Alright, let me tell you how this whole ‘bob in braids’ thing went down for me. I’d been seeing it pop up, you know, online and stuff, and honestly, I just got tired of my usual look. Needed something fresh, something a bit sharp but still kinda low maintenance. Braids always work for that, right? So I figured, why not combine it with a bob?
Getting Started
First off, I had to actually commit. Stared at my hair in the mirror for a good while. It was at that awkward length, not really long, not short. Perfect timing for a change. I scrolled through tons of pictures online, saved a few that really caught my eye – different lengths, different braid sizes. You gotta have a clear idea, or you might end up with something weird.
Next step was finding someone to actually do it. I didn’t want to go just anywhere. Asked a couple of friends, checked out some local braiders’ pages. Found this one stylist whose work looked really neat and consistent. That’s key with braids, especially for a bob shape. Booked an appointment – had to wait a week or so, she was busy.
The Actual Braiding Process
So, appointment day comes. I head over to the salon. Showed her the pictures I saved, explained exactly the length I was going for, right around the chin, maybe slightly longer at the front. She nodded, seemed to get it. We picked out the braiding hair – gotta match the color and texture reasonably well.
Then I settled into the chair. And folks, let me tell you, you gotta be prepared to sit for a while. She started by parting my hair. So many sections. Precision is important here, she said, especially for how it hangs. Then the braiding started, strand by strand, adding in the extension hair. It wasn’t painful, she had a good touch, not too tight, but you definitely feel the constant tugging.
We chatted a bit, watched some TV they had playing. Mostly, I just tried to relax. It took hours. Seriously, hours. My neck got a bit stiff, my backside was numb. But you gotta trust the process, right? She braided everything down way past my shoulders initially.
Creating the Bob Shape
Once all the braids were finally in – felt like a huge relief – came the interesting part. She gathered all the braids, measured carefully against my chin and shoulders based on what we discussed. Then, out came the scissors. Snip, snip, snip. It felt kinda drastic seeing the braided ends fall off, but exciting too. She went around meticulously, making sure the length was even, trimming stray bits to get that clean bob line.
To finish the ends, she used the hot water method. Dipped them quickly into a bowl of steaming water to seal them off neatly so they wouldn’t unravel. That always makes the ends hang nicely too.
The Result and How It Feels
Finally, she spritzed on a bit of oil sheen, smoothed everything down. Handed me the mirror. And yeah, it looked pretty damn good! Exactly what I had pictured. Sharp, neat bob shape, but with the texture and ease of braids.
It felt surprisingly light once all the extra length was gone. Swinging it side to side felt fun, haha. Been rocking it for a bit now, and honestly, it’s super easy. Wake up, quick fluff, maybe a bit of mousse if needed, and I’m good to go. Definitely worth the time spent in that chair. Happy I did it.
