Braids with curls

What you need

What braids with curls cost in South Africa, and how long they take

Variations

French curl braids

Braids that end in tight, pre-curled hair. Salons list French curls as their own service, often by length, and price short sets above plain short braids.

Boho and bohemian braids

Braids mixed with loose curls or wavy hair. Gyal Braids says a boho look may need an extra pack of bulk wavy hair on top of the braiding hair.

Short and bob curly braids

Bob-length braids with curls are listed by SA salons as short French curls, bob French curls and short boho braids. Eayon Hair gives short boho braids 3 to 4 packs at 12 to 16 inches.

Long curly braids

Longer curls cost more and take longer: the 27 long listings run to 5 or 6 hours. The extra length also adds weight on your roots, so ask for the shortest length you like.

How long they last, and care

1. 1
   Cover at night
   Sleep with your braids and curls gathered loosely in a satin or silk bonnet or scarf, as Curl Centric advises for protective styles.
2. 2
   Wash the scalp
   Curl Centric suggests washing the scalp every 1 to 2 weeks with diluted shampoo applied to the roots, and avoiding excess product.
3. 3
   Take them out in time
   Ywigs says most braided protective styles are worn up to about 6 to 8 weeks. Curl Centric treats eight weeks as the maximum.
4. 4
   Check the tension
   The American Academy of Dermatology says pain, stinging or crusts mean a style is too tight. Ask the stylist to loosen it.

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Short curly braids and braids with curls, explained

What braids with curls are

Braids with curls are braids that end in loose or tight curls, or that are mixed with curly hair. In South African salons and stores you will see them as French curl braids, boho or bohemian braids, and curly versions of other styles, such as tribal or Fulani braids with curls, knotless braids with curls and lemonade braids with curls. The names overlap, so ask your braider to show photos of the exact set you want.

Short curly braids are usually bob length or shoulder length. Salons list them as short French curls, bob French curls, short boho braids and short curly knotless braids.

What hair to buy

Stores sell curly braiding hair under names such as French Curl, Boho Curl, Bohemian Braid, Gossip Curl, Disco Curl, Curly Pop and Ocean Curls. In the stores we checked on 6 Oct 2026 it cost R78.90 to R190 a pack or set, and the price table above shows each row with the store, the pack size and the date. Cosmetic Connection labels its 24 inch Disco Curl as needing 3 packs per head.

Guides give different pack counts because they count different packs. Ywigs, whose chart assumes 100 g bulk bundles or 110 to 120 g crochet packs, gives boho and box braids as 3 packs at 14 to 18 inches, 3 to 4 at 20 to 24 inches and 4 to 5 at 26 to 28 inches, and crochet packs as 2 to 3, 3 and 3 to 4 for the same lengths. It says to add one pack for thick hair. For short boho braids at 12 to 16 inches Eayon Hair says 3 to 4 packs, without giving a pack weight.

If your braids are straight and the curls are added to the ends, you may need braiding hair as well. Gyal Braids says lemonade braids with curls may need one extra pack of bulk wavy hair for the boho look. Buy the whole set in one go, because Ywigs advises one extra pack so that colour and texture match.

What short curly braids cost in South Africa

We read the prices SA salons publish on Fresha, leaving out salons that specialise in children's hair. The 26 listings for short, bob or shoulder-length braids with curls cost R650 to R900 in the middle half, with a median of R800. They take 3.5 to 5 hours, with a median of 4.5. Plain short braids without curls cost less, at R500 to R700 in the middle half, so the curls add roughly R150 to R200.

Across all lengths we found 97 listings for French curls, boho and similar braids from 44 salons in 22 towns and suburbs. The middle half costs R700 to R1,050, with a median of R850, and takes 4 to 6 hours. Long styles take longest: the 27 long listings run 5 to 6 hours. Nine of the 97 say in the name that the hair is included, and most do not say, so ask before you book.

Questions to ask before you book

Names and prices for curly braids vary a lot between salons, so a few questions save a surprise on the day.

• Which curly hair will you use, and is it in the price?
• How many packs of braiding hair and of curly hair do you use?
• How long will the finished braids be, in inches?
• How long will it take, and is a wash included?
• What does the take-down cost when it is time?

How long they take and last

Long curly braids can take 5 to 6 hours, so plan your day around them. Curl Centric treats eight weeks as the maximum for any installation, and Ywigs says most braided protective styles are worn up to about 6 to 8 weeks. The American Academy of Dermatology says to wear weaves and extensions for two or three months at most before giving your hair a break. Take curly braids out earlier if your scalp is sore or your edges are thinning.

Looking after your scalp and edges

Curls add weight at the ends and a lot of hair near the roots, so the usual cautions apply. The American Academy of Dermatology says pain, stinging, crusts on the scalp, broken hairs around the forehead and a receding hairline are signs that a style is too tight. Curl Centric says shorter lengths and larger sections reduce the weight your roots carry.

Cover your braids at night, wash your scalp every 1 to 2 weeks, and rest your hair for 1 to 2 weeks between styles. A 2018 dermatology review notes that tight braids are among the highest-risk hairstyles for traction alopecia, which is hair loss from constant pulling, so pain at the hairline is not something to put up with.

Braids with curls: questions