How Long Do African Hair Braiding Styles Last? African hair braiding styles are meant to last a while. You can usually get at least four to six weeks of wear out of them, depending on how you prep your hair beforehand and how you maintain your braids after install.

Braids continue to be a staple style for many Black people. From knotless braids which we love for their painless and long-lasting beauty to Black men wearing cornrows and bringing back the 99 and the 2000s, braids afford our hair protection from the blistering heat and frigid winters.

Box braids originate in South Africa and can be traced back to 3500 B.C. This style, then and into the present day, takes up to eight hours to create. Many believed if a woman was able to afford the time and cost of these braids, she was a woman of wealth.

“It takes between 4-6 hours for short to medium hair and 6-10 hours for really long braids depending on what braids you are having done how small how long they are,” says hairstylist Lorraine Dublin.