Cornrows in San Francisco — Best Salons & Prices

01

the BASICS

Cornrows are braided flat to the scalp, three strands taken up as you go, so the braid sits on the head instead of hanging from it. Extensions optional.

The pattern is the work. Straight back, curved, zigzag, parted into shapes, and it is drawn on your head before a single braid is laid. A good braider will tell you what your head shape can carry.

Worn alone they are a short style. Worn as a base, they hold a wig, a weave or a set of feed ins for weeks.

The one that shows the hand of the person who did it.

02

the VARIATIONS

traditional cornrows

the technique: Extensions and natural hair braided together from the hairline in a continuous underhand plait.
the feel: Flat, secure, classic. Great under wigs or for active days. Watch the tension on the hairline.

install

1–3 h

SF baseline

$60–150

stitch cornrows

the technique: High-precision partings — the braider uses a tail comb or nail to carve razor-sharp parallel lines into each row.
the feel: Crisp, geometric, 3D-ridged. Pulled taut for the sharp effect — firm on the scalp.

install

2–4 h

SF baseline

$100–220

feed-in cornrows

the technique: Extensions slipped under the cornrow track as the braid moves back. Starts from your own hair, expands from there.
the feel: The most edge-safe version. Seamless graduation of thickness, no heavy pull.

install

2–4 h

SF baseline

$120–200

pop-smoke cornrows

the technique: Two thick straight-back cornrows down the middle of the crown, flanked symmetrically by thinner feed-in cornrows going straight back.
the feel: Bold, graphic, low-effort statement. The two center rows are the whole style — reads as a signature pattern from the front.

install

2-4h

SF baseline

$100-200

03

the in the WILD

Cornrows — in the wild — braids by @hawadoeshair· Oakland

04

the UPKEEP

washRarely, if at all. Cornrows are a three to four week style, so most people keep the scalp clean and wear them to takedown. If you must, diluted shampoo on the parts with an applicator bottle.

sleepSatin scarf every night. Cotton is what fuzzes the rows.

lastsThree to four weeks. Longer with feed ins, but the new growth at the hairline is the tell.

edgesOil the parts twice a week. Rows pull more than hanging braids, so tension at the hairline is the thing to watch.

05

who DOES it · sf

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