By
Tembe Denton-Hurst,
a writer at the Strategist covering beauty and books.
She joined the site in 2020. Previously, she wrote about beauty and culture for Nylon and Elle.
It’s braids season. That time of year when braiding shops fill with women eager to protect their hair and make styling easy as they enjoy park hangs, pool days, and vacations. Most years, a dominant style emerges. Summer 2025 was boho braids, an evolution of knotless, where curly tendrils are added to braids for a layered, dimensional look. This year, for the first time in all my summers of getting braids, it’s natural-hair cornrows. It’s a big shift given that added hair has long been the standard in braiding; it adds thickness and length and helps braids last longer. So why would a growing number of Black women start going braiding-hair free? I spent the past couple of months digging around, talking to women with cornrows, braiders, stylists, and even a trichologist to figure it all out.
