Tag Archives: protective styling

13 Natural Hair Styles by Teyonah Parris

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Teyonah Parris

Image via Pop Sugar

When it comes to natural hair, we all draw inspiration from each other, whether it be on the best conditioners for natural hair or how to get the most defined twist out. One person we can ALL draw inspiration from is Hollywood actress Teyonah Parris.

Teyonah Parris has easily become one of our naturalista hair crushes over the past few years. We love Teyonah Parris because she SLAYS every time when it comes to rocking her natural hair. It’s also a breath of fresh hair seeing Teyonah rocking her natural hair on the red carpet and in magazines, representing for the natural hair community. Besides, how could you not love her gorgeous smile?

Here are some of Teyonah Parris’ best natural hair styles:

This elegant pompadour/updo is to die for! This look was created by “The Natural Hair Whisperer,” Felicia Leatherwood for the NAACP Nominees Luncheon, and is nothing short of fabulous! To achieve a similar look, start with a twist out on stretched hair. You can also add some clip-in hair extensions for more volume, and lots of bobby pins to tuck the hair into place.

Melanin & Fro Poppin! Hair and makeup done by DJ Adora Tokyo.

This beautiful bun look was done by celebrity hair stylist Jamika Wilson. Teyonah graced the cover of Essence Magazine for their Black Girl Magic Edition. #SHESLAYS

Teyonah Parris serving protective styling slayage at the Gotham Awards! This Havana Twists installation by hair stylist Adele Supreme is flawless! Hair stylist Sparkles (@thenaturalsparks) did an amazing job styling these Havana Twists in this half up/half down hair-do.

Check out our Havana Twists Step-by-step Tutorial

Teyonah Parris #SLAYS at the World Premier of her movie Chi-Raq! This pompadour updo done by author and hair stylist Denise Baker on Teyonah’s Havana Twists look nothing short of amazing! Definitely a go to look for naturals who’ve run out of style options for their twists. Simply use a hair tie to create the bun in the back, and lots of hair pins for the pompadour!

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Go Get It.

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We’re loving this casual style done by hair stylist Sparkles (@thenaturalsparks).  This perfect flat twist protective style leaves room for tons of styling options. Leave the hair hanging across the face like Teyonah, or go for a touch of elegance by gathering the hair in the front into a chic pompadour with some bobby pins!

Fabulous sleek pompadour updo by @thiothiolove of Khamit Kinks Salon! This style can be achieved on blown out hair using some Edge Control to slick down those edges and lots of bobby pins to hold the style into place!

You may need some clip-ins for this one! Teyonah’s hair is EVERYTHING! Beautiful flowy look from Hair Stylist DaRico Jackson showcasing the beauty of natural hair! To achieve this look, start on stretched hair using either a curling wand or flexi rods to create those beautiful waves.

Teyonah is KILLING this asymmetrical afro look done by stylist DaRico Jackson. Don’t want to go drastic and cut your hair? You can easily re-create Teyonah’s look by doing a faux asymmetrical cut. All you’ll need is a hair pick for lots of volume and bobby pins to tuck your hair into place to give the illusion of a short cut.

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💛💚💙

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Teyonah rocks rough and stuff with her afro puff! This look can easily be recreated with a chunky twist out or flat twist out, and an afro pick to adds lots of volume.

Such an intricate and sophisticated updo by @thiothiolove of Khamit Kinks Salon!

Call it a bantu knot, a protective style, or an edgy 90’s look making a comeback!

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💐🌸🌺🌷🌼

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Beautiful curly fro done by celebrity hair stylist Felicia Leatherwood.

Protective Styles versus Low Manipulation Styles: What’s the Difference?

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Protective Styling V. Low Manipulation Styling

Photo Credit: CreateHer Stock

One of the main challenges of natural hair is maintaining its health and keeping it free from breakage. The normal wear and tear your hair incurs on a daily basis leading to breakage and split ends, can definitely put a halt how much your hair retains its length. Hair grows without a doubt, but it is the constant breakage that stops you from seeing the fruits of that growth. That’s why most women choose to make protective styling or low manipulation styling an integral part of their natural hair care regimen to retain their hair’s health and length.

Protective styling and low manipulation styling are often used interchangeably. Most women think they are one in the same when they are actually pretty different. So, what’s the difference between protective styling and low manipulation styling?

Protective Styling involves completely protecting the ends of your hair.

