Origin Of Braids Culture | How Much Does Asian Braids Cost In Thailand
Have you ever wondered about the origin of your beloved braid hairstyles and how various styles and techniques came to be? It all started in Africa. As braids are stylish, it is important to understand the origin of braids, the history behind braids hairstyle, and why it is an important part of Black culture? The braid’s origin can trace back 500 years to 3500 BC in African culture.
Braiding culture starts in Africa with the Himba people of Namibia. Furthermore, hairstyling is a marker of one’s attributes like wealth, social status, age, religion, position, and marital status.
Braiding Culture
Braids are a complex hairstyle that forms by interlacing the strands of hair. Generally, three strands of hair are used in braids. The simplest and most common version is a flat and three-stranded structure. In addition, more complex patterns can form by using more than three strands.
Just like fashion hairstyle trends also go through cycles of popularity, hairstyles also change with time. The new things to the current generation would be old to its predecessors as braids have seen a huge evolution in the current age.
Furthermore, braided hairstyles consistently stand with time and come back years after as the latest trend.
The origin of braids has a complete history that starts over 3000 years ago. It is fascinating that braided hairstyles have maintained their cultural relevance even after many centuries. So, from ancient cornrows to box braids, the history of braids is evolving with its styling possibilities.
Origin Of Braids Culture
Braids originated from Africa as early as 3500 BC. You can find the earliest image of braids along the River Nile in ancient burial grounds. Moreover, in African tribes, braids were not just a form to protect your hair. Still, they also represent what tribe a person was from and used to communicate several things like wealth, age, and marital status.
Younger children would watch and learn the process of braids from their Grandparents. So this has passed the test of time and is still the main part of black culture today.
Braiding has been in the DNA of Black culture for generations. Braids have gained soo much popularity in recent years; the style has a rich history over generations and continents.
Cultural History Of Braids
As for West African people who took their homes by force, the women would braid food like rice seeds in their hairs as the only means of survival for them and the culture of their homeland. Braids were also used to pass on messages based on braided styles.
Furthermore, people use braids as a map of freedom. For example, the amount of plaits used will show how many roads need to cross and meet someone. Cornrows and Braids are not just hairstyles. They are life skills.
Braids also serve another purpose, as they become a secret way of conveying messages to enslaved people for communication purposes with one another underneath their master’s noses. Hair is an integral part of the complex language system, which communicates a person’s identity wearing the braids.
According to data, people also use braids as a map of freedom. Now with time, braids become a sign of self-acceptance and self-love.
Evolution Of Braids Into Modern Culture
Styles and expressions have changed with time, but braiding patterns remain the same. In the modern age, braids are worn and praised in several ways.
Many women and men who would not have worn them previously now embrace them as their hairstyles. Women are also approaching different braiding styles in different ways. Most importantly, it ranges from clean lines to organic and messy braids. Now women are taking a fresh approach to coolness.
In today’s culture, we see messy and freestyle braids that don’t have to be tight. Nowadays, people wear braids that look perfect, chic, and relaxed. However, getting your braiding hairstyles in-salon environment builds unity and provides a historical culture.
Types Of Braids
Over the last 5000 years, braid styles have slightly changed, but the techniques through ancient drawings have stayed the same. Here we discuss some braids types in detail.
1. Cornrows
Cornrows can track back to 3000 BC Africa. The patterns show which type of tribe a person belongs to and their status within that tribe.
Many warriors and kings used cornrows to represent their status in society. The evolution of braids started with cornrows. This neatly braided hairstyle keeps the strands close to the scalp. It can be complex and straightforward according to your choice. If you add hair extensions, it will give you extra length.
2. Ghana Braids
These braids originated from Africa. Their styles have played a huge role in Ghanaian cultural, religious, and social traditions. Moreover, these braids have kept close to the scalp, the same as cornrows.
3. Fulani Braids
These braids are a large, nomadic community of traditional hairstyles through generations of women. It is famous for its unique patterns and length. This hairstyle features braids that loop or hang on the side of the head. Then hair decorates with shells, beads, wooden and metal accents.
Cost Of Braids In Thailand
Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia. Although, braids are not a part of Thai culture. In history, Thailand has had a love and need for straight, black hair with many cultural hacks and remedies for hairstyling. Braids were common in Thailand in ancient times, but this culture was for boys. Additionally, boys wore braids in ancient times, but now it’s not common.
Braiding hairstyles are trendy among tourists in Thailand. Braiding is cheaper on the beach for 350-500 Thai Baht. Suppose we compare it with salons and shopping centers that cost more than 600 Thai Baht. For many years, Kangaroo has been a traditional braid hairstyle in Thailand, like Egypt.
Conclusion
Braiding trends re-emerges with time, with various protective styles popular in different Asian-African countries. Braiding has been an inseparable part of black history. The braids were carried from Africa or many other countries of the world until today, where Black women proudly wear and reclaim the braiding hairstyles of their ancestors.
