If you are new to cornrowing, just the idea of tackling such a seemingly intricate and mammoth task can put you off. And it doesn’t help that your first few tries will probably turn out to be disastrous, confirming your suspicions that you are never going to master the art of braiding. But here’s the ultimate secret to braiding perfect cornrows: practice. Yep, that’s right. Practice is what will take you from braiding crooked cornrows that look like they were done by Edward Scissorhands, to perfect rows of neatly braided cornrows.

Cornrows have a rich history and are not just a hairstyle but rather a lifestyle. They were invented as a convenient way to maintain African-American hair. Keeping them in braids helped in protecting the hair and ensuring that you could grow them longer without losing the length to breakage as a result of tangles and knots.

If you are keen to master the art of cornrowing, then read on to know all there is to know about braiding and cornrowing.

Do It On Damp Hair

If you are a beginner, start off by cornrowing slightly damp—not dripping wet—hair. Moisturize damp hair and brush it out to get it ready for cornrowing. It’s interesting to note that people who are experienced with cornrowing actually claim that they find it easier to work on dry, stretched hair. But most beginners find it super difficult to work on dry hair and find it much easier to work on damp hair. So if you’ve been finding it difficult to get a good grip on the hair or to make tight cornrows, doing it on damp hair just might make it so much easier for you. Damp hair also prevents cross hairs from occurring, you know those annoying hair strands that get in your way and get caught up in the braid, messing it up and making it look untidy.

Make Sure Your Hands Are Comfortable

There are so many supposedly ‘’right’’ ways of doing braids. But here’s what really works: follow the hand technique you’re comfortable with. Just because someone finds it easy to do it a certain way doesn’t mean that you have to do it exactly that way to. The main thing when it comes to cornrowing is to make sure your hand technique does not tire out your hands. So if you’re constantly twisting and turning your hand in awkward positions, you’ll get tired half-way through it. So make sure you pick an easy technique that is not punishing on your hands. Also find a comfortable position to do it. If standing for the whole procedure is going to make you uncomfortable, try to see if you can make the person you are doing the cornrows on sit on the floor; you can then sit on a chair and work on them while seated.

Apply The Goldilocks Principle 

When it comes to cornrows, a good rule of thumb is to apply the Goldilocks Principle. So your braids should neither be too thick or too narrow; medium-sized cornrows are the easiest to work with. Ideally, the braids should be half an inch to an inch thick. Similarly, while braiding the cornrows you need to make sure that the braids are neither too tight nor too loose. Too tight and you might experience terrible hair loss and breakage; too loose and your cornrows won’t last very long and will start unraveling soon. So finding the right amount of tension to secure the braids is an important aspect of creating the perfect cornrows.

Use A Rat Tail Comb for Parting the Hair

A metal rat tail comb is the best tool that you can use to get straight, neat partitions. If you are a beginner, start by parting the hair from ear-to-ear. Doing this will give you two sections to work with. You can start with cornrowing the bottom half first and then move on to the top half.

Use Weaves/Extensions On Short Hair

You need a minimum of three to four inches of hair to work with for cornrows. And even then it is extremely difficult to cornrow short hair. Only highly experienced people can manage to cornrow short hair neatly. So, if you are keen on cornrowing your short hair, try adding weaves/extensions to it to make it longer.

Use Banding to Straighten Out Curly Hair

If you have naturally curly hair, then you probably face one of the most dreaded issues when it comes to curly hair—shrinkage—on a regular basis. Cornrowing curly hair can be quite an exhausting task. The best way to do it is to straighten out the hair by either blow drying, flat ironing, or banding it. While both blow drying and flat ironing are great options, it needs to be noted that they do dry out the hair. And we all know that drying out curly hair can be extremely damaging and can lead to uncontrollable frizz. So the best option is to band the hair.  Section freshly washed and moisturized hair into four sections and detangle them thoroughly. Then use bands to secure each section from top to bottom to ensure that they do not curl back. Leave it overnight and remove the bands the next day. Doing this will ensure your hair is straight and easier to work with when it’s time to do the cornrows.

Cornrowing Straight or Fine Hair

Sure you can cornrow straight, fine hair, but be warned that they will probably not last too long. This is because straight hair tends to lay flat when cornrowed and starts coming apart after some days. While you can always cornrow to mix things up a bit and give yourself a nice makeover, don’t expect for it to last a long time. Also, cornrowing straight hair can be quite damaging, especially if the braids are done too tight. This is because straight hair generally does not have the same bounce and elasticity as curly hair. So take care and make sure your cornrows are not pulled too tight, to prevent hair damage. One great idea is to do a partial cornrow, that is cornrowing one side or section of the hair to create an interesting texture.

