SERVICES BROCHURE
MUSA BRAIDING & WEAVING STYLES
Sudley Corner Plaza, 7222 Nathan Court | Manassas, VA 20109 | United States of America
www.musabraids.com|
(703) 361-8282 | Mobile: (703) 895-8596
Page 1 of 5 | 4/16/2007
© 2007 Musa Braids & Weaves. All rights reserved.
SERVICES BROCHURE
1- Braiding & Weaving Techniques
Braiding is an outward expression of an inward (inner most) perceived design. It brings out the values of
African culture and artistic heritage. The basic Braid styles that exist include:
• Individual Braids
• Cornrows
• Twists
These styles are created using a wide range of techniques. Each Braid stylist has a different technique
that they use. In some cases the technique depends on ones cultural background. This is why different
people braid differently but most important is that the end results are almost always similar. For example
a Braid stylist from one part of Africa can braid differently from a braider from another part. In Africa,
even in one country people from the North can braid differently from those in the South. Some
techniques put a lot of pressure on customer’s scalp and can be very strenuous for Braiders and
customer’s alike.
To choose/select the Braid techniques used at Musa Braids & Weaves, the owner has studied all
techniques and has over the years come to realize that the techniques that put less pressure and stress on
the customer are the best. To start, the seat must be comfortable and able to adjust up and down as need
may arise. To maintain an upright posture for both the client and the braider the seat has to be fully
adjustable.
Most Braid styles take at least an hour and a half at minimum to complete meaning that both customer
and braider must be very comfortable. To keep customers fully awake and not bored we offer a variety
of movies, refreshments including water and soda. We are aware of the differences and options available
to the customer and the variety of Braid styles. We have the required hands on experience and practice
to enable us to be among the best in the market.
The names of the braid styles may vary from place to place as more styles are created. The basic
techniques at Musa Braids could be described as follows:
Sudley Corner Plaza, 7222 Nathan Court | Manassas, VA 20109 | United States of America
www.musabraids.com|
(703) 361-8282 | Mobile: (703) 895-8596
Page 2 of 5 | 4/16/2007
© 2007 Musa Braids & Weaves. All rights reserved.
SERVICES BROCHURE
2 (a)Cornrows Techniques They can be designed and sculpted into a variety of patterns with or without the use of extensions. For
African textured hair for this technique to be used without extensions, the hair must be at least six inches
in length – this depends on the texture (more straight and thick hair must be longer. For Caucasian hair it
is better to use extensions to ensure durability of the design. Hair must be at least 10 inches long.
The fundamental of braiding starts with the basic cornrow. Cornrows are the foundation or starting point
for braided styles. If you can cornrow then you can braid all. At Musa Braids we have the speed,
accuracy and finger /wrist dexterity. We are masters of this technique and we can cornrow a wide range
of designs. We also use the feed in technique for individual braids and cornrows. Several methods are
used to integrate extensions into hairlines. Some introduce large amounts of extension material to
frontline, giving it bulky and knotted look. Many people like this look because it is fast and effective
way of adding extensions if the customer is ok with it.
A more natural looking method is accomplished by concealing the extension at the front line thus
eliminating the knot or lump (the lump can damage the fragile hairline. With the feed in method, hair is
gradually added throughout the braid so that the braid is built up strand by strand. With this method the
braid stays in longer but it takes more time and skill to accomplish. The finished design is flat, natural
and contoured to the scalp. It creates a tapered or narrow base at the hair line. Adding small amounts of
extensions fills in the base and the adjoining braids are brought closer together. Excessive tension is not
put on the hair line when this method is used. The parting is important and defines the finished style.
2 (B) CORNROWS It consist basically of three strands of hair interwoven together directly on the scalp in a line of presectioned hair, normally from the front to the back of the head. They lay flat on the scalp. Cornrows
present themselves in a variety of ways; such as same size from front to back, some start small in front
and increase in size along the line as more hair extensions are added in the hair.
This style can last for a few days to a month depending on the length of the hair, maintenance, hair
texture, whether or not hair extensions are added, how loosely or tightly the hair was cornrowed, the rate
of growth of each person’s hair etc.
