew-in braid patterns, offer advice on choosing a particular pattern, and introduce you to a few of the greatest sew-in braid patterns. Let’s get started.
The Importance of Your Braid Pattern
Braids are the cornerstone of the look when cornrowing your hair for a sew-in weave. They decide how your hair will lay and supply the base the extensions are stitched onto. Each braid pattern has its own advantages and disadvantages that impact your style and the condition of your hair.
To carefully disperse strain, your braiding pattern protects delicate parts like your edges. By shifting the location of your braids, you can also cover delicate or thin parts. By choosing the right pattern, you can make sure that your sew-in lays flat and that you can separate your hair in any way you choose.
How To Pick a Braid Pattern?
The following factors should be taken into account while choosing a braid pattern:
1. How You Want Your Hair To Be Parted and Styled.
If you don't split your sew-in, you can use the beehive, straight-back, diagonal, or zigzag braiding patterns. Choose the 4-way vixen if you want versatility in splitting.
2. Whether You Wish To Protect Any Vulnerable Areas.
Avoid the straight-back braiding design if your hair is fragile and prone to breaking at your hairline. Choose a zigzag, honeycomb, or diagonal design instead. Your hairline won't be under too much stress from these.
Additionally, consider a braid design without a leave-out if your natural hair needs a vacation from shaping. While leaving out a piece of your hair allows you to achieve a more natural-looking style, doing so repeatedly puts a lot of strain on your strands and raises your chance of breakage.
3. Your Braiding Skills
Start with a simple pattern, such as the straight-back pattern, if you've never braided your hair before. You can make more complex braiding patterns once you master the basic ones.
The Best Braid Pattern For Flawless Sew-in Weaves
1.4-Way Vixen
The Vixen braiding design has recently become popular due to its unmatched adaptability. Unlike most other braiding patterns, this one allows you to part your hair in various ways thanks to its numerous leave-out spaces. Even while this style gives you the most adaptability, it is less protective because so little of your natural hair is exposed.
To execute the 4-way vixen braid down, divide your hair into 4 equal portions, with a band of leave-out between each quadrant. Each section's hair is spiral-braided, and hair wefts are stitched onto the cornrows. The tracks are then tailored to cover your leave-out.
2. Straight-back Without Leave-out
This is one of the easiest crotchet braiding patterns. It is ideal for novices. Simply cornrow your hair in medium-sized rows from front to back. The braids' ends are then sewn or crocheted together and flattened. This pattern is ideal for anyone who utilizes sew-ins as a protective style as your hair is safely tucked away.
3. Diagonal
Similar to the straight-back technique, the diagonal pattern is a straightforward design. But your hair turns diagonally back instead of straight back. Depending on how protective you want your style to be, you or your stylist can execute it with or without a leave-out. This design complements hairdos with swooping fringe or portions that sit diagonally.
4. Zig zag
The zigzag braid is another well-liked braiding design. With this technique, your hair is cornrowed into rows that move horizontally back and forth across your scalp. This technique is ideal for any style with several layers when properly sectioned. You can also change up your contribution by adjusting where the zigzags are placed.
5. Beehive
The beehive braid pattern is among the most popular braid designs. A spiral of cornrows is braided around the entire head, ending in the center. The only drawback to this approach is the lack of sew-in alternatives. You won't be able to have any leave-out or part of your hair. However, this pattern is ideal for bangs-featured hairstyles.
Hair Braiding Tips For A Sew-In
Now that you know the significance of braid patterns, let's move on to some best practices. To keep your hair healthy and your sew-in looking its best, remember the following advice.
Cleanse and condition your hair. Before beginning to braid, make sure to thoroughly wash, condition, and deep condition your hair. Your hair will be healthy enough to endure braiding and retain hydration up until your sew-in is taken out if you do. Braid as flat as possible- a thick base will make your sew-in appear lumpy and unnatural. You may maintain a nice, flat appearance for your sew-in by braiding it as close to the scalp as possible.
Trim your ends before braiding since frayed ends lead to knots slowing braiding and increasing breakage. In addition, immediately braiding your hair after trimming might help reduce some of the stress that haircuts can bring on. When you remove your sew-in, your hair will have grown to fill in the lost length.
When braiding your hair, mix in synthetic hair as you go. You can also braid your natural hair with braiding hair. This extra hair helps strengthen the braids by adding structure and relieving some of the tension on your strands. They could aid in halting hair loss as well. If your natural hair is prone to breaking, we advise against adding synthetic hair.
Ensure that your braids aren't overly tight. Tight braids can cause major problems in addition to being quite uncomfortable. Too-tight braids may cause traction alopecia and thinned strands. Your braids should be firm but not so tight that they hurt you for the finest results.