Natural Hair Protective Style

Photo Credit: CreateHer Stock

The idea is that as your hair is growing, the length of your hair is being retained due to less breakage and split ends that can incur through daily manipulation of the hair. The long terms effects? Longer, healthier hair! Protective Styles:

  • Range between short term and long term styles.
  • Often do not have to be redone on a regular basis.
  • Protects your hair from the unnecessary breakage that comes with everyday styling and upkeep by keeping your ends tucked away. Since the ends are the oldest part of  the hair, they are  fragile and more susceptible to breakage and dryness.
  • Include braids, weaves, wigs, crochet styles, roll, tuck, and pins, and cornrows. Any style the does not require your ends to be out is a protective style.

    Natural Hair Protective Styles

    Photo Credit:  CreateHer Stock

Low Manipulation Styling, on the other hand, does not require that your ends be completely protected.

Low Manipulation Styles

Photo Credit: Dwyane Hills via CreateHer Stock

The idea behind low manipulation styles is that if you do simple styles that require minimal manipulation, the length of your hair can still be retained. In other words, if you have to style or re-twist your hair every single night for it to look good the next day, you’re doing too much, boo! Low manipulations styles:

  • Doesn’t necessarily require that your ends be tucked away, but it does require you to keep combs, brushes, and your fingers out of your hair as much as possible.
  • Are sometimes easier to install than protective styles.
  • Allow more flexibility for naturals who get bored with the same hair style for long periods of time.
  • Can easily be maintained since all of the hair is not tucked away, which tends to be the main gripe when it comes to protective styles.
  • Include mini twists, puffs, wash n go’s, braid outs, twist outs, etc… If you’re one of those naturals that love rocking twist outs or braid outs, I suggest making sure your twist out/braid out technique is perfected so you don’t have to re-twist every night due to lack of definition. Once the technique is perfected, you can just pineapple for bed, and shake & go in the morning while still maintaining the curl definition!

    Natural Hair Low Manipulation Style

    Photo Credit: CreateHer Stock

Similarities

  • One of the main ways low manipulation and protective styling are similar is that they both help to retain length. Though protective styling seems a bit more “protective” because your ends are tucked away, low manipulation styling helps with length retention as well because it eliminates the use of combs, brushes, or other tools to help maintain your hair on a daily basis. You’re manipulating the hair less, hence the name “low manipulation,” which leads to more length retention.
  • Length retention with protective styling helps maintain length simply because your ends are completely tucked away, eliminating dryness that leads to split ends and breakage. The less breakage you have with both styles, the more you are able to see your growth. Avoiding every day styling will allow you to see the difference in your hair’s health and length over time.

Are you a protective styler, or low manipulation styler?

4 Foolproof Steps to Healthy Hair Growth

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4-Steps-Healthy-Hair-Growth

Hair growth, or more accurately, the lack thereof, seems to be the top concern of naturals, especially those who are newer to the journey. All over social media, women are inquiring about the regimens and product stashes of those with longer lengths. I’ve learned, however, that the key is not achieving length, but health first.

As our hair grows, we need to make sure we’re doing our part to help our mane reach its fullest potential. Here are four simple and basic steps to healthy hair growth.

Start From Within

What many don’t realize is that healthy hair growth has more to do with what you put in your body than what you put on your hair. The same way skin breakouts are usually a reflection of a poor diet, our hair can and will exhibit what’s happening on the inside. Your follicles are fed from the bloodstream which carries nutrients throughout your body. Therefore, a proper diet consisting of less fats and junk but more fruits, vegetables and lots of water contributes greatly to healthy hair growth.

Pump Up the Moisture 

We know by now that textured hair is more prone to dryness than straight hair. This is because the bends and coils do not allow the natural sebum (oil) from our scalp to travel the length of the strand as easily. For this reason, we need to take care to moisturize our hair regularly. If we slack in this department, our hair may begin to break as fast as it grows, giving the illusion of lack of growth. By staying on top of it, our hair will be less likely to break or split, thereby promoting length retention. Many follow the L.O.C. (Liquid Oil Cream) Method of moisturizing for best results. Others, like me, prefer L.C.O. or just skipping the “C” altogether. Do what you find is best for the makeup of YOUR hair. Oh, and be sure to pay special attention to your ends as they are the oldest, most exposed part of the hair and most susceptible to damage.

