Knotless braids is one of the latest trends to hit the hair world within the last year, but I do not offer this service. Whenever I have to tell anyone that inquires that it is not a service that I offer, they always ask me why, so I have decided to explain my stance.
One of the major selling points of this style is that it gives a natural finish and it looks like your natural hair is braided but with additional length. I must admit, that I have seen some very well done knotless braids, but after carefully assessing the technique I made the decision to not offer that service.
Even though it creates a natural finish, everyone is not a candidate for knotless braids. Let me repeat, "everyone is not a candidate for knotless braids!" To get that seamless and natural finish, in my professional opinion, you need to have high hair density or 'thick hair'. Unfortunately, a lot of women confuse hair density with hair texture and mistake their curly, coily or kinky hair as being high density hair. What often happens is after blowing out, relaxing or plaiting their very curly hair, they are left with a ponytail that is half the size of their naturally curly puff or plait. The same concept applies for knotless braids.
Additionally, to get the desired length with knotless braids, this method requires small pieces of braiding hair to be added while plaiting and since most persons like longer braids, more hair will have to be added to get the desired length. For a client with low density hair, their natural plait will start out pretty thin and as the plait gets longer it will get fatter than the base of the plait. This leads to the foundation of the braid being thinner than the rest of the plait and this is not an ideal situation for your hair and scalp. Basically, your thin hair now has to bear the weight of the disproportionately bigger extension and as you manipulate the braids into different styles, it can put unnecessary tension on your hair.
Another major concern I considered was the aesthetic factor. Women who have low density hair are not a fan of their already thin hair looking scanty and showing a lot of their scalp. They will always opt for styles that make their hair look fuller, but knotless braids in low density hair can emphasize the thinness. Also, because normally your plaits do not start off thin and swell in size, the benefit of the style is lost because it can ultimately give an unnatural finish.
As a hairdresser, it is sometimes difficult to manage client's expectations, especially when the internet is flooded with images of perfect hairstyles that are used as inspiration pictures. Clients may send a viral picture of a particular style wanting the same, but sometimes upon closer observation, I have to educate my clients about the differences between their hair and the model's hair and how the outcome would not look the same on them. Knotless braids is one of those styles that I personally think can be problematic mainly because I think that the final result would not live up to their expectations.
My main goal as a hairdresser is always to help clients achieve a healthy head of hair and to ensure that they are happy with their style. After carefully weighing all these factors, I made the decision to not add this style to my service menu.
Have you tried this style before? Let me know your thoughts below.
Photo byGodisable JacobfromPexels
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