Traveling With Braids – A Secret to No Fuss Hair

The braiding of the hair is an old art employed by many cultures. A braid (also called plait) is a complex structure which involves intertwining three or more strands of flexible material, in this case hair, and intertwining them together to make one long rope or braid.

In this short article we will discuss how braiding one’s hair while on vacation will ensure that you will have a great time while looking like a million dollars.

Vacation – when its time to go, it’s the only word one focuses on! Having to think about what to do with one’s hair is just not on your “to do” list. This is where the option of wearing braids comes in. Speaking from personal experience, I have found that wearing my hair in braids while on vacation has enabled me to swim, scuba dive, dance, work out, ride bikes and relax while still turning heads and getting plenty of smiles of approval when the sun goes down and the evening revs up!

If you decide to wear braids while on vacation, here are a few tips you should follow.

* Get your hair done at least two weeks before your vacation. A good braider will put those braids in pretty tight. Getting your hair braided early will help your head relax and help you get used to the braids. Then decide if you wish to have them long, medium or short. I usually opt for a medium to long style. This way if it’s too hot you can put them in a pony tail and get them off your neck. You can also wrap them high on your head or braid the braids and put them up with pins or barrettes.

*  Pack a few supplies to care for your braids. Make sure you pack some good shampoo and have some braid spray to keep your braids nice and shiny. This is also a good time to experiment with the many colorful scarves and headbands you might have accumulated on some of your travels. These serve to not only jazz up your hair but they are excellent for accessorizing your outfits.

* Before leaving home, remember to practice working with your braids. Put them in a pony tail to see if you like it – or use one of the scarves and wrap your braids up with them, or try different head bands. You will be surprised how easy it will be to look good while on vacation.

*  Care for your braids when you’re in the ocean. If you are in the ocean like I am, make sure to use a hair tie to keep your braids all together. I snorkel and scuba dive on vacations so I make sure my mask fits comfortably with my braids before I get in the water. And once out of the ocean, rinse your hair out thoroughly. When you get back to your room, wash the braids out with a decent shampoo and spray with braid spray. If you are on a cruise ship and have a balcony room, order your favorite drink, locate a nice chair and relax on the balcony with a good book or magazine while allowing your braids to dry in the sun. My family and I travel to hot climates where it takes very little time for braids to dry!

*  Style your braids for evenings out. For evening wear, try sweeping up your braids and using colorful scarves with gold and silver threads in them. Or use rhinestone hair combs to help pull them up and anchor them down. You can also color coordinate your scarves with the dresses or outfits that you wear in the evening.

Wearing braids while on vacation gives you the freedom to enjoy your days to the fullest without having to mess with your hair and still look like a million dollars.  Rather than worrying about your hair, you can focus on dancing away the evenings and watching the beautiful night sky with your honey.

By: Joanne Griffin

Joanne Griffin is an at-will adventurous traveler.  At the drop of a dime she can be found in Japan, Mexico, Hawaii, Canada, Europe or in the Caribbean Islands.  She is the happy mother of three great children and will be teaching English abroad in the near future.

Presented by:
ThriveOnTravel.com
Sima Kimble