You may have seen the term “cornrows” thrown around on social media or in the news recently.
Cornrows are a hairstyle that has been popular for centuries and is still popular today. They can be worn by people of all ages, and they are easy to do. The best part is that they can be done quickly, so you won’t need to spend hours in front of the mirror trying to get your hair looking perfect.
What are Cornrows?
Cornrows are done by braiding hair into rows, the braids are then interwoven with each other, and the end result is a neat and tidy hairstyle.
Cornrows have been worn for centuries, in different cultures all around the world. Cornrows are popular among African Americans, as they work incredibly well with that type of hair texture.
How to do Cornrow?
Part your hair in rows from front to back, making them evenly spaced.
Divide each row into 3 separate sections. Start with either the side section and cross over the center section, then take the opposite side and cross over the previous two sections to form your first braid. Take hair from each opposite side and add in a piece, bringing it over to the center. This attaches the braid to your scalp. Keep your fingers close to the scalp to keep the braid tight.
Continue this pattern until you reach the end of your section. Once you have reached the end, tie off with a hair elastic and cut off any excess hair that is sticking out of your braid.
5 Ways to Change Your Style
Cornrows are a popular hairstyle amongst black women, that have been around for centuries. They can be styled in many different ways and can change your look completely.
- Tight cornrows: This is a very popular cornrow style because it is easy to do and looks great. All you need to do is take a section of your hair and wrap it around one of the fingers on each hand, then pull the sections towards your head, so they pile up on top of each other. Quickly roll them around with a pencil eraser until they get tight. Tie with a rubber band to keep them in place.
- Loose cornrow: To do this style, take small sections of hair and wrap them around your fingers, then pull the twists towards the back of your head, so they lay in front of one another. Use a curling iron or hair straightener to bring out the coils before tying them off with a ribbon or elastic.
- Charming cornrow: For this style, take small sections of hair and wrap them around your fingers, then pull the twists towards the back of your head, so they lay in front of one another. Next, use your fingers to pinch each coil and pin it to the next coil on either side. Pull all the coils together under your hair, pulling them through the twists and back out.
- Cute curls: For this style, use your fingers or a brush to gently run through your hair, working towards the ends of your hair. Ensuring that you leave some length on top for styling, gather it into a low ponytail and secure it with bobby pins. Gather smaller sections of hair into curls, then tease the ends of the curls to make them extra bouncy.
- Baby hairs: For this style, brush through your hair to create a messy, tousled look and separate it into small sections with your fingers. Gather one section of hair at the top of your head, then create two side-by-side curls using the same section that you started with. Twist these two curls together and wrap them around the base of your fingers for a more defined curl. Repeat this on each side of the top of your head until you have enough curls to create three sections, then secure with pins in between each section to create a messy bun.
Cornrow Braid Hairstyles and Maintenance
Have you ever wanted to do what Monica did in one of the episodes of Friends when her hair got too fizzy to handle? She got cornrows to handle the hair.
We know that this move was talked about in not so flattering terms, but the fact is that cornrows are a good option, especially if you have frizzy or crinkly hair that is difficult to manage. And there are many cool cornrow hairstyles to choose the best one for you and will make you feel good.
However, before you jump in and get cornrows added to your hair, just make sure you know what kind of care they need and some precautions that you may need to take in order to make your cornrows last.
Once you have the cornrows done and learned about their upkeep, you will find that they allow you to go for intricate cornrow hairstyles that you did not even think of getting done before.
Getting cornrows done on your hair offers you a lot of choices when it comes to hairstyles. The one thing you need to remember about cornrows is that you should not try to do them the first time by yourself. Getting it professionally done at least the first few times will ensure that you get it done right.
The thing is that once you get your cornrows done, it makes sense to keep them for a while, and in order to do so, you will have to learn to take care of and maintain them well. This way, they will last longer and enable you to try different hairstyles.
They are done mostly in curly hair that has the tendency to dry out. You will need to ensure that you keep moisturizing your cornrows on a regular basis to avoid your hair getting brittle, dry, and potentially even breaking off due to this.
To this end, you need to regularly apply oil but do stop when the hair gets too sticky. Another important care element to remember is that you need to wrap your hair carefully and, if possible, in a silk scarf before going to sleep on a nightly basis.
The best way to do it is to fold the scarf in such a way that it forms a triangle. Then place the scarf on the head to cover the front of your hair with the widest side of the triangle wrapping around the front hairline.
Tie the two ends of the scarf at the back of your hair; do this in such a way as to prevent your scarf from sliding away.
If the cornrows or braids are too long, you can tuck them into the back of the scarf and tuck this in the knotted bit at the base of the back of the neck. This should be done gently but firmly every night before you go to sleep.
Another thing to remember is that you should not over-handle your braids, as this could result in frayed ends. To wash the hair:
- Wrap the hair in a long cap so that all the braids are in it, and wash it gently using diluted hair.
- Wash gently and press the braids to remove excess water, and wrap them in a scarf to dry.
- Ensure that you open the braids within a maximum of six weeks to ensure that your hair does not spoil.
Please do check out the various cornrow-based hairstyles you can try from the images given here along with this article.
Iskra Banović is our seasoned Editor-in-Chief at BlueFashion. She has been steering the website's content and editorial direction since 2013. With a rich background in fashion design, Iskra's expertise spans across fashion, interior design, beauty, lifestyle, travel, and culture.
