Box Braids, A Hot Hair Trend for Summer

Remember back in the '90s when wearing box braids was all the rage? I sported a box-braided bob from 1993 until at least 1998, and probably wouldn't have stopped if my hair hadn't started thinning in the crown and around the edges. Now all of a sudden, box braids are back, especially the long and thick style popularized by Janet Jackson in the 1993 flick, Poetic Justice. The film was dreadful, but we all remember Janet's jinglin' baby braids.

Janet Jackson's iconic braids in 1993's Poetic Justice.

Solange Knowles wearing the retro braid style in 2012.

Everything She Wants recently spotted a striking young woman and asked her about her Poetic Justice-reminiscent hairdo. Her name is Adrienne Green (see last two photos) and she's been wearing long box braids for about four months. Before adopting box braids as her signature summer look, the 22-year-old wore her own hair in double-strand twists.

Photo by Tracy E. Hopkins

Adrienne Green's long box braids turn heads./Photo by Tracy E. Hopkins

Adrienne's friend braids her hair using added synthetic hair for length and volume. Since her friend doesn't braid too tight, she hasn't experienced any breakage.

"It helps my hair grow," the Long Island, New York resident says. To keep her hair and scalp healthy, she sprays her hair with a mixture of coconut oil and Aussie conditioner every few days, and washes her hair once a week.

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