Round and Around We Go - Beehive Braiding Pattern

I absolutely love to protective style with wigs. My last go-round, I was able to last 6 whole weeks without loosening the braids, the longest I've ever gone. See, before now, the longest time I was able to wear a set of cornrows was about 4 weeks, and many times, I only got to two or so. I attribute this to two things: 1) I seem to miss my hair being out and 2) when I braid my hair going back, the ends unravel and the nape tangles. My success in achieving 6 weeks last time was in large part due to the braiding pattern I used - the beehive pattern.

In this method, the hair is braided around in a circle starting at the perimeter and ending in the middle of your head. I braid my hair myself, and at first I thought I wouldn't be able to do this pattern on my own head, but it turned out to be quite easy.

Beehive Braiding Pattern

Benefits of the beehive braiding pattern

The hair lays flat on your head and you don't have to worry about tucking many braids away, or them hanging from beneath your wig lol I kid! I don't think this has happened to anyone. But the beehive pattern leaves you with only a single braid at the top of your head which is easily tucked between other braids. This pattern is great especially for short wigs, allowing for a neat look without the bulk.

Another thing I fancy about this pattern is that when the braids start to loosen, it doesn't come in contact with any loose hair (the hair near it is also braided up, unlike the straight back pattern when the ends can come loose, particularly after washing). This prevents tangling to a large degree. Although I did experience, matting with this method, it only occurred with the new growth, not at the ends.

There aren't too many drawbacks that I can think of. I experienced matting at the roots but I think that is so with any pattern you choose to use. A detangler and moisturizer are instrumental in the takedown and detangling processes. This will help to prevent breakage at the line of demarcation. Arm yourself with a product like Mane 'N Tail detangler or a similar product and you're good to go.

For a little more info, check out this post for my experience during take-down.

How do you braid your hair for wigs? Share your style.

XOXO,

Abbi