Cornrow Braids

Cornrows are not only a great hairstyle but are also a deeply rooted part of African history.

The steps to creating a cornrow braid hairstyle are:

1. Use a medium-to-fine-toothed comb to part the hair, separating a row of hair into your desired length.
2. Determine the direction you want the braid to go in. Remember to begin braiding at the base of the strand, moving out to the tips. This will give you that smooth, finished look that makes these braids so popular.
3. Once you’ve figured out which way you want the cornrows to go, go to the section you want to begin with and separate it into three small sections. The left strand will be A, the middle B, and the right strand will be C.
4. Begin braiding:
   1. Hold A between the second and third fingers from the pinky.
   2. Hold B between the index finger and the thumb on your left hand.
   3. Take C with the thumb and index finger of your right hand.
   4. Use your right index finger to grab A from the left hand.
   5. Bring it under B and over C.
   6. Use your index finger to carry over C, as you simultaneously grab the hair from the row underneath.

The best way to care for your cornrows is to:

• Put a cap of shampoo and water together and pour it over the braids.
• Take a cottonball and rub it over your scalp in one direction.
• Wash out the shampoo.
• To keep your scalp from drying out, use a spray on conditioner.

Many celebrities have sported cornrow braids in the past. Some have been praised for the hairstyle while others have been entered onto the worst dressed list:

Cornrow braids are ancient in origin. The hairstyle began thousands of years ago in Africa and can been seen on ancient hieroglyphic statues. Throughout history, cornrows in African culture have stood for:

• Religion
• Kinship
• Status
• Age
• Ethnicity
• Identity

Cornrow braids came to America with slavery. Often upon capture, the heads of the captives were shaved. The slave captors shaved the slaves' heads both for sanitary reasons and to strip the slaves of their cultural identities. This attempt to disestablish the slaves' traditions was fruitless. When the Africans were bought by slave masters, they re-grew their hair and continued their hairstyle traditions. To the slaves, it was silent retaliation and protest for their detestable position.

After a short stint with straightening hair in the late 1800s and early 1900s, blacks all over the world returned to their heritage in the 1950’s. Several factors led to the change:

• The revolts against colonialism in Africa
• New cultural politics emerging in America
• Emerging black power
• African-roots movement

With the black cultural movement in the 1980’s, hip-hop came onto the scene. As hip-hop became part of mainstream media in the 1990s, so did hip-hop fashions and hairstyles. Cornrow braids followed hip-hop into the limelight as celebrities began to wear them. Soon fans began to follow suit and cornrows began to break the cultural boundaries they had been restricted to for so long.

Whether cornrows are right for you is a question can only you can answer. Cornrows can be a good low maintenance hairstyle for those who wear it. However, what works for one person may not for another person. Just look at the celebrity list above for examples of who it has worked for and who it hasn’t. Sometimes the best way to find out if something works is to take a chance try it.

Written by Virginia Payne..

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