Cool it With the Heat

You know how it’s said that too much of a good thing is bad for you? Well, while heat styling may sometimes make life a little easier, doing so too much can dry the hair out, leaving it without much elasticity. This leads to breakage which, again, makes hair growth virtually unnoticeable. If you are going to use heat, take precautionary measures. Use tools that have adjustable settings so you can control the amount of heat applied and use a protectant. Grapeseed and avocado oils are best when blow drying.

Retain Length by Wearing Protective Styles

Keeping your hair in low manipulation styles… or better yet, ones that require NO manipulation, for a time will aid in hair growth in that (1) you retain moisture (2) you protect your hair from potential damage due to overuse of hair tools or your own fingers but most of all you (3) retain length. Many have come to realize that if they leave their hair alone for a while, the growth is crazy! This is simply because as your hair grows while your ends are protected in twists, braids or even a bun, there is less chance for breakage so your strands stay healthy and intact.

In the end, what’s most important is focusing on healthy hair growth. There is no magic serum that will make your hair grow overnight. If length is what you seek, treat your hair right, love it and the growth will follow without you even realizing it!

What have you incorporated in your regimen to promote healthy hair growth?

Photo credits: kfoods.com | amazon.com | google | neffyfrofro.tumblr.com

6 Steps For Repairing Breakage and Dry Winter Hair

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Winter-Natural-Hair-CareThe harsh winter environment robs you of moisture and can wreak havoc on your hair strands. When you touch your hair it’s dry as a desert and you see broken off hairs falling left and right. You moisturize and you moisturize, but nothing seems to work. You try protective styling, that doesn’t help the situation either. Many of us have been there and I know personally it’s not fun. Don’t worry it happens to the best of us. Here are six steps that can reverse your ordeal before things get really bad:

SEE ALSO: How To Repair Seasonal Breakage

Step #1 Give your hair a boost of protein

Especially if you’re noticing a significant amount of breakage this indicates that your hair is in a weakened state. Filling in those gaps, tears and holes will drastically improve your situation. Use an effective protein treatment like ApHOGEE Two Step Protein Treatment and Aphogee Balancing Moisturizer, which you can find on Amazon or your local beauty supply store.

Step #2 Use a Quality Moisturizing Conditioner and Heat

After doing a protein treatment for some people things can get a bit dry, which is what you definitely do not want. Follow up with a good moisturizing conditioner (not a cheapie rinse out) and deep condition using heat for 15-30 minutes. You can use a sit under dryer or the convenient Hot Head Microwaveable Deep Conditioning Cap. Yes, you can always deep condition without heat, but you will maximize your efforts as it will aid in penetrating the hair shaft.

Read Also: 3 Reasons to Use Heat on Your Hair

Step #3 Apply a Leave In Conditioner 

All too often we underestimate the power of a good leave in. I’ll admit that even I have neglected this step, but trust me it matters. A good leave-in will leave your hair more moisturized, improve manageability, shine and make styling more easy. Some leave-in conditioners double as a heat protectant so if you can find one like this, it will be even better for those who decide to stretch your hair using a blow dryer.

Some NHR Leave-In Conditioner Picks are Eden BodyWorks Coconut Shea Leave-In Conditioner, Giovanni Direct Leave-In Conditioner, and Alikay Lemongrass Leave-In Conditioner

Step #4 Stretch Your Hair 

While there are methods that you can use to fully embrace shrinkage and keep your moisturized like The Maximum Hydration Method, if you’re not a wash n go type of girl, stretching will be the preferred option.

Here’s why: when your hair is stretched it tends to be easier to moisturize and retain moisture longer. This is because the moisturizers, butters and oils have an easier time spreading throughout your stretched strands rather than when they are coiled up. You may not face this problem in the spring or summer because the air isn’t as dry, but in the winter it can get pretty ugly. It’s okay to use heat to stretch your hair, just make sure you take the proper steps to protect it this is addressed in 7 Myths About Heat & Natural Hair.

Read Also: 5 Ways to Avoid Heat Damage

Step #5 It’s Probably Time for a Trim

9 times out of 10 if you saw a great deal of breakage you have some splits to go along with it. Rid yourself of split ends and this will only improve the situation. Split ends cause more breakage because they can cause tangles and they are essentially a weak point on your strands. The breakage you have been seeing can also be coming from split ends that decided to break off on their own.

