The Science of "Braid Training"--Please Explain

Cherokee-n-Black · May 27, 2011

OK "heat training" I get. You damage your hair to the point where it is incapable of going back to its natural curl pattern--sorry heat trainers, that's just the way I see it, and it makes sense as to why it "works." But braid training???? This just makes no sense to me. I can see where it can have a temporary lengthening effect, but a permanent one? How? When? Where?

When I was young, I had my hair in braids pretty much every day from about age 2 on. My mother would wash it, braid it wet and let it air dry, and comb it and braid it every day after that until the next wash. This went on until I was about 9 or 10 when she started blowing it dry. However, at no point did my hair not bush out or shrink up due to the literally constant state of being braided. My loose braids would be temporarily stretched, but once wet, it was back to normal. I could sit on my stretched hair, but had APL shrinkage--in braids.

So, I'm not even trying to be funny--I don't get it. Care to enlighten me?

LunadeMiel · May 27, 2011

I don't believe in braid training. When I was little my mother kept my hair in braids 100% of the time and my texture never changed. Unless you are adding weights to your braids to the point where the hair stretches to the point of no return (imagine over stretching a rubber band) then I don't see how braiding or twisting the hair can affect the pattern.

Cherokee-n-Black · May 27, 2011

LunadeMiel said:
Unless you are adding weights to your braids to the point where the hair stretches to the point of no return (imagine over stretching a rubber band) then I don't see how braiding or twisting the hair can affect the pattern.

And see, I think the hair would break before it would be permanently stretched. I'm really just perplexed that people think this actually happens, but I'm tryin' to understand!

iri9109 · May 27, 2011

right after washing a stretched twistout, or wetting twists and taking them out, most of the pattern of the twist is still there, and my hair is still kinda stretched out unless i brush/comb/detangle or run my fingers through my hair...its not permanent though.

Cherokee-n-Black · May 27, 2011

iri9109 said:
right after washing a stretched twistout, or wetting twists and taking them out, most of the pattern of the twist is still there, and my hair is still kinda stretched out unless i brush/comb/detangle or run my fingers through my hair...its not permanent though.

Again, this makes sense to me. If the hair has been in that state for a while, it may not revert on contact (with water), but this whole notion that people's hair looks different now because they braided or twisted? :nono:

empressri · May 27, 2011

Personally I think it's crap.

Now...granted if some folks have finer hair and they wear it pulled back in tight ponytail all of the time...as one youtuber I watched parts of her hair weren't as curly as the rest BUT mind you her hair was maybe a 3a 3b and fine.

Yeah...pick some tight curls, ain't nothing going to train it. My mother used to wash and do my hair the SAME WAY, shampoo, condition, detangle, spray on this cholesterol leave in and braid, like box braids.

I've been doing this to my hair actually since winter time, my hair is in braids now. So...that's how many months since last year? My hair still does what it wants to. SHRANK UP!

Priss Pot · May 27, 2011

Cherokee-n-Black said:
And see, I think the hair would break before it would be permanently stretched. I'm really just perplexed that people think this actually happens, but I'm tryin' to understand!

There's nothing to understand. People are just reaching, even if it doesn't make sense. Permanent texture change from "braid training?"

Reminds me of the old Playskool slogan, "What will they think of next?"

Cherokee-n-Black · May 27, 2011

empressri said:
Personally I think it's crap.

Now...granted if some folks have finer hair and they wear it pulled back in tight ponytail all of the time...as one youtuber I watched parts of her hair weren't as curly as the rest BUT mind you her hair was maybe a 3a 3b and fine.

Yeah...pick some tight curls, ain't nothing going to train it. My mother used to wash and do my hair the SAME WAY, shampoo, condition, detangle, spray on this cholesterol leave in and braid, like box braids.

I've been doing this to my hair actually since winter time, my hair is in braids now. So...that's how many months since last year? My hair still does what it wants to. SHRANK UP!

OK. I just kept seeing people talk about it like "clearly, this is the case" and that was really confusing me. I guess I can agree to disagree with folk out there.

ms-gg · May 27, 2011

Yeah, like I said in that other thread: I've been natural for almost 5 years and I have been a protective styling diva since day 1 and I have yet to see my hair get "braid or twist trained." Let a little humidity hit my twist out on a hot summer night. Hmph. My joint will shrink up with the quickness.

My hair down in my sig, is APL hair. Does it look like APL hair to you :look:

Myjourney2009 · May 27, 2011

Girl you and I know and even the people making the claim; there is NO SUCH THIN[U][/U]G.

in order for a change to be made a chemical has to affect either the
DIFULSIDE BOND
or heat to affect the
SALT/Hydrogen BOND
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4928087_flat-iron-straighten-hair.html

Through either
HEAT
Relaxers
Perms (curly)
or
Color (bleach being the main one that changes the bond)

MY dd is 12 years old and I braid her hair stays braided for up to 3 weeks at a time ever since she was very little. her texture, type or whatever we are calling it now has not changed she is still a fine haired 4ab.

alive · May 27, 2011

i've never even heard of this. i need to come on here more often

danniegirl · May 27, 2011

i dont understand why people read so much into such trivial things i think the whole braid training thing was taken wayyyyyyyyy out of context way way out of context what i got from the original thread where it was mentioned was that because of the way her hair was worn and washed that when the picture was taken it appeared to be a different texture not a permanent alteration to her hair pattern.

