Are Braids Professional?

Living in a more liberal area of the country I think the person in the photo looks very professional. But that's just my opinion.

Ask your instructors what they think in regards to your applying for a job. They should have some insight.

My hospital requires all bedside professionals to have their hair above the collar. That said, do all nurses comply? No. Keep in mind, if you are performing wound care, caring for a combative or disoriented patient, placing a foley, starting an IV, etc, etc... is your hair going to get in the way?

A co-worker of mine, with long hair, pulled back in a ponytail, was bitten in the face by a psych patient who as able to grab her hair and pull her to his face to bite her.

Long hair and braided is not so much a "professional image" issue as it is a "safety and aseptic care" issue.

For interviewing purposes, I would have your hair up and off the collar to show that you can manage this and there would be no question.

Personally, I was hired for my first nursing job by telephone interview and did not meet my nursing manager until my first day on the job. YEMV

Thank you so much!! ❤️ I live in NY, so hopefully this won't be too much of a problem.

Professionalism, no problem (I’m in Connecticut). As someone else said, just be sure you can get it up off your face and neck when needed. But as far as for interviews etc it wouldn’t be an issue here.

They look clean and neat, to me that looks professional. Only thing is when you're bending down for example, it seems your hair would fall into the workspace and/or other people's personal space. But that would be the case for anyone with long hair regardless of texture and with or without braids. So pull it back when you're at work and voila!

(a little jealous here of your beautiful hair)

( my 2 cents- I think it's beautiful). And i bet you could pull it up into nice bun or whatever if employer wants to make it an issue. Good Luck on interviews!

Agree with the above. There should be no problem; it is a neat/kempt appearance. Nurses usually band/tie/etc at the back of the neck so that the braids cannot fall forward into a patient's space or sterile field, etc. - same expectation for all long hairstyles. Maybe a good idea to wear it tied back in an interview as well.

Good luck with your interviews!

Yes box braids are professional so long as they are neat and tidy, however getting tight braids pulling at the scalp for a prolonged period of time can cause baldness and thinning. Also it's a miss conception that your hair is growing more rapidly it's just that it is less tightly curled because it has been weighed down and stretched out.

Just a comment - I travel by whch. A young man with neat, attractive, reasonable length Dreds assisted me. But his braids were whacking me my face.

Never told him, but I thought it was funny, altho others might consider it not so.

Just tie them up or secured in the back and you'll be fine. It is an ethnic hairstyle which is acceptable. But you don't want any undue negativity.

Good luck.

Girl, wear your braids!