Protective Hairstyles: A Shield for Your Strands

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For women, especially women of color your hair is EVERYTHING. There are so many thoughts and feelings surrounding our hair that it’s important for us to have to go to styles such as protective styles.  In the world of hair care, protective hairstyles have emerged as a popular and effective way to maintain healthy, strong hair while minimizing damage and breakage. These styles offer a shield for your strands, safeguarding them from the harsh elements, excessive manipulation, and daily wear and tear. In this blog post, I’ll share some of my favorite styles while exploring their benefits and how to incorporate them into your hair care routine.

crochet boho braids

The Benefits of Protective Hairstyles

Protective hairstyles offer a multitude of benefits for your hair, including:

  • Reduced Breakage: By tucking away your ends and minimizing manipulation, protective styles help prevent breakage and split ends, promoting hair growth.

  • Moisture Retention: Many protective styles, like braids and twists, help to lock in moisture, keeping your hair hydrated and healthy.

  • Length Retention: With less breakage and better moisture retention, your hair has a greater chance of retaining length over time.

  • Versatility: Protective hairstyles come in a wide variety of styles, from braids and twists to buns and updos, offering endless options for self-expression.

crochet faux locs

Popular Protective Hairstyles

  • Braids: Braids are a classic protective style that can be worn in countless ways. From box braids to cornrows to Senegalese twists, braids offer versatility and style.

  • Twists: Twists are another popular protective style that involves twisting two strands of hair together. They can be styled in various ways, from flat twists to Marley twists to Havana twists.

  • Buns and Updos: Buns and updos are simple yet elegant protective styles that can be dressed up or down. They are perfect for protecting your hair while maintaining a polished look.

  • Wigs and Weaves: Wigs and weaves offer a great way to protect your natural hair while experimenting with different styles and textures.

Tips for Maintaining Protective Hairstyles

  • Keep Your Scalp Clean: While protective styles offer many benefits, it's important to keep your scalp clean and healthy. Use a gentle cleanser and avoid scratching or irritating your scalp.

  • Moisturize Regularly:  Even though your hair is tucked away, it still needs moisture. Use a lightweight oil or leave-in conditioner to keep your hair hydrated.

  • Avoid Tight Styles: While protective styles should be secure, they shouldn't be too tight. Tight styles can cause scalp tension and breakage.

  • Take Breaks: It's important to give your hair a break from protective styles every few weeks. This allows your hair to breathe and your scalp to rest.

Protective hairstyles are a valuable tool for maintaining healthy, strong hair. Using protective styles helped not only me to grow my hair but also my daughters. The less manipulation, the better.

By incorporating these styles into your hair care routine, you can minimize damage, promote growth, and achieve your hair goals. Remember to choose styles that suit your lifestyle and preferences, and always prioritize the health of your hair and scalp. With proper care and maintenance, protective hairstyles can help you achieve the beautiful, healthy hair you've always dreamed of.



Hair Update | I've Gone Natural Again...

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It’s been a long time since I’ve done a hair update, and rightfully so. I haven’t done much to it, BUT some things have changed. I decided to go natural - again. It’s been almost 2 years since I cut my hair. It was a total impulse decision, but I tend to do this often. If I don’t take care of my hair, it breaks off and starts to fall out. I can’t take the shedding and decide to chop it off.

While I enjoyed my relaxed hair, I just didn’t have the ability to maintain it. I’ve slowly realized that when my mental health is in the dumps, my hair suffers. During my last cut, I decided that if I don’t take care of my hair while it’s relaxed, what’s the point in continuing to relax it? So chop chop!

My Big Chop August 2021

The first few months were easy, but as my hair grew out, it felt difficult to maintain, and all of the negative feelings came flooding back to me. When the natural hair movement occurred nearly 10 years ago, many people were reluctant to accept it. They felt that natural black hair wasn’t acceptable. It wasn’t seen as kept or beautiful. Could I really go to work with my hair in an Afro? What would they say? I already get the side eye when I change my hair. That created a new type of anxiety I didn’t want to deal with. Now, we have things like The Crown Act to help change the conversation surrounding black women's hair in the workplace.

On top of that, I didn’t feel like my texture was as nice as others. I didn’t have the cute curls. My hair is kinky and coily - often seen as “bad.” It seems as though only a certain type of natural hair is accepted - even within my family. 

Fast forward to now, I feel ready to embrace my natural hair. I want to rock my natural twist, braid outs, and more without feeling like my hair isn’t good enough. I’m constantly teaching my daughters to embrace their natural hair, but I struggle. I want us to love our kinks and coils. We are always taught how difficult our hair is to manage but never how beautiful it is.

It is my belief that if we learn how to care for our hair, we can watch it thrive. My goal is to start checking out a variety of hair care products to see which ones work best for me. I want to learn to style my hair in different ways, and maybe just maybe, I will finally learn how to cornrow. Wish me luck!

If you have any suggestions for products for my 4c hair, please let me know. I’m open to trying things!