Step#6 Choose a Style That Will Make it Easier for You to Retain Moisture and is Gentle on Your Strands

While protective styles do help with retaining moisture make sure you choose a style that isn’t to stressful on your strands. A simple bun may be the perfect option or try a low manipulation style like a rod set. Depending on the condition of your hair it could be the perfect time to try out flat iron styles, as straightened hair will retain moisture longer and obviously will tangle less. Any style that will help you to retain more moisture and eliminate tangling issues will do.

Crochet Braids with Marley Hair: A How To Guide

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Guide to Crochet Braids with Marley Hair: 3 Important Tips From a Professional Natural Hair Stylist & Video Tutorial

Crochet Braids with Marley Hair- A How To Guide

Do you remember Crochet braids  from the 90’s. I know, I had some in ’94. They are back and better than ever. An awesome & quick protective style for all lengths of hair, perfect for the Fall and Winter.

Many have grown quite fond of protective styles for various reasons. Low or No manipulation styling, also known as protective style, is an effective way to grow your hair to desired lengths, when installed properly.  In many cases, it takes less than 3 hrs to install & maybe 3 packs of Marley Braid Hair.  Marly Braid Hair is the same hair you use for Marley Twists, Havana Twists, and some use it for Senegalese Twists, too.

Crochet braids and/or weave is the process of cornrowing one’s hair, and attaching extension hair to cornrows by utilizing a latch hook method. Sounds easy enough, right? But, if done without taking precautionary measures, one can ruin their hair, edges, and even lose length.

Before we get started, bookmark: Choosing the Right Crochet Braid Hair

Here are 3 tips for properly installing crochet braids to prevent any breakage or damage.

Crochet Braid Latch Hook1. Purchase Proper Tools

When deciding to install crochet braids/weaves, you must first be sure to purchase the right tools. Any typical crochet needle will not suffice, but one that has a latch over the hook like this one. If you attempt it with your normal crochet needle (without latch hook), you will snag, rip and damage your hair almost every time you attempt to pull the needle back through.

When using the crochet needle, it is essential that you pay close attention to the hook, being sure that it’s completely closed before pulling through braids. The purpose of the latch hook is to provide a “snag less” motion when pulling extension through cornrow, but if not properly closed can also rip, tear, and damage hair. Using a latch hook crochet needle is imperative to the install and in maintaining the health of your hair.

Crochet Braids with Marley Hair- A How To Guide22. Properly Prep Hair For Installation

It’s also recommended to do a protein treatment, followed by a deep moisturizing treatment prior to installation of any protective style. Protein plumps the strands which will also help combat breakage that may be caused by tension if the strands are weak or brittle. Following the treatment with a moisturizing treatment or mask will ensure that hair doesn’t dry out while wearing protective style. Restoring hair to proper moisture levels prior and during install of protective styles, will keep hair from breaking due to dryness.

3. Precautionary Measures

When attempting to cornrow the hair, a small amount of braiding (synthetic) hair should be used. By using synthetic hair, you are implementing a “line of defense” for your hair, which protects against breakage, that may otherwise be caused by tugging or thread used during the installation process. You run the risk of the thread or extensions cutting your hair, if precaution isn’t taken.  We talked about how synthetic hair can cause wear and tear on your natural hair strands here.

Crochet Braids with Marley Hair- A How To Guide 3When wearing protective styles, especially crochet braids, it’s imperative that you follow proper protocol to installation. Be sure to refrain from excessive tension, especially in sensitive areas such as edges and nape. Though protective styling has proven great for length retention and growth, it can be equally detrimental if done incorrectly. Avoiding excessive tension, tugging and rough combing (while wearing protective style) will lessen chances of traction alopecia. When in doubt, visit your local salon, one that specializing in natural hair and/or is knowledgeable in the particular style you desire to have installed.

Buy Marley Braid Hair

Read: 5 Crochet Braids for Beginners

Photo Credit: Youtube

Hairstory- Joelle A.

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Joelle decided to transition back to natural hair seven years ago by doing the big chop. Now she has long, beautiful waist length hair.

You can submit your Hairstory and Pictures here.

 

Hairstory Joelle W | Natural Hair Rules1) I have been natural for 7 years.

2) I returned natural because my hair was thinning with the perm. My roller wraps started to look lifeless. I had to make a choice to either do a big cut or go natural and I am happy that I decided to transition. I transitioned for 6 months and did the big chop.

If you are transitioning or thinking about going natural, check out these posts.

