Just for a moment, let's face it: no one tells you that the actual work of getting braids takes place before you even sit down in the chair. You book the appointment, imagine yourself leaving with knotless box braids so clean they appear to have been produced by a computer, and then you turn up with damp, only partly untangled hair, the bag of unused braiding hair still in the plastic, and a stylist who is now quietly working out how many hours this appointment is actually go

Every time a new client sits in my chair for knotless braids, I say the same thing before I pick up a comb. I'm not trying to frighten anyone away. Braids are beautiful; they offer protection, require little upkeep once they're established, and let you wake up looking put together without using a flat iron for months. However, knotless braids do require a commitment of time, money, and a small amount of scalp sensitivity, and the clients who come in ready are always the most