Banding F.A.Q.

Hair banded in 12 sections (we're preparing for something, stay tuned!)


Other banding pictures


2 banded ponytails worn as a style

What is banding?
Banding is a way to stretch the hair out without the use of heat (flat ironing, blow drying, etc, which may result in heat damage).

Why do you band A's hair?
I band A's hair because it's easier for me to style stretched hair and from my experience, the final result looks better after being styled on stretched hair. Some people choose to blow dry instead, but I want to stay away from heat as much as possible. After banding A's hair, she has little to no tangles so when I'm styling her hair I don't have to stop to remove knots. This speeds up the process, minimizes breakage and, I believe, helps A retain length.

Do you always band A's hair?
No. It depends on what style I have in mind. I almost always band A's hair before doing cornrows, sister twists and box braids. I prefer for her hair to be wet/damp if I'm doing regular two strand twists all over, twist outs and braid outs, to name a few.

How do you band A's hair?
I use cloth covered ponytail holders. They are not all created equal. I tried a different brand last Summer and they caused breakage so I stick with the ones pictured below. After washing and detangling A's hair, I grab a section of hair, add a moisturizer (usually Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer), put a band/ponytail holder at the base and from there I begin spacing the ponytail holders half inch to an inch apart. I usually do between 3-6 sections on wet/damp hair but I recently did up to 12. The closer you put the bands, the more stretched the hair will be, also, the more sections you do, the more stretched the hair will be. This is completely up to you. I leave the bands in overnight. I also braid the ends that are left out of the bands.

Faded Glory Brand:


Goody Ouchless Brand: (the ones on the left)


Do I have to band?
Not at all. There are several different methods people use to stretch the hair. You can do single braids or twists, cornrows, etc. I do 6 single braids once in a while but I find banding works best. When I try other methods her hair usually still has quite a few tangles.

Does banding cause breakage?
For A? No. Like I said, I believe it helps her retain length since her hair is stretched out and tangle free. As previously mentioned, not all ponytail holders are created equal so you have to be careful about which ones you use.

As you can see below, these cheap ones I bought from a local dollar store broke her hair off. I also don't recommend using regular rubberbands for banding. Be sure to moisturizer the hair prior to banding. Also, be careful when removing bands and make sure you don't make them too tight.

Ripped open package

Breakage!

Banding results from using 12 sections overnight:


After removing bands, ends still braided.


After using the Tangle Teezer.


Banded style she wore to school.

More banding?