A braid should sit flat without pulling the scalp up into little bumps. If the client winces, it is too tight, no matter how neat it looks. In week one we braid slowly, and I touch every root.
Tension is the first lesson
Tight braids at the hairline are where edges go. We start the front sections looser and use feed-in methods so the weight builds gradually.
Weight adds up
Long, thick braids can weigh more than a kilo. Spread over a few hundred braids that sounds small, but it pulls on every root for weeks. Knotless braids and lighter extensions spread the load better.
How long should they stay in
For most clients, six to eight weeks is plenty. After that, new growth starts to twist around the base and the hair can mat. I teach students to give a take-down date when the client pays.
Telling the truth
Some clients will ask for the tightest, smallest, longest braids possible. Part of the job is explaining, kindly, what that will do to their edges. A good braider keeps clients for years by protecting their hair, not by agreeing to everything.
Where a client has thinning, sores or hair loss, we tell them to see a doctor before we braid. We are not there to diagnose.