Honestly, I wasn’t sold on short box braids at first. My hair felt like a constant battle – frizzy in humidity, took forever to style every morning, and my edges? Forget about it. Last Tuesday, I finally caved and dragged myself to this little braiding shop downtown after work.
The Setup Process
First step was sectioning my hair with this weird little hook thing. The stylist parted my hair into these tiny squares all over my head – took like 45 minutes just for that part. My neck was killing me from sitting straight so long, but she kept saying “Chin down, honey!” every time I slumped.
Actual Braiding
Then came the magic. She grabbed small sections, added synthetic hair extensions, and started twisting. Left, right, left, right – her fingers flew like she was playing piano. Felt like tiny tugs at first but wasn’t painful, just weird. Four hours later – yes, FOUR – I looked in the mirror with totally different hair. Shoulder-length box braids swinging, neat little parts showing my scalp.
First Week Realizations
The benefits hit me immediately:
Morning time saved: Rolled outta bed, threw on a headwrap, and was out the door in 5 minutes instead of 45.
Workout friendly: Did spin class without worrying about sweaty hair plastered to my face.
No more hair anxiety: That panic when it starts raining? Gone. Just tucked my braids under a hoodie.
Surprise bonus: My edges actually looked fuller after a week since they weren’t getting tugged by combs daily.
After Two Weeks
Honestly thought I’d hate the upkeep, but turns out maintenance is stupid simple:
- Spray bottle with water and leave-in conditioner every other day
- Satin bonnet at night – non-negotiable!
- Shampooed them just once by coiling the braids instead of unraveling
The best part? Zero heat damage. My natural hair underneath stayed moisturized the whole time.
Final Verdict
Would I recommend it? Hell yes! Was it tedious to get done? Absolutely. But three weeks in, I’m spending maybe 10 minutes total per week on my hair instead of hours. People keep asking if I got a confidence transplant – turns out not fighting your hair every dang day really changes your vibe. Totally doing this again after summer!