Im totally confused as to why an alteration in the appearance of ones hair or texture due to the same manipulation over and over again is not understandable or so far fetched to some of you.

For me its just like that permanent part you get in your hair from parting it the same way over and over and even after you wash your hair that part is still there or when you hair just makes a ponytail almost by itself because its so use to being pulled up or the "natural" bangs that some of us have . After shaving my hair i still have a section in the back that parts its self like it use to when i wore extensions 80% of the time my hair just separates in that spot all on its own i dont know the science behind it or lack there of so i think i also have hair that defies logic.

empressri · May 27, 2011

ms-gg said:
Yeah, like I said in that other thread: I've been natural for almost 5 years and I have been a protective styling diva since day 1 and I have yet to see my hair get "braid or twist trained." Let a little humidity hit my twist out on a hot summer night. Hmph. My joint will shrink up with the quickness.

My hair down in my sig, is APL hair. Does it look like APL hair to you

hell yeah and let me cosign on here....it's been what over five years since we met each other on nappturality ms-gg??

your hair was either braided or twisted. um yeah no training there! it still looks like it did when i met ya back in the day :lachen:

EllePixie · May 27, 2011

Can I please see the quoted post where someone said this was a permanent change??? I definitely missed it, and if someone did say that, it's bunk.

Cherokee-n-Black · May 27, 2011

EllePixie said:
Can I please see the quoted post where someone said this was a permanent change??? I definitely missed it, and if someone did say that, it's bunk.

Well this is what's confusing. Is it just terminology that sounds the same but isn't? When someone says "heat trained" they are referring to the changes their hair makes in response to damaging heat. As far as I know, that kind of change is permanent. So when someone says "braid trained," I'm thinking this is the same concept.

Now if all it means is that the hair was braided and it was unbraided and now it isn't shrinking, OK. Call it what you want. But I saw MANY posts on Chime's completely air-dried hair saying that it's appearance could be due to "braid training" and references to LHDC saying the same. Unless they are saying these ladies braided up their hair and unbraided it and said "this is my hair with no product or manipulation..." :detective:

EllePixie · May 27, 2011

Cherokee-n-Black said:
Well this is what's confusing. Is it just terminology that sounds the same but isn't? When someone says "heat trained" they are referring to the changes their hair makes in response to damaging heat. As far as I know, that kind of change is permanent. So when someone says "braid trained," I'm thinking this is the same concept.

Now if all it means is that the hair was braided and it was unbraided and now it isn't shrinking, OK. Call it what you want. But I saw MANY posts on Chime's completely air-dried hair saying that it's appearance could be due to "braid training" and references to LHDC saying the same. Unless they are saying these ladies braided up their hair and unbraided it and said "this is my hair with no product or manipulation..."

Well...Ionno about alladat. I know what I said and I explained myself in the other thread thoroughly, and the other poster, nappystorm, whom I saw saying this, had the same take on it as me. So I'm not sure who took it to another permanent place. But if they did...naw son. Your hair may not fully revert after taking it out of twists or if you wash in twists then unravel them, but after a wash or two it'll def go back. Not permanent in any way, shape or form. I think that people were saying that the wet n' wavy pic could have resulted from her washing in twists (ie, her hair had just been in twists and she took them out on wet hair) or she had just washed her hair after a twist out - I know my hair gets funky when I wash after a TO and I am always finger combing like crazy in the shower to get my natural pattern back as much as possible.

"Setting" the hair cannot permanently change it - like another poster said, you would need to permanently alter the bonds in your hair in order for that to happen - braiding/twisting is a superficial alteration, not to the actual chemistry of the strand.

Myjourney2009 · May 27, 2011

Cherokee-n-Black said:
Well this is what's confusing. Is it just terminology that sounds the same but isn't? When someone says "heat trained" they are referring to the changes their hair makes in response to damaging heat. As far as I know, that kind of change is permanent. So when someone says "braid trained," I'm thinking this is the same concept.

Now if all it means is that the hair was braided and it was unbraided and now it isn't shrinking, OK. Call it what you want. But I saw MANY posts on Chime's completely air-dried hair saying that it's appearance could be due to "braid training" and references to LHDC saying the same. Unless they are saying these ladies braided up their hair and unbraided it and said "this is my hair with no product or manipulation..."

I saw this as well

EllePixie · May 27, 2011

I thought that LHDC was actually heat trained?? Look at the 0:25 mark on this vid -

http://www.youtube.com/user/Longhairdontcare2011#p/u/68/G6wFWeUg4r8

How did she go from that to this? http://www.youtube.com/user/Longhairdontcare2011#p/search/0/4Uua3KAkMC8

I'm so confuzzled??

