Everything you need to know about the 'love your ex' braids

Every year has its own hair trends and styles. 2021 was a huge year for the faux locs and we saw, and tired, everything from the butterfly locks to the goddess locks and maybe even real dreadlock extensions for some of us.

A major highlight that’s been trending for a minute is the cornrow style. Everyone has been going crazy over how many unique cornrow options we have now and we’re enjoying the creativity so far.

Something new that you will probably see more of this year is the ‘love your ex’ braids. Yes, these are braids that will remind you of an old flame, in style.

Since they are new to the scene, you might not know a lot about them so, here are a few things that can give you a clue.

Braided styles are becoming more intricate and honestly, it’s very impressive. Each style has a specific pattern and with these ‘love your ex’ braids, there is a pretty braided heart design on the side.

This signature heart gives the braid its famous name and that’s what makes it so unique. The rest of the hair is cornrowed delicately and the whole look is definitely one to try before the year ends.

Most people don’t know how to do salon quality braiding on their own hair. And since this hair trend is still new, it might be a bit hard to find someone who can do it perfectly.

If you want to get this hairdo, you should consult a few people so you can be directed to someone who can do this style well. You need someone who has good braiding skills especially because you want the braided heart to look good.

In case you don’t like using heat on your hair, you’ll probably need to this time to achieve this hairstyle. Stretched hair easily blends in with the braids and it’s just better for a neater look.

You can prep your hair by treating it first and apply a layer of heat protectant to keep your hair happy while being heat stretched.

These braids involve a very detailed process for the perfect look. There is a combination of different braiding designs and all that needs a lot of braid extensions.

With each step, there should be enough braids to feed in as you proceed so it would be better to stock up on enough braids before you start.

To pull off this look effortlessly, choose long braids instead of medium length or short.

Braids usually don’t have the same glow when you skip key hair products. The secret ingredients that make it all come together are edge control or hair gel. These products help create neater parts while braiding and they also help the style last longer.

The heart should also stand out and these products will do the trick.