Let's Talk Protective Styles: How to retain length with protective styles

How Protective Styles Can Easily Become Not Protective: What You Need to Know

Hey there, curl friend!

Let's have another cozy chat, this time about protective styles. These styles are meant to safeguard our natural hair and encourage growth, but they can easily become counterproductive if not done correctly. So, grab your favorite beverage, and let’s dive into everything you need to know about keeping your protective styles truly protective.

The Basics of Installation: Getting It Right from the Start

First things first—installation. The foundation of a good protective style starts with proper preparation. It’s essential to begin with clean, well-hydrated hair. Here’s why:

Natural Hair Prep:

• Clean Hair: Starting on a clean slate is crucial. Shampoo and condition your hair thoroughly to remove any buildup that can cause itching and scalp issues later. Clean hair and and a clean scalp provide a healthy foundation for any style.
• Hydrated Hair: Deep condition your hair to ensure it’s well-moisturized. Hydrated hair is more flexible and less prone to breakage. Dry hair can snap easily, especially when manipulated into tight styles with added weight.

Tension Matters:

• Not Too Tight: Avoid wearing protective styles that are too tight. Excessive tension can lead to hair loss, especially around the hairline and can cause headaches and discomfort. Tight styles pull on your hair follicles, which can lead to traction alopecia, a type of hair loss that has a huge increase in the past few years due to tight styles and over use of wigs.  
• Not Too Heavy: Be mindful of the weight of the extensions. Too much hair can put undue stress on your natural strands, leading to breakage. Heavier styles can weaken your hair at the roots, making it more likely to break.

Extension-to-Hair Ratio:

• Match Your Density: The amount of extension hair added should be proportional to your natural hair density. Adding too much hair can overwhelm your natural strands, causing them to weaken and break. Keeping the balance ensures your natural hair isn’t strained.

Remember, for a protective style to truly protect, it must create an environment conducive to growth. This means maintaining well-hydrated hair and keeping manipulation to a minimum.

Maintaining Protective Styles: Don’t Just Set It and Forget It

Once your protective style is in place, maintenance is key. You can’t just put your hair in braids and forget about it for three months. Here’s how to keep your style (and hair) in tip top shape:

Washing Your Protective Style:

• Clean Scalp: Regularly cleanse your scalp with a diluted shampoo to remove dirt and buildup. A clean scalp promotes healthy hair growth and prevents issues like dandruff and itchiness.

Hydration:

• Moisturize Regularly: Even though your hair is in a protective style, it still needs moisture. Use a water based leave-in mixed in a spray bottle or a hydrating mist to keep your hair soft and supple. Dry hair will become brittle and break, defeating the purpose of the protective style. If you skip this step you will notice a lot of shed during your take down.

Proper Take Down: Patience is Key

When it’s time to take down your protective style, patience is your best friend. Rushing can lead to unnecessary breakage and damage.

Take Down Tips:

• Be Gentle: Carefully unravel each braid or twist. Take your time to avoid breaking your natural hair. Gentle handling preserves your hair’s health and length.
• Detangle Immediately: Detangle each section as you go to prevent extra tangling. Don’t wait to detangle in the shower, as it can lead to a tangled mess. Dry detangling minimizes hair loss and breakage.

For a detailed breakdown on how to wash your hair post take-down, refer to our last blog post where we cover wash day essentials.

Duration of Protective Styles:

• Don’t Overstay: Protective styles should not be left in for longer than 6-8 weeks. Leaving them in too long can lead to matting and breakage. Over time, hair can grow around the extensions, causing tangles and damage.

Taking Breaks: Give Your Hair Some TLC

Between protective styles, it’s crucial to give your hair a break. Continuous use of extensions can lead to stress on your hair strands.

Break Time:

• Rest Your Hair: Allow your hair to rest and recover for a few weeks between styles. This gives your scalp and hair a chance to breathe and regain strength. Continuous tension and weight can weaken your hair over time.
• Avoid Back-to-Back Styles: Repeatedly doing protective styles without breaks can lead to damage over time. Your hair needs time to recover from the tension and weight of the extensions.

 

What other hair care questions do you have? Is there a specific topic you’d like to ask your curl specialist about? Drop your questions below—I’d love to hear from you!

I hope these tips help you keep your protective styles truly protective and your natural hair healthy and happy. Remember, it’s all about balance and proper care.

Until next time,

Destini