With the pace of the modern world and the ease of instant gratification, African American Hair Braiding styles seem to be an excellent option for a stylish and low maintenance hair-do. Perhaps the reason that so many youths flock to hair braiding as their favorite style option is due to the fact that it’s easy to manage and it comes in great styles.

On almost every corner you can find Hair Salons, and whether they look like they cater for a ‘white’ clientele or not you can bet they do braiding there. The popularity of African American Hair Braiding styles has surpassed race. In other words people other than those of African American descent also try these Hair Braiding styles. There are several types of Hair Braiding styles to choose from. Some include: Goddess Braids, Micro Braids, Pixie Braids, French Inverted Braids, Pixi Pin Curls, Candy Curls, Bantu Knots, Fishtail Braids, Flat Twist, Locks and Undetectable braid and Cornrow Extensions, Invisible Braids, Tree braids, Senegalese Twist, Silky Locks, Interlock Weaving, Latch Hook Weaving, Silky Corkscrew, African Twist, Kinky Twist, Two-Strand Twist, Nubian Corkscrew, and Cobra Stitch. Perhaps the most difficult part of braiding is learning to keep the tension on the strands as evenly balanced as possible. However, this only comes with practice and in due time.

During the Black Pride Movement, hundreds of African American beauty shops and salons sprang up across the United States. These shops delivered services exclusively, or as part of a range of options, to African Americans who prefer natural hairstyles. Many salons specialize in hair wrapping and braiding techniques, executing styles which can be exceedingly time-consuming and expensive. In fact a single, braided style can take seven hours or more to complete, often requiring two or more salon visits. The trade-off in the cost in time and money expended is that a well-executed, braided style can last a month or more without restyling, once it’s properly groomed and cared for.

Cornrows is perhaps one of the most popular types of African American Hair Braiding Styles. It is a traditional style of hair grooming which requires that the hair is tightly braided very close to the scalp, using an underhand, upward motion to produce a continuous, raised row. Cornrows can be formed, as the name implies, in simple, straight lines; or, in complicated geometric or curvilinear designs. The attraction to this style of braiding is the easy maintenance it offers. Cornrows can be left in for weeks at a time simply by carefully washing the hair using a stocking cap or hair net and then regularly oiling the scalp and hair.