After you’ve picked out your braided style and you’ve secured that highly coveted Saturday AM appointment, there’s still one last thing you have to take care of: choosing your
braiding hair. With all the brands out there, it can be kinda overwhelming to nail down what specific hair you’ll need to complete your protective style. Most braiding hair brands use synthetic hair, which means the hair is made up of man-made fibers instead of real human hair. You can use human hair to braid—and certain looks, like human-hair box braids, require it—but it’s high-key expensive, and not necessary for most styles. When it comes to synthetic hair though, you want to look specifically for braiding hair, which is a type of high-quality synthetic hair that’s smoother, softer, and less irritating than other synthetic hair types.