The price also varies depending on the length and thickness of the hair (which affects the time taken to
start and complete one row of cornrows). Straight styles take shorter time than zigzag styles, Caucasian
hair texture is silky and requires more skill, experience and time to section the hair and cornrow it. Some
people are generally tender headed than others and consequently more time is needed to cornrow their
hair.
Sudley Corner Plaza, 7222 Nathan Court | Manassas, VA 20109 | United States of America
www.musabraids.com|
(703) 361-8282 | Mobile: (703) 895-8596
Page 3 of 5 | 4/16/2007
© 2007 Musa Braids & Weaves. All rights reserved.
SERVICES BROCHURE
Kids also require more time because they easily lose patience. Generally a line of cornrow can vary in
cost anywhere between $2.50 to $10.00, depending on the factors stated above. The time it takes also
varies from 5 minutes (if it is only one cornrow) to even 10 hours (if you want about two hundred rowsmicro cornrows). Most people usually want about 15 cornrows. This usually takes about 1hour thirty
minutes depending on how long the person might want them and the style.
3 WEAVING This term refers to a method of extending hair or adding volume to the hair. It consists of making thin
cornrows using hair extensions and sewing hair extensions (wefted) over it. The cornrows can be made
vertically, horizontally, round or zigzag depending on the style. Some hair can be left out in front and on
the sides and back to blend in with the extensions and give it a more natural look or all the hair can be
corn-rowed and the extensions sewn over it. This method can last for 6 to 9 weeks if proper care is
maintained.
4 ‐ ADDED ON METHOD This method can be used for Cornrows and Individual Braids. It consists in starting off a braid as usual
and then adding hair extensions after every other inch of braid. The end results are that the individual
braid increases in size as the braid progresses--same thing is true with the cornrows. This method is ideal
for making cornrows for people who have a very thin hair line and the cornrows last longer because the
front stays in place and doesn’t pull back easily like with conventional cornrows. People with thin hair
on the scalp can benefit from this because there is more scalp cover as the cornrows grows bigger. With
the individual braids the braid is small at the ends. The ends can be burnt or put in hot water to give it a
professional finish.
5‐ Lacing/Tree Braiding/ Invisible Braids This refers to a method of making individual braids or cornrows that Musa Braids expertly offers. This
method adds a natural look to braids It can be done using either synthetic hair, (tangle free quality – the
smooth type) or Human hair (ideal for this method).This method when used properly helps hide the
braid, making them invisible.
It consists of braiding the hair about an inch from the scalp, letting out some strands of the hair
extensions loose and then continuing the braid till the end of the hair.
People who have very long hair about 10 inches or longer and do not want braids to be obvious can use
this method. It is a wonderful method to use for Caucasian hair because it completely covers the scalp
and gives the braided hair a very natural look. When this method is used for cornrows, the finished
product looks like a weave at the back and the cornrows are only visible in the front.
Sudley Corner Plaza, 7222 Nathan Court | Manassas, VA 20109 | United States of America
www.musabraids.com|
(703) 361-8282 | Mobile: (703) 895-8596
Page 4 of 5 | 4/16/2007
© 2007 Musa Braids & Weaves. All rights reserved.
SERVICES BROCHURE
INDIVIDUAL BRAIDS/CORNROWS/WEAVE CARE Individual Braids can be washed normally with shampoo and dried with a hand dryer or let air dry. A
braid sheen spray or oil spray can be used once or twice a week on the scalp to keep it clean and prevent
it from itching. A choice of spray actually depends on each person preferences. Some people prefer to
wash braids once every two weeks and others prefer not to wash. It is important to wash braids and
properly dry them to maintain good health and cleanliness of hair. A du-rag can be tied around the braid
line at bed time to avoid lint and rubbing on the bed.
Cornrows can also be washed but more care needs to be exercised. Avoid rubbing the cornrows. If the
hair is extremely short; avoid washing because the hair will get loose from the extensions. Use braid
spray once or twice a week on scalp to prevent or stop itching.
Sudley Corner Plaza, 7222 Nathan Court | Manassas, VA 20109 | United States of America
www.musabraids.com|
(703) 361-8282 | Mobile: (703) 895-8596
Page 5 of 5 | 4/16/2007
© 2007 Musa Braids & Weaves. All rights reserved.