For the past year or so, I’ve been growing out my natural hair. During this process, I’ve been trying out a variety of protective styles to keep my hair healthy during this process. And this past January, I got box braids for the first time.

This was my first time having any sort of fake hair or extensions and there was a lot that I learned about hair care throughout this process. Even though I was happy with the overall experience, there are still a few things I wish I had known in advance. Below, I’m going to talk about my experience, the pros and cons, and some tips and things to consider if you are thinking about getting box braids.

Table of Contents

What Are Box Braids?

In case you aren’t familiar, here’s a quick rundown of what box braids are and why they’re a popular choice for women rocking natural hair. According to LovetoKnow,

Box braids are individual plaits that are usually divided by small squared off parts or boxes. Box braids may be of any width or length, but most women add synthetic or natural hair to the braid for length as well as thickness and fullness. The great thing about these braids is that because they are not attached to the scalp like cornrows are, they may be manipulated into several different styles. It may take a long time to complete the style, but the finished product is beautiful and lasts for months.

My Experience with Box Braids

I got my own box braids recently, and here’s how it went for me. I hope this will be helpful for any other women considering them.

The Installation

I got my braids done at a small shop in my hometown over winter break. The installation process took about five hours and I had two or three people working on my hair. On average, these braids take between 3-5 hours to install, depending on how thick they are and how long you want them to be.