Q: What are Waist Beads? A: Waist beads are traditional African accessories that consist of small glass beads on a cotton string or wire worn around the waist or hips. Q: How do you apply waist beads? A: 1. Wear your full strands of waist beads below your navel or however high up you want it. 2. Remove any excess beads by pulling them off the cotton string. 3. Tie 2 or 3 tight Overhand knots where the beads end. 4. Leave about 1cm of the string hanging from the knot and then snip the rest off. Q: Do waist beads stretch? A: Waist beads don't stretch. If you were to gain weight, the beads will sit higher on the waist or feel tight. if you loose weight, the beads will feel loose and fall further down to the hips. You can always adjust when you loose weight. Q: Can you sleep with waist Beads? A: Yes, you can sleep with the waist beads. Q: How many do I need? A: You can wear as many as you want. Most women on average wear 2 strands. Q: How long do waist beads last? A: They can last up to 6 months or more, depending on wear and tear. It can be worn while bathing, swimming, sleeping etc. However excessive water will weaken the string overtime. Q: Do you have different sizes? A: Each strand of bead is approximately 120cm long. If a longer length is needed, attach an extra strand by making a tight knot to get the desired length.