What You Need for Fulani Braids

Fulani braids are defined by a pattern rather than a braiding technique. The recognizable version has a cornrow running front to back down the center part, cornrows braided from the temples toward the back or the sides, and individual braids hanging loose, usually finished with beads or metal cuffs. The style takes its name and its shape from Fulani traditions in West Africa, and the modern salon version borrows the arrangement.

The pattern

Start with the center row, because everything else is placed in relation to it. The side rows are then braided at an angle rather than straight back, which is what gives the style its distinctive sweep. The hanging braids at the back and sides are usually plain box braids or knotless braids in a medium size. How many rows you use and how you angle them is where the variation lives; no two Fulani sets need to match.

Beads and cuffs

The finishing hardware is not decoration you can skip and still have the style read correctly. Beads thread on with a small hook or a loop of dental floss and are held with a rubber band folded under the last bead. Metal cuffs pinch closed around the braid, which is faster but can slide if the braid tapers. Both add weight at the end of a braid, so keep the count reasonable on finer braids and be careful sleeping in metal cuffs, which press into the scalp through a pillow.

How much hair

Fulani styles use less added hair than a full head of individual braids, because a good part of the head is scalp braids. Three to five packs covers most sets. If you are matching the hanging braids to a specific color, buy those packs together. Ombre and bright colors are often used for a few accent braids rather than the whole head, so one pack of the accent shade usually goes further than people expect.

Edges and the center part

Two places take the strain. The center part is exposed and gets handled every time you touch the style, so keep product light there and avoid re-tightening it repeatedly. The angled temple rows sit directly over the hairline, and angled braiding tends to pull sideways on the very hair that is least able to take it. If the temple rows sting, they are too tight, and that will show as thinning long after the style is out.