Best braiding hair: which hair for which style

The fibres, and what each is good for

The label names the fibre. Read it before the brand or the color: the fibre decides the feel, the weight and how you finish the ends.

• Kanekalon (modacrylic). Kaneka’s braid fibre, made since 1957: soft, easy to braid, flame retardant, and it sets in hot water. Kaneka also sells lighter and antimicrobial versions; its ULTRA LIGHT is about 30% lighter than its standard braid fibre, in Kaneka’s own test. Most braiding hair at a beauty supply is Kanekalon or a Kanekalon blend, says one braider NBC Select spoke to. The quality claims hold for packs made entirely of it, so a blend may braid and seal differently.
• Toyokalon (PVC). Denka’s polyvinyl chloride fibre, made since 1952 for wigs and hairpieces, with a soft, silky feel. It is a different fibre from Kanekalon braid hair, not a different brand of the same thing. Kanekalon’s own PVC line is for crochet and bulk hair, not braids.
• Generic synthetic. A pack that only says “synthetic” or “100% fiber” doesn’t tell you what it is. Test one strand in hot water before you promise a client sealed ends.
• Plant or “bio” fibre. Made from plants instead of plastic. Rebundle’s is banana fibre, which its maker says is heat safe to 200°F and reusable up to three times. Follow its pack, not your usual hot-water routine.
• Human hair (bulk). Loose, unwefted hair sold by weight, for the curls in boho and goddess braids. Mayvenn sells it in 100 g bundles and says it can be washed and reused for 2 to 3 installs. It doesn’t seal in hot water, and it needs moisture like the client’s own hair.
• Marley (afro-kinky texture). A texture, not a fibre: coarse and matte, made to look like natural hair, for twists and faux locs. Check the label for the fibre underneath, since that decides whether the ends take hot water.

Pre-stretched or not

Pre-stretched hair comes with tapered ends, so you skip feathering it yourself, and NBC Select’s braider says it means less tension on the scalp. Buy unstretched hair only for blunt, full ends, and stretch it before the client sits down. Curly and coiled hair (water wave, spring twist) is never stretched.

Which hair for which style

For a full head, count the packs with the chart for every style, and where to buy it by the case in Wholesale braiding hair.

Sealing ends in hot water

Kaneka says its braid fibre sets in water at 70–90°C (160–190°F), hot from the kettle but off the boil. That matters: Consumer Reports found volatile chemicals coming off synthetic braiding hair heated to boiling. Open a window, keep the water away from the scalp, and seal only fibre whose pack says it takes hot water. Hot water and an electric sealer are compared in Braiding tools.

Itching and the scalp

Some synthetic hair is coated with alkaline chemicals that can cause itching, irritation or an allergic reaction, says a braider NBC Select spoke to. Consumer Reports tested ten popular synthetic brands and found carcinogens in every one and lead in nine. No pack tells you which hair a scalp will react to. If a client has reacted before, use plant fibre or human hair, and if itching or redness starts, take the braids out: Kaneka itself says to stop and see a doctor.

Choosing the hair for a client

Ask these five at booking, and write the answers on the client’s record.

1. 1

   Their scalp

   Has synthetic hair ever itched or left a rash? Then plan plant fibre or human hair, not a coated synthetic pack, and check the scalp before you start.

2. 2

   The weight

   Long, small braids carry a lot of hair. For fine hair, thin edges or a sore neck, pick a lighter fibre or a shorter length rather than more packs.

3. 3

   How long it must last

   Synthetic curls tangle as the weeks go on; human hair curls can be washed and restyled. A boho set for a vacation can be all synthetic; one that must last weeks wants human hair curls.

4. 4

   The budget

   Price the hair from what the pack costs you, and quote it on its own line, so the client sees what human hair or plant fibre adds.

5. 5

   Who supplies it

   If the client brings the hair, send the fibre, the texture, the color and the pack count. If you supply it, buy one brand and learn how it braids and seals.

Questions braiders ask