Braids
Under Braids (of English braid = weave ) is any kind of plaits, so braided hair. This includes, for example, cornrows, twists, Nubian locks, as well as Rasta braids . The latter refer to a plaits consisting of many thin Flechtzöpfen exists and is woven with a three-stringy braiding. The term braids alone is too imprecise and therefore the wish should be specified more precisely in a braiding salon. Rasta braids are therefore called individual braids in English to distinguish them from other braided hairstyles.
Braids are mostly worn as a fashionable hairstyle by both women and men in Europe , Africa and the USA . In some cultures , for example the Maasai , they can have religious or spiritual backgrounds.
More terms
The terms rasta curls , rasta braids or rastas are often used synonymously for braids, but can also refer to other hairstyles , for example cornrows or matted dreadlocks . The term Afro curls is used less often, as it can easily be confused with the Afro look .
history
Hairstyles made from braided hair have appeared time and again throughout human history.
Africa
The main origins presumably come from African tribes .
Of the Maasai and the closely related Samburu is known that the young men their distinctive ocher Braids according to ancient tradition for flirting inserting. They were tossed back and forth in front of the lady of the heart to impress her.
The braids are still regarded as a status symbol by the young men of the shepherd or nomadic people from Kenya and Tanzania . During their war as a warrior, which begins around the age of twelve with the circumcision and shaving of their heads, they are allowed to grow their hair. During this time, the hair is artfully braided into braids and coated with clay and thus dyed ocher or reddish. The warrior time of the Maasai and Samburu men ends at the age of twenty and from this point on the hair may no longer be worn long.
Indigenous people (USA)
Braids were known to the indigenous people.
The men of the Mohave , an indigenous tribe in the southwest of the USA , typically braided their hair in long, twisted and fixed strands in the mid- 19th century and even later, similar to today's braids.
Buddha
According to tradition, Buddha is said to have worn characteristic braids or a similar hairstyle, which were usually very short ringlets wrapped close to the scalp and were known as pepper corn hair .
This peppercorn hair was common in ancient Greece .
Celts
The ancient Celts wore loud the Roman generals Gaius Julius Caesar "hair like snakes". With this statement, Caesar is possibly alluding to the well-known Greek myth by comparing the Celts purely outwardly with an ancient monster, Medusa . The forecast for had the gorgonische Medusa "snakes instead of hair" on his head and was of such a terrible sight that anyone who looked at her, had immediately to stone.
It is reported that it was predominantly the young Celtic warriors who paid special attention to their hair and had an artistically braided hairstyle. In Ireland , as a criterion for admission to the Association of Adult Warriors, long distances were run with these elaborate braided hairstyles.
There are three different hair styles known in the Celtic region that were similar to the braids (there are other hair styles known, which, however, did not resemble the braids and are therefore not listed here):
- A plait that started at the back of the head.
- All hair was gathered together and tied, sometimes braided, over the parting.
- Two long braids that were braided from the middle part.
When a young Celt was looking for a bride, he wore his hair braided in a bun at the back of his head, while individual, sometimes colored strands of hair peeked out.
Production and method of creation
The manufacturing methods are sometimes painful for the scalp , depending on the sensitivity of the scalp and the caution of the braider. For example, headaches can occur for a few days after production, caused by strong tensile stress on the scalp. This pain will go away on its own after a week, once the scalp has got used to the strain.
Minimum hair length
A minimum hair length of five centimeters should be given. The longer the hair on the head , the better the braids hold. A minimum length of ten to fifteen centimeters is more advantageous for thicker braids.
working time
The braiding time depends on the length of the hair and the number of individual braids and is five to ten hours.
Methods and types
There are different styles, types and variants of braiding braids:
- Casamas Braids : Very thick braids; the term is an onomatopoeic abbreviation of Casamance Braids which are named after their origin in Casamance , the southern part of Senegal .
- Micro Braids: Very thin braids.
- Open braids: With these braids, something is braided beyond the own hair to protect it from becoming matted. The rest of the hair, as the name suggests, is left open. This is suitable for hair extensions or hair thickening. In this case, synthetic or real hair is braided in and the roots are hidden. This type of open braids is also called invisible braids .
durability
The braiding technique of the approach is decisive for the durability of the braids. The shelf life varies from a few days to several months, depending on the skills of the braider.
