My first time doing box braids and they took about 13 hours to do, but I liked them esp. in the 2nd/3rd week when they shrunk significantly and fuzzed. But, taking them down was no joke--took about 23 hours over a 21/2 day period to take out, I was relieved when I got to the last braid and went to bed soon after. The only good thing, I had very little tangles and will probably due them again for an upcoming wedding.