How Long Does Lemonade Braids Last?
One question that most people want to be answered before they make their hairstyle choice is how long it lasts. Nobody wants their haircare routine to conflict with their daily life and getting a hairstyle that last longs can help with that. That said, how long does lemonade braids last exactly?
Lemonade braids generally last for around three to five weeks before they start needing removal and reinstallation. If you’re willing to follow extreme maintenance procedures, you may be able to increase that, dramatically increasing how long the hairstyle will last on you.
In this article, you’ll learn more about how lemonade braids last and how different factors impact that. Also, you’ll learn the maintenance procedures I talked about earlier that could help you increase how long your lemonade braids will last dramatically.
Why are Lemonade Braids Called Lemonade?
If you’ve noticed, the term: “lemonade braids” seem like a very weird name for a hairstyle, especially one that doesn’t feature any lemons or lemonades in the entire process of making the hair. With that said, you may want to ask: how did lemonade braids get their name?
It all goes back to 2016 when Beyonce released her 12-song album titled Lemonade. The hair the singer featured in the album was one of a kind, leading hair enthusiasts to come up with a unique name for it, and eventually settling on ‘lemonade braids,’ after the name of the album.
In short, lemonade braids got their name from Beyonce’s hit album, which is a PR move that the singer wasn’t expecting. It doesn’t matter what you think about the 12 songs in the album; I think we can all agree that it gave us something excellent in the hairstyle.
What is the Difference Between Lemonade Braids and Box Braids
Another question that gets thrown around pretty often seeks to get the differences between lemonade braids and box braids. I daresay the only similarity between the two is that they’re both braids; they’re actually very different hairstyles in reality. So, what is the difference between lemonade braids and box braids?
For one, lemonade braids take the form of cornrows, more like flat twists, while box braids are made of individual strands, which is more similar to box twists. That makes a humongous difference in how they look, feel, how long they last, and their maintenance procedures.
Since this article isn’t about the differences between the two hairstyles, I won’t be going a lot deeper. But at this point, you should understand that the difference between the two hairstyles is massive; you can look up some pictures on Instagram and Google to give you an idea of what I’m talking about.
Are Lemonade Braids Comfortable?
This question is so subjective that it’s impossible to answer it in a way that caters to all ladies. The level of comfort you’ll feel wearing any hairstyle will depend on how well it works for you. But generally, are lemonade braids even comfortable to wear?
If you’ve worn different styles of cornrows in the past without issues, you should be able to wear lemonade braids comfortably. However, you may face some adaptation issues if flat braids like cornrows have caused problems for you in the past. While it may be relatively comfortable for you, I won’t recommend getting it.
In short, the answer to the comfort question is: it depends. If you can wear cornrows without complaining about how uncomfortable they are for you, there should be nothing stopping you from wearing lemonade braids comfortably.
How Long Does Lemonade Braids Last?
Braids, being a protective hairstyle, are generally expected to last long. However, “lasting long” is very subjective, especially when it comes to the hair world where people have different standards. So, how long should lemonade braids last?
Lemonade braids can last for as long as they continue to look good. That timeframe depends on how you define good-looking hair, but for most people, it’s around three to five weeks after installing the hair. You can extend that timeframe to about eight weeks via maintenance, but that should be in extreme circumstances.
Talking about maintenance, you can dramatically increase how long your lemonade braids and all braids, in general, will last by implementing a few extra maintenance tips. In the following section, I’ll show you how to make your lemonade braids last longer by trying out a few maintenance hacks.
How to Maintain Lemonade Braids
The key to making any hairstyle last long is maintenance. While it’s evident that some aren’t made to last long, you already know what you’re signing up for from the onset. To ensure you get anything close to what you thought you signed up for, you need to ensure adequate maintenance.
Everyone knows the general maintenance procedures, but there are some that are specific to braids, and even lemonade braids in particular. Here are some of the best maintenance tips for lemonade braids to make them last longer.
1. Always prep your hair
One mistake that most noobs make during the process of installing lemonade braids is skipping the essential preparation process. If you do not prep your hair, you may end up with good-looking lemonade braids, but I can assure you that’s not going to last very long, at least, not as long as I quoted earlier.
To prep your hair, you may want to ensure you’ve done deep conditioning hours or days before starting the installation process. In addition to that, you may want to use nourishing oil during and after the installation, ensuring you keep an eye out for products that can damage your hair.
2. Don’t use heat tools
Heat tools might be convenient for styling, but they also don’t play well with synthetic hair. Since lemonade braids will almost always require you to add some synthetic hair, you should always try to do away with heat tools when getting lemonade braids.
3. Always protect your hair at night
Almost every expert out there adds protecting your hair to the list of actions that can help make your lemonade braids, and every other hairstyle out there, last longer. The long-term benefit of the simple act of covering your hair with a silk or satin scarf or t-shirt before going to bed is massive.
If you think finding a t-shirt and covering your hair is too much work, you may change your pillowcase and bedsheets to silk or satin. That way, you don’t have to endure the harsh cotton pillow, reducing the need to have to cover your hair during the night.
Conclusion
Lemonade braids are a long-lasting type of braids, which partly accounts for their popularity among ladies with afro-textured hair. If you’re not sure how the hairstyle lasts, this article should have educated, clarifying how long it lasts among other frequently asked questions.
