Senegal & braiding: a craft that travels
For a long time, in Senegal as across West Africa, hairstyles served as an identity card. A pattern, a way of parting the strands or adorning the head signalled belonging to a group, age, whether a woman was married or not, and could even send a message to the in-laws or the neighbours. Tabaski is still the time when the most elaborate styles come out.
The skill is still passed on at home: you learn to plait sitting between the knees of an older sister or an aunt, and the neighbourhood salon is an extension of the family courtyard. People spend the afternoon there chatting while the hairdresser works. In the art of being well turned out, the head is the centrepiece.
This know-how has crossed the Atlantic. So-called “Senegalese” twists carry the country’s name in salons all over the world, and in New York, around Harlem and the area nicknamed Little Senegal, braiding salons run by Senegalese women have been part of the landscape for decades.
Locs, for their part, are often worn by the Baye Fall, a branch of the Mouride brotherhood also recognisable by its patchwork clothing. In Dakar, many young women now turn to wigs and weaves, to the regret of some braiders. Yet braids remain the travel hairstyle: they cope with the beach, the heat and weeks without blow-drying.
Formats: braids, twists, locs and weaves
- Cornrows and plaits: without extensions, with extensions or American-style with graphic patterns; about an hour for a simple style.
- Box braids and two-strand twists: down to the middle or bottom of the back, with or without beads; two to three hours depending on length.
- Twists: on natural hair or with extensions, from short twists to long ones.
- Locs: starting and retwisting, taking more or less time depending on the volume of hair.
- Weaves, extensions and wigs: extensions sewn onto a base of cornrows, wig fitting and customisation.
- Straightening and treatments: steam straightening and hair treatments, for straight and textured hair alike.
- Children and men: children’s plaits in about an hour, plaits and braids for men.
Where to get your hair braided in Senegal
- Dakar: the widest range, from braiding to weaves and straightening. Handy for a new style before your flight, or for a regular appointment if you live in the capital.
- Saly, on the Petite Côte: a salon focused on styles that stand up to the beach (braids, twists, box braids, locs), to fit in between a morning swim and lunch.
When to book
People get their hair done all year round. It is the festivals that fill the diaries: the days before Korité and Tabaski are the busiest, and these dates, which follow the lunar calendar, move forward by about eleven days each year. Weekend weddings and naming ceremonies have the same effect. If you are travelling, get your hair braided at the start of your stay: you will enjoy it right to the end.
Good to know & budget
Before the session. Come with clean, detangled hair and a photo of the style you want. Braiding hair and beads are not always included: each listing says so, and in Saly you need to bring them. For a particular colour or length, buy them yourself.
How long to keep it in. Dermatological guidance puts the limit at around two months at most for braids or twists. Beyond that, the roots tangle and the regrowth pulls on the braid. These are general guidelines: if discomfort persists, ask a doctor’s advice.
Aftercare. Wash your scalp gently and regularly, without soaking the lengths, then moisturise it with a light product. After the sea or the pool, rinse with fresh water. At night, a satin scarf reduces friction.
Protecting your scalp. A braid should hold, not hurt. Pain, tingling or small bumps at the root mean it is too tight: say so straight away. Repeated over years, tight styles thin the hair at the temples (traction alopecia). Ask for a soft hairline, choose thicker and shorter braids, which are therefore lighter, and give your hair a rest between styles. In the sun, cover your partings.
Booking and paying. The price of each session is shown on its listing, per person; it varies with the style and the duration. You pay 20% to secure your booking (the booking fee), and the balance is paid on site, on the day of your appointment. No additional official fees. If you live in Senegal, you get the resident rate: up to 30% off (the exact rate is shown on each listing).
Who is it for?
For anyone who wants a neat hairstyle that lasts for weeks, for parents having their children’s hair plaited, for men keeping up their locs or plaits.
Residents, Senegalese or expat, will find a regular appointment here: a salon they can trust, the resident rate, a festive style booked in good time before Tabaski. Visitors will see it as an experience in its own right: a morning in a Senegalese salon and a hairstyle that can take on the ocean. For a big day, see also make-up, eyelash extensions or the whole wellness & relaxation section.
On 125th Street in Harlem, a stone’s throw from the Apollo Theater, African braiding salons have long had their shopfronts. In 2016, a journalist followed these hairdressers from Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire or Togo: sessions lasting several hours, whole days on their feet, backs and wrists paying the price, clients scarcer than before. “This country is not what it used to be,” one of them told her. Behind every box braid sold in New York lies a skill learned as a child in a Dakar courtyard.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a braiding session take?
One to three hours depending on the style: about an hour for simple plaits or a child’s style, two to three hours for long box braids, two-strand twists or retwisting thick locs.
Is braiding hair provided?
Not always. Each listing states what is included; in Saly, you need to bring braiding hair and beads. For a particular colour or length, it is best to buy them yourself.
How long should I keep my braids in?
Dermatological guidance puts it at around two months at most. In the meantime, wash your scalp gently and regularly, and keep it moisturised.
Do braids damage your hair?
Not necessarily. The risk described by dermatologists comes mainly from styles that are too tight and repeated, which can thin the hair at the temples. If it hurts, it is too tight: ask for it to be loosened, and see a doctor if the discomfort persists.
How does payment work?
You pay 20% to secure your booking (the booking fee), and the balance is paid on site, on the day of your appointment. No additional official fees; residents get the resident rate: up to 30% off (the exact rate is shown on each listing).
