Video: Braided Hairstyles for a Mohawk

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About the Expert

Aisha Maundy

Aisha Maundry of Hair by Nia, a hairstyling professional with more than 14 years of experience in the field, first learned the art of braiding from her grandmother while growing up in Trinidad and has continued to sharpen her skills ever since. Maundry specializes in the art of transforming a woman’s natural hair into a work of art through the use of two-strand twists, micro braids, extensions, weaves, corn rowed designs and other techniques. Her use of natural products and techniques to revive damaged hair and promote healthy hair growth has helped make Hair by Nia a rising star in the hair industry. Clients include Abe Elam of the New York Jets, entertainment fashion stylist Liesel “Q” Quami and HBO Boardwalk Empire Milliner Maia DeRoche.

Transcript

Hi, I'm Aisha, and I'm a natural hairstylist. I'm going to show you how to create the braided Mohawk look. There are a couple of steps to achieve this look and it takes some time but if you want something that's funky and fresh, this is worth it. So, let's get started. So, here are the tools that you'll need to achieve this look. You'll need setting lotion or a spray bottle of water, duck clip to hold your hair apart as you section off the hair and a comb with a pointed end. That way you can make straight parts as you style your hair. So now, I'm going to show you how to create the braided Mohawk look. It's kind of time consuming so I've already completed about two thirds of the way on how to get this look but I've left out sections to show you key elements on creating it, okay? This section is left out so I can show you how to create the bantu knots. Bantu knots will create a natural curl instead of applying heat. So, what you do is you spray with a leave in conditioner or water, you piece the hair into two parts and twist. You twist until you get to the end of the braid, just wrap it around the base of the braid and that creates a little ball and that's a bantu knot. Now, I have a section left off on this side to show you how the cornrow is done. Comb your hair to an angle and you'll have to use mirrors to make sure that your parts are straight and that you are creating a straight braid. Now we're almost finished. You have to sit under a dryer or maybe a hand blow dryer or let it air dry and I'll show you what it looks like for the finished look. To achieve the curly look you take the Bantu knots out, you pull them out and just separate them. The more you separate the fuller it gets, the less you separate, the more defined the curls are. If you'd like to loosen the curls and they're a little bit too tight, you can use a blow dryer on a low setting and pull them out. I'm Aisha, and this is the braided Mohawk. This style takes about an hour or more depending on the length of your hair, but if you want something that's fresh and funky, this is worth the time.