3) I only transitioned 6 months and did the big chop because I wanted to experience every stage of being natural. I also wanted to do something different and drastic with my hair for the first time in my life.  I wore perm rod sets, sew ins, and braids to help me transition. I remember using shea butter during my transition but I can’t remember anything else I used.

4) My regimen usually consists of me washing my hair once or twice a month. I co-wash my hair with Tresemme Naturals Conditioner. I use Giovanni Direct Leave-In as my leave in and I seal with coconut oil. If I shampoo my hair because of build up, I dilute my shampoo with water. I just completed a protective style challenge that consisted of me wearing styles that completely covered my hair for a year. The PS (protective style) challenge allowed me to retain more length than usual.

5) I have experienced both hard times and good on my natural journey. I refer to it as a “journey” because there are so many things to learn along the way, no matter how long you have been natural. I absolutely love my natural hair and can honestly say that I will never perm my hair again. When I did my big chop, people couldn’t believe that I had cut off all of my hair but now they love it. My husband has been one of my biggest supporters.

Hairstory Joelle W | Natural Hair Rules Protective Styling with Jumbo Twists6) Being natural is a lot easier for me now than it was 7 years ago. Seven years ago I rarely saw anyone with natural hair but now it is so refreshing to see so many natural ladies! I learned the most about myself when I did my big chop because I proved to myself that I did not care what others had to say about me.

Staying natural has shown me how mentally strong I am. When I had struggles in the past it would have been easy to slap a perm in my hair but I knew that I would regret it. I knew that it was all a learning process and that I needed to find what worked for my hair.

7) My best advice for anyone that is transitioning or natural would be to listen to your hair. Give your hair what it needs and it will thank you. Also, remember that what works for one person, may not work for you. Do not get discouraged if your hair does not look like someone else’s, love your hair for what it is. Learning to love your hair for what it is and taking proper care of it are they keys to staying natural.

5 Tips for Styling Toddler Hair

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style-natural-toddler-hair

Toddlers. They are cute and cuddly. So cute that you just can’t help styling them like little dolls.  And all of the Instagram and Pinterest photos don’t help either!  But if you are like me, your kids look cute, but not perfect. In fact, I’ve lost count of the number of times my girls have ripped bows out of their head and left them on my car floor.  They love tutus, but hate bows… so I’ve given up.  And that’s ok! As a mom, you have to learn how to maintain your sanity. If you’ve been looking for tips to style your toddler’s hair — and maintain your sanity — here you go:

Style Your Toddler’s Hair Based upon Mood

You wouldn’t run errands when your child is sleepy would you? (Ok. Sometimes you might, but it’s not ideal.)  Similarly, you shouldn’t style your child’s hair when he/she is in a bad mood… especially with very young children.  My youngest daughter is VERY squirmy and busy.  When she is especially active, I style her hair in puffs or a curly fro.  Trying to braid her hair when she she is not in the mood is just torture for the both of us.

Set the Mood for a Toddler Styling Session

Child experts advise against too much television, but in certain instances it’s necessary. A toddler styling session qualifies as one of those instances. Tune to your child’s favorite show — one that will put them in a trance and stay still. Another alternative is a book or a toy that will allow the child to stay occupied. If you’re lucky, you may have a child who will stay asleep while you style.

Be Gentle with Your Toddler’s Hair

In the black community, much of the disdain for “our hair” begins with childhood styling sessions.  Love for our hair starts at a young age, so make sure that hairstyling is a positive experience.  If you are constantly ripping hair out and your child is crying in pain, then it is time to reevaluate your styling routine. Be gentle and be patient.  Don’t try an intricate style when you are in a rush.  And make sure you are using products that provide some slip.  Whenever I style my daughters’ I always spritz with water and/or use a hair milk to add some slip.  I also detangle from end to root and I don’t “comb” their hair every day. Instead, I finger detangle during the week and detangle thoroughly on wash day.

Use Protective Styles

Since I have to get two toddlers and myself out the door every morning, protective styles are a lifesaver. Sometimes I may do a set of cornrows that last a week, other times I’ll braid two cornrows that normally last two days. My all time favorite protective style are twists, since they are tension-free and provide style versatility.

Lower Your Expectations: Get off Instagram and Pinterest

Okay, logging off social media is extreme, but it is important for you to be realistic about your expectations for your child’s hair. Do you really expect your toddler to sit still long enough to braid an intricate heart design into her hair? Will that style work with you child’s hair type?  Social media shows many ideals that may or may not be reality for many of us. Know your child and your child’s hair and make appropriate choices accordingly.

