Getting my hair braided takes time, but it looks great

I always get my hair braided. I go to my aunt’s friend’s house. She has a hair salon in her home. It takes about two hours to do unless my hair is knotty. It seems faster when we watch a movie while she does it. The braids last about 18 weeks if you take care of them.

I take care of my braids by wrapping my head in a scarf when I go to bed and by putting moisturizer on my scalp between the braids.

There are different types of braid designs, like a heart at the side, straight down or curved around the side. At the end of each braid, you can get beads or twists. To make twists, you need a special tool that wraps the hair around. Then you put it in hot water and take out the tool. The hair stays twisted.

I usually get my hair done on the weekend after 18 weeks are up. One of these days, when I’m older, I’ll be braiding hair, too.

Lori Shyman’s sixth-grade class, Clarke Middle School, Westbury