Aftercare Tips

Getting cornrows done is only half the battle won. Maintaining those cornrows is what will determine how long they last without looking too frayed. Here are some must-follow aftercare tips for cornrows.

• Avoid Washing Your Hair Too Often

As we all know, washing the hair too often will definitely ruin the cornrows. So try to avoid washing your hair as much as possible. And when you can’t avoid it any longer, use a protective net cap before washing the hair with a mild shampoo or one specifically meant for braided hair. Only use cold water on your hair and be very gentle while washing off the shampoo, ensuring the water is not too forceful.

Here’s a quick washing routine to keep your hair smelling fresh and keeping the stink at bay. All you need is a soft wash cloth, some mild shampoo, and cold water. Wet the wash cloth in cold water and add a few drops of shampoo to it. Now use it to wipe down your scalp, ensuring that you cover the whole head. Doing this will keep you smelling fresh and you won’t have to go through the hassle of washing your entire head and then drying it off, which as we all know, can be a pain as it takes way too long.

• Condition Your Hair Regularly

While it is a good idea to avoid washing your hair, conditioning it is a totally different matter. Condition your hair regularly to keep it feeling soft and to ensure that your hair is well-behaved when you finally undo the cornrows. Use a leave-in conditioner thrice a week to keep the hair looking and feeling good.

• Moisturize Your Hair Frequently

One of the biggest complaints when it comes to cornrows is that they start itching after some time. To avoid this, moisturize the hair and scalp to keep them from getting too dry. Use a good quality moisturizing spray with natural ingredients such as jojoba oil to keep the hair in good health. Moisturizing the hair also keeps dandruff at bay by keeping the scalp in excellent condition.

• Use Beads at The Ends of Your Hair

Beads are not just pretty hair accessories. They also help in weighing down the hair and keeping it from curling. So if you want your cornrows to last for a long time, using beads at the ends is a good idea.

• Use A Satin/Silk Pillow Cover

Protect your hair from damage by using a satin or silk pillow cover. As opposed to a cotton one, a satin pillow cover is much softer and will be super gentle on the hair. It also won’t soak up your hair’s moisture, leaving it dry and brittle, like cotton covers often do. So, to avoid fly-aways and keep your cornrows safe, switch to satin or silk pillow covers. Alternatively, you can also cover your hair with a satin head scarf or cap to protect it.

• Always Undo Your Braids After a Month or Two

Please, whatever you do, do not leave your braids on for more than two months. As your roots grow, your cornrows need to be undone and redone. Be sure to detangle, thoroughly wash, condition, and moisturize your hair before you cornrow them again. Leaving the cornrows in for longer periods can result in severe hair breakage that could even lead to bald spots in extreme cases.

• Protect Your Hair From The Elements

If you know you’re going to be spending time outdoors in sunny, windy or rainy weather, be sure to use some extra protection such as caps or hats to keep your hair covered. Use extra moisturizer to fight humidity and keep your hair from drying out too much. Harsh weather conditions can wreak havoc on hair and you can’t really do much to undo the damage after its happened. So it is best to always be safe than sorry when it comes to cornrows.

• Leave The Cornrows Alone

This might sound contradictory to all that we just say, but seriously, one of the best things that you can do for your cornrows is to leave them alone. That means no tugging on your hair, scratching the scalp or manhandling your delicate braids in any way. Do what’s necessary to maintain your cornrows and then leave them alone. Refrain from touching them or playing with them. Your seemingly innocent actions can lead to messy, frizzy braids. Not a very appealing look.

When opting to do cornrows, remember that your hair needs to be treated very carefully. So while you can always try new hair-styles on your braided hair—such as braiding your cornrows in one big braid (a braid of braids, how cool is that?!), putting up your cornrows in a bun for an interesting updo, and so on—try not to do them too often.

Maintain your hair and keep practicing cornrowing. Practice is what will take you from an amateur with crooked looking braids to an expert with braids that look neat and straight. And be patient. You might mess up the first, second, and third time, before you finally get it right. There are no minimum fails, so however many tries it takes you to perfect the skill, be patient and persevere. And when you are an expert in cornrowing, you can start experimenting with cool patterns and designs, and eventually even come up with your own tips and tricks on how to do the best cornrows. Apart from the braid beads, there are some really cool braid jewelry available these days. Check online to see if you come across any unique hair jewelry that you can show off in your braids. If you’ve got it, flaunt it, right?