SEE ALSO:  5 Tips for Dealing With a Tender headed Child

What tips do you have for styling a toddler’s hair?

6 Tips to Avoid Damaged Hair While in Protective Styles

6 Tips to Avoid Damaged Hair While in Protective Styles

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6 Tips to Avoid Damaged Hair While in Protective StylesIs your protective style actually protecting your hair or harming your hair?

As the name implies, a protective style is supposed to protect your hair by relieving your hair from the stress of daily manipulation. Most people are not aware, however, that how you install your protective style and your hair practices while wearing a protective style still matters, especially for long-term hairstyles. When a style is installed improperly or when your hair is not cared for while in a protective style, the result is a ton of breakage when taking your hair down from the style.

The following six tips will help you to avoid damaged hair as a result of improper protective style installation and hair care.

Installing the Protective Style

There are three aspects of installing a protective style to consider the Tightness, Tools, and Products.

  1. Tightness: Whether you are going to a hairstylist or doing your hair yourself, make sure to stress that you do not want the style to be too tight. If you cannot scrunch your face without your hair  pulling your face back, then the style is too tight. This is also very important around your edges. The edges of your hair are fragile because there is less hair around it to support the tightness of some styles.
  2. Tools: Hairstyles that require the use of combs, brushes, tangle teezers, and other tools that cause your hair to break is a sign that if you want to wear that style you will need to look for another tool that works better with your hair. By using tools that usually do not work well with your hair, you run the risk of causing breakage and that breakage may never get addressed while your hair is in a protective style.
  3. Products: Since the products you use are going to sit on your hair for the duration of your style look for products that maintain moisture and avoid products that easily cause build up.

Wearing the Style

Maintaining the cuteness of your hairstyle is important, but be careful not to sacrifice the health of your hair for looks alone. It is important to listen to your hair even if it may affect the fresh look of your style.

  1. Wash/Condition When Necessary: It is so easy to put off washing your hair when it is in a protective style because you want your style to stay fresh. But the health of your scalp is important in order to grow your hair. If your scalp starts to flake and feels itchy, then wash your hair. The same applies to your strands. If you know you applied many heavy products that can coat your hair, then cleansing your strands is a necessity to avoid the adverse effect of product build-up. Product coating the strands also blocks the hair from receiving moisture, and since moisture retention is an issue many naturals face, you want your strands to always be able to receive moisture. (If you are struggling with dry hair check out Curly Hair School’s free Dry Hair Remedies Course for help)
  2. Deep Treatments. For prolonged styles, if you were struggle with dry hair then it is vital that you continue to deep condition your hair even while its in the style. This  gives your hair the intense benefits that deep treatments provide your hair.
  3. Protect at Night: Just because your hair is in a protective style does not mean it is invincible. It is still important to protect your hair at night using a satin bonnet, scarf, or satin pillowcase to avoid moisture loss and even tangles from rubbing against a cotton pillowcase.
We want to hear from you! Share in the Comment Section Below

What are some ways that you protect your hair while in a style?  What is your favorite protective style?

Be Bold, Be Brave, Be Beautiful

Kimika Hudson is the founder of www.curlyhairschool.com a platform that helps women with kinky curly hair find the right tools and methods for your individual hair needs through online hair courses and community.

6 Tips to Avoid Damaged Hair While in Protective Styles

6 Tips to Avoid Damaged Hair While in Protective Styles

3 Replies
6 Tips to Avoid Damaged Hair While in Protective StylesIs your protective style actually protecting your hair or harming your hair?

As the name implies, a protective style is supposed to protect your hair by relieving your hair from the stress of daily manipulation. Most people are not aware, however, that how you install your protective style and your hair practices while wearing a protective style still matters, especially for long-term hairstyles. When a style is installed improperly or when your hair is not cared for while in a protective style, the result is a ton of breakage when taking your hair down from the style.

The following six tips will help you to avoid damaged hair as a result of improper protective style installation and hair care.

Installing the Protective Style

There are three aspects of installing a protective style to consider the Tightness, Tools, and Products.

