Braided hairstyles for black women are great for folks who want their hair to look great but do not want to deal with maintaining the look. Once the braids are in place, they will stay this way for several weeks.

A traditional braided hairstyle is one where three to five strands of hair are woven into thin to thick braids that hang low. Many women have extensions or weaves added to their hair to make the braids that much longer. This ensures that one could then pull back their braids in a bun, ponytail, or some other hairstyle. One can have the hair parted down the middle, have the hair divided into sections, or can go with a zigzag or geometrical part or sectioning. More complex braids may use as many as twelve strands of hair and may take hours to complete. However, the joy of such black hairstyles as that they stay in place for weeks at a time. Thus, the initial time investment is seen as more than worth it.

Micro braiding is exactly what it sounds like: when the hair is braided into tiny or thin braids. Often, people go with this form of braiding so that they can then play with updo hairstyles and can grow out their hair. Like most braiding hairstyles, beads and colored extensions may be included in the hairstyle to make it that much more unique.

Lastly, another simple and popular braided hairstyle for black women are cornrows. These braids are tight and close to the scalp. Often, the braids are woven into straight lines or into many elaborate or complex geometrical shapes and patterns. Cornrows are great for people who want to keep their hair out of their faces and want easy to maintain, classic hairstyles.