Waist beads are a traditional body jewelry worn all over Africa. It is believed the oldest evidence of waist bead wearing is in ancient Kemet, known today as Egypt, where the women wore several layers of waist beads called girdles. Today, they can be found in different cultures across West, East, South, Central and even North Africa.

Waist beads have acquired many uses and meanings over time. In some cultures, they are worn to track the physical growth of newborns, to shape the waist of young girls, or as a form of lingerie for women. They symbolize feminine beauty, sensuality, and spiritual protection. For many women today, they can also symbolize the beginning of a wellness, self-love, or body acceptance journey.

In many cultures it is a taboo to show your waist beads or wear them publicly. Most often, they are worn underneath clothing as a secret to only be shared with a spouse or lover. In other cultures, they are intentionally shown to denote status or maturity. In most cases waist beads are worn low on the hips or some where between the navel and hips, but today many women opt to wear them at their natural waist to accent a midriff or to better gauge bodily changes.

Traditionally waist beads are worn along the hips semi-permanently, which means they are worn while bathing, sleeping, swimming, etc. until they break or they are cut off. To tie them on, you simply place them around your waist, decide where you want them to sit, remove the excess beads and tie 3-4 knots. Once you are sure the beads are secure, cut off the excess string and beads. Be sure not to tie them too tight or else they will break! Leave enough room for sitting, bending and bloating.

For some people, staying aware of bodily fluctuations keeps them in tune with their bodies. Waist beads can help you visualize and note changes in your body overtime, for example, during pregnancy/post-partum, your monthly cycle, or a wellness journey. As your waist line grows your waist beads will roll up your waist and feel tighter and as your waist decreases they will get looser and slip down toward your hips.

Traditional tie waist beads are semi-permanent and can be worn while bathing, swimming, sleeping, etc. You can wear them until they break on their own or if you want/need to remove them, just cut them off.

Everyone who has worn waist beads knows there is a moment when they will eventually pop due to stress and wear, but with proper fit and care they can last many years. Our waist beads are made with the best materials to ensure long wear. Make sure they are not too tight, so that they do not break when you bend or sit (or after you eat too much). I personally have worn the same set of waist beads for up to 5 years without taking them off.

Tie waist beads can be cut and re-tied to fit if you lose a substantial amount of weight. Just be sure there is enough string to make 3-4 knots.

You can wear as few or as many waist beads as you feel comfortable in. In some cultures, like the Akan in Ghana, it is a taboo to wear a certain numbers of strands, for example, wearing only 2. In general most people wear 1-3 strands.