Rocky91 · May 27, 2011

I think I'll be starting my Braid Training Support Thread soon.... :look:

Solitude · May 27, 2011

It seems possible to me. Hair acts like a fiber. If you fold a piece of material, it gets indentations that are very difficult to get out. It seems like it could happen with hair through stretched styles.

Examples: permanent parts and loss of curl pattern from hair being pulled back into a ponytail

My mom used to keep me in braids 98% of the time. She washed my hair weekly and the concept of shrinkage was foreign to me until everybody started going natural.

kittikat24 · May 27, 2011

I think its just a term...
Kinda the way so many say "I just got a perm", when technically its a relaxer.. uh, a perm curls hair :look:

I think if you wear your hair in braidouts all the time I guess there's a conclusion that if your hair likes it/well behaved its "braid trained"?. :ohwell:

I always part my hair from the bottom up to braid or apply oil to scalp etc. So my hair has gotten to a point where it easily parts in those sections..
I wouldn't call it "trained" but is that an example of how ppl could get that term?
Your hair behaves in a certain way so you assume its 'trained'? when technically its not? :yawn:

Cherokee-n-Black · May 27, 2011

Solitude said:
It seems possible to me. Hair acts like a fiber. If you fold a piece of material, it gets indentations that are very difficult to get out. It seems like it could happen with hair through stretched styles.

Examples: permanent parts and loss of curl pattern from hair being pulled back into a ponytail

My mom used to keep me in braids 98% of the time. She washed my hair weekly and the concept of shrinkage was foreign to me until everybody started going natural.

No offense, but I've been wearing a ponytail/bun for like a year, and my hair ain't hardly trained! :lachen:

I rock braidouts almost every summer, and ain't no training going on there either. I guess I view the logic of what you're saying in the reverse: Curly hair/wavy hair already has indentations that are VERY hard to get out--and typically require some sort of chemical or heat-based intervention to get them out. Well one thing's for sure, my hair has decided that it shall not be trained! :whip:

TheGlamorousLife · May 27, 2011

Sub for later.

SND411 · May 27, 2011

People really don't want this woman's hair to be classified as Type Four.

winnettag · May 27, 2011

My hair has been braided up virtually every day for more than 15 years.
It still has just as much shrinkage as ever!!
It even shrinks up as I'm taking my cornrows out (can only do braidouts with individual braids)!
That's complete bologna!!

mEmYSELFaNDj · May 27, 2011

I've never heard of this and I dont think it's really possible to have "braid trained" hair.

Rocky91 · May 27, 2011

danniegirl said:
i dont understand why people read so much into such trivial things i think the whole braid training thing was taken wayyyyyyyyy out of context way way out of context what i got from the original thread where it was mentioned was that because of the way her hair was worn and washed that when the picture was taken it appeared to be a different texture not a permanent alteration to her hair pattern.

Im totally confused as to why an alteration in the appearance of ones hair or texture due to the same manipulation over and over again is not understandable or so far fetched to some of you.

For me its just like that permanent part you get in your hair from parting it the same way over and over and even after you wash your hair that part is still there or when you hair just makes a ponytail almost by itself because its so use to being pulled up or the "natural" bangs that some of us have . After shaving my hair i still have a section in the back that parts its self like it use to when i wore extensions 80% of the time my hair just separates in that spot all on its own i dont know the science behind it or lack there of so i think i also have hair that defies logic.

I agree fully with this post.

Solitude · May 27, 2011

Cherokee-n-Black said:
No offense, but I've been wearing a ponytail/bun for like a year, and my hair ain't hardly trained! I rock braidouts almost every summer, and ain't no training going on there either. I guess I view the logic of what you're saying in the reverse: Curly hair/wavy hair already has indentations that are VERY hard to get out--and typically require some sort of chemical or heat-based intervention to get them out. Well one thing's for sure, my hair has decided that it shall not be trained!

No offense taken. Just because YOUR hair behaves a certain way doesn't mean that everyone's hair behaves that way.

Also, I was talking about years of styling. I'm just saying that when I was a kid, my hair was never allowed to shrink up, so it never did. No "wash-n-go" styles and no puffs. Always braids or ponytails (twisted). I got a relaxer around age 12 or 13.

I recognize that my opinions are usually unpopular around here *shrugs*

EllePixie · May 27, 2011

Solitude said:
No offense taken. Just because YOUR hair behaves a certain way doesn't mean that everyone's hair behaves that way.

Also, I was talking about years of styling. I'm just saying that when I was a kid, my hair was never allowed to shrink up, so it never did. No "wash-n-go" styles and no puffs. Always braids or ponytails (twisted). I got a relaxer around age 12 or 13.

I recognize that my opinions are usually unpopular around here *shrugs*

Solitude I understand that you were not fishing for compliments, but I always respect your opinion even if we do not agree. You are honest about your beliefs and don't jump on thread bandwagons. I appreciate that.

Solitude · May 27, 2011

Thanks, EllePixie!

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