African Threading for Hair Growth, Benefits and Uses

When you are looking for hair growth, length, protective styling, or an edgy look, African Threading will do it for you. No other style brings out the gravity-defying power of kinky hair quite the same way.

The origins

African threading is a cherished tradition among women in parts of Nigeria, Ghana, and the entire Sub Saharan Africa.

Generations of black women have used African Threading to style their hair and straighten it naturally. African Threading is as simple as parting hair into sections and using black thread to wrap each section from root to tip. All you need is a head of clean, moisturized hair, some thread, and a pair of scissors to cut the thread.

Benefits & Uses

African threading for hair growth and length retention

Threading is a low manipulation style, which means that it leads to minimum damage.

To protect your hair from any damage while using African Threading as a protective style, don’t wash it while it is threaded, don’t thread it too tight, don’t section your hair into really tiny sections, and don’t keep it on for too long. One or two weeks are enough.

Protective styling makes it easier for kinky hair to retain length as it grows. It keeps your hair well covered and free from anyone messing with it as it grows naturally. Hair is safely covered by the thread wrapped around it.

African threading for Styling

African Threading is best known as a way of stretching your hair. You can also use threading to style your hair. While your hair is threaded, you can style it into a simple up-do, create mini braids, chunky twists, or flat twists around your head.

Stretch your hair without heat

Use this as a safe way to stretch your natural hair after it has shrunk during washing. Threading does not damage hair like the blow dryer which uses heat. Threading may not straighten your hair as thoroughly as a blowout, but it does do a better job than plaits or twists. To stretch hair effectively, wrap each section of hair in thread from root to tip.

Thinner hair will require fewer sections and thicker hair will require more sections.

The longer you leave the thread on the better the results. If you are not able to style with threading you can always wear a headwrap until you are ready to remove the thread.

Don’t take it out until your hair is completely dry.

Some naturals will use a flat iron after taking down the threads just to have a smoother, straighter finish. This is perfect if you are planning to have a pressed look because it minimizes your heat exposure.