  1. Tightness: Whether you are going to a hairstylist or doing your hair yourself, make sure to stress that you do not want the style to be too tight. If you cannot scrunch your face without your hair  pulling your face back, then the style is too tight. This is also very important around your edges. The edges of your hair are fragile because there is less hair around it to support the tightness of some styles.
  2. Tools: Hairstyles that require the use of combs, brushes, tangle teezers, and other tools that cause your hair to break is a sign that if you want to wear that style you will need to look for another tool that works better with your hair. By using tools that usually do not work well with your hair, you run the risk of causing breakage and that breakage may never get addressed while your hair is in a protective style.
  3. Products: Since the products you use are going to sit on your hair for the duration of your style look for products that maintain moisture and avoid products that easily cause build up.

Wearing the Style

Maintaining the cuteness of your hairstyle is important, but be careful not to sacrifice the health of your hair for looks alone. It is important to listen to your hair even if it may affect the fresh look of your style.

  1. Wash/Condition When Necessary: It is so easy to put off washing your hair when it is in a protective style because you want your style to stay fresh. But the health of your scalp is important in order to grow your hair. If your scalp starts to flake and feels itchy, then wash your hair. The same applies to your strands. If you know you applied many heavy products that can coat your hair, then cleansing your strands is a necessity to avoid the adverse effect of product build-up. Product coating the strands also blocks the hair from receiving moisture, and since moisture retention is an issue many naturals face, you want your strands to always be able to receive moisture. (If you are struggling with dry hair check out Curly Hair School’s free Dry Hair Remedies Course for help)
  2. Deep Treatments. For prolonged styles, if you were struggle with dry hair then it is vital that you continue to deep condition your hair even while its in the style. This  gives your hair the intense benefits that deep treatments provide your hair.
  3. Protect at Night: Just because your hair is in a protective style does not mean it is invincible. It is still important to protect your hair at night using a satin bonnet, scarf, or satin pillowcase to avoid moisture loss and even tangles from rubbing against a cotton pillowcase.
We want to hear from you! Share in the Comment Section Below

What are some ways that you protect your hair while in a style?  What is your favorite protective style?

Be Bold, Be Brave, Be Beautiful

Kimika Hudson is the founder of www.curlyhairschool.com a platform that helps women with kinky curly hair find the right tools and methods for your individual hair needs through online hair courses and community.

how often to wear protective styles

Growing Long Natural Hair: Do You Have to Live in Protective Styles?

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how often to wear protective stylesProtective styles are no doubt an easy and effective way to grow natural hair, but do you have to wear them 24/7 ? Is it okay to let loose?

Well of course it is! Any good natural hair care regimen has balance and too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Not only do you want to have balance in your regimen for the health of your hair, but your psyche as well. Sometimes, we find ourselves bored of the same old thing and we want to change it up which is perfectly fine.

Overall black hair loves low manipulation environments; which basically means the less you do to your hair the better.

Especially, for women who have hair that is prone to breakage from even the slightest bit of grooming protective styling will work to your advantage. Protective hairstyles eliminate the need for you to style your hair daily and your ends are protected from harsh weather conditions. This reduces the chances for breakage to occur allowing you to hold on to more length.

How often you decide to protective style will depend on a few factors:

  • Consider your  hair’s fragility. Does it take minimal strain to stress your strands? Frequently wearing protective hairstyles may be the best option.
  • Little to no growth in a years time is a sign that your hair is breaking off from the ends and you should consider wearing more protective hairstyles.
  • Are you always busy with little time for your hair? Protective hairstyles are easy to maintain and are perfect for a busy lifestyle.

If you fit one or more categories above you may want to aim for protective styling 80% of the time and the other 20% you have plenty of room to experiment with new loose styles.

Protective hairstyles are not the only way that you can grow your hair.

You have the option of utilizing a low manipulation styling approach in combination with some protective styling. Like protective styles, low manipulation styles do not require daily styling, but they have one major difference; the ends of your hair are exposed.

Styles like twist outs, roller sets, or a puff would be considered low manipulation while buns, twisted styles, or cornrows would be regarded as  protective styles because the ends of your hair are tucked away. You are more likely to retain more hair with a regimen that is mostly consists of protective styles, but some women do a pretty good job of retaining length using mostly low manipulation styles.

I will leave you with this final piece advice: stick with styles that will reduce the amount of times you will have to comb, brush, or touch your hair. If you can do this you are in good shape!

Which do you prefer low manipulation styles or protective styles? Do you find it easier to grow hair using one method over the other?