Am I the only one whose hair doesn't get fully stretched until I have braided it twice ?

I have been trying to implement more stretched styles for my hair but I have noticed it doesn't get fully stretched until I have braided it out twice in a row (without washing ). I am trying to implement more low manipulation styles so that I can wear my hair out and not always have it tucked away in protective styles. But I don't know how to avoid tangles while keeping it out. I've considered blowing it out more but heat damage scares me. How can I wear my fine tightly coiled hair out more often while keeping it healthy and retaining length ?