Pro Protective Styling!

Protective styles are ones that consist of most, if not all, of the hair not being worn loosely. Wearing the hair in a protective style requires that the ends, the oldest and most fragile part of the, are usually tucked away and sealed with some kind of moisturizer. Any hairstyle that when created, shields the hair from a variety of elements and harmful situations. This includes extreme weather, both hot and cold, to prevent the hair from drying out, as well as stress caused to the hair follicles from daily styling and manipulation. In order to give your hair a “break,” you can install a protective style so that you can go a certain amount of days, weeks, or months without having to pull, comb, brush, or tug on your hair. This reduces the amount of damage to your hair, and gives it the opportunity to grow out stress-free. Styles that can be worn for long periods of time without having to be taken out, such as braids or twists, but can also include a style that focuses on strategically hiding, tucking, and protecting only the ends of your hair, made to last anywhere from a month to even just one day. Popular protective styles include but are not limited to braids, twists, bantu knots, and shrunken afros.

1. Retains Growth :

Retaining growth of our hair is probably one of the greatest attributes of protective styling. There are some women who have hair that never grows beyond shoulder length. Thousands of naturals are stuck at the shoulder length hump. Just look around you. There are still many of us with shoulder length hair that won’t seem to grow past this length. Protective styles are a great way to push the hair past this growth plateau.
Forget the prevailing myth that black hair doesn’t grow, for it most certainly does. Nevertheless, it can also break off at an alarming rate because loose ends catch on fabric, car seats, cotton pillowcases and more. When hair constantly breaks, it’s difficult to see and measure growth. Putting your tresses up and keeping them protected prevents a large amount of breakage. Over time, you’ll see longer, stronger hair that’s not compromised by everyday stressors.

2. Low Maintenance :

Think about it, ladies. The less pulling and tugging, application of heat and over-usage of product is given to our hair, the better chances it has of flourishing. Our hair can rarely stand the type of manipulation we so often put it through, much less those depicted in commercials: the piling of hair on top of the head to shampoo, the 100 brush strokes, etc. Instead, our natural hair tends to grow longer when left alone and when minimally and most of the time, free from experimental manipulated activity. Protective styles offer the low-maintenance that so often benefits our hair type. Especially if longer lengths and a far from super-high maintenance style is your aim.

3. Easy to love/softer texture for your hair :

If you’ve ever worn your hair up for the day instead of wearing it out, you may notice a difference at the day’s end where softness is concerned. Take down a chignon and you’ll usually find it soft and supple because it’s held in much of the natural oils that get soaked up by dry air and clothing. A well-moisturized mane, one that feels soft to the touch, is less likely to suffer breakage and dryness, which in turn leads to growth retention. Think of your hair as a sponge. What happens to a damp sponge that is left outside for an extended period of time? It dries out and becomes over rigid. The internal water/moisture has been depleted and it is no longer pliable. The same set of principles apply to your hair. Your hair given these considerations will most likely dry out and break off. When your hair is allowed to be complied together, it is more likely to retain it’s moisture throughout the hair. Softer hair is a highlighted benefit of wearing tresses up and out of sight; even if for a little while.

4. Versatility :

Oddly enough, many people have formed the idea that daily protective styling is boring. Nothing could be further from the truth if you only use some creativity when doing your ‘do’. Individual braids can be worn loose, or with a headband or scarf, or even pulled back with an attractive elastic, and also worn half-up/half-down. The possibilities go on and on for all hair types.
The style that’s probably catches the most smack for being “dull” is the bun. Why not dress your bun up with a feathered hair accessory or sparkling pins? Try a double bun instead of a single one, or a braid and bun combo. There’s no lack of versatility, even with these hairstyles, when you put some imagination into it!

5. Time Saver :

I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s caught myself saying, “there aren’t enough hours in the day.” And to be honest, with all that’s going on, times have changed and boy does it feel like it. With many of us naturalistas, time is very important and of the essence. Maybe you’re not the type who has unlimited time in the morning for hair styling. And if so, protective hairstyles may be your solution to getting ready more quickly, making for a smooth start to your day. Once you style twists and braids, you don’t need to do much to them besides the occasional touch-up with a loose twist or a daily spritz with natural oils. Just make sure you secure your hair at night before bed and in the morning, you may be ready with a gentle shake of the head.