Forty and one braid hairstyles

Have you ever worn a braid, a simple single braid hanging down your back? I did, a lot...until I turned 16. I think I had the longest hair in our small town - it almost reached my knees. And of course, the only way to wear such long hair is in a braid. Or in two. Sometimes I wore them wrapped around my head or fixed in buns. Anyway, I got really tired and bored with all that and wanted something more fashionable and modern on my head. So I cut my hair off and since then I have worn braids very rarely.

Here I am, aged 15. Looking such a child...

Recently braids have become quite a fashionable hairstyle. And oh my! what a variety of styles there are to wear braids now: braid-decorated ponytail; fishbone braid; y-braid; loose braid; lace braid; bun+rope braid...The Wiki Answers states there are 40 different styles!

Yet, I know one more way that is not on their list and that would be the number 41. The Tibetan nomad women braid their hair into 108 plaits (to reflect the 108 blessings of Buddha). Nothing new about this, you would say, many girls braid their hair if not exactly into 108 but into numerous thin plaits. However, Tibetan women lengthen their plaits by adding strands of black yak wool and then sew them on to a broad band that is decorated with turquoises, coral, amber, silver or gold nuggets - some of them as big as walnuts.

photo courtesy Ruary James Allan

photos from here

Looks interesting but I wonder about comfort-ability of this hairstyle. Anyway, if one wants to be beautiful one is ready to sacrifice some comfort. 

Related post Hairstyles in Kathmandu