Protective Styling Tips

What is protective styling? Well i know i was asking that question several months back. So here is a simplified definition of mine which i think will help those of you wondering to understand what it means and what its purpose is.

Protective Styling means styling to PROTECT the hair from any and or all environmental stresses which could break or dry the hair. Styles such as cornrows, twists of all kinds, bantu knots, locs, above the shoulder Afro's and many other forms of styling alike are intended to remain for long periods of time, requiring low manipulation which preserves the hair, and this also eliminates the use of heat that some prefer or like to use.

If your hair is above the shoulders in one form or another and it is not draping, rubbing on your clothes or being frequently manipulated it is thought of as being in a protective style.  The definition could vary person to person but the word PROTECTIVE basically sums up itself.

The benefits of protective styling also can vary person to person, so here are a list of reasons why people normally choose to protectively style their hair...

-To achieve growth

-To repair the hair

-To lock in moisture and maintain it

-For convenience

-For easy manageability

-To more easily transition from a relaxer without having the struggles associated with the in-between times

There are more reasons out there too!

Remember protective styling is what you make it!

The goal is to have/maintain strong, healthy, and vibrant hair. We are all born with strong, healthy, and vibrant hair and we all HAVE strong healthy and vibrant hair in our own various ways.  Children and adults alike could easily rake in the benefits of protective styling.

As with any and everything else in life that we choose to or not choose to do, there are consequences and there are right and wrong ways to protective styling.

When protective styling it is important that you DO...

-Plan the style according to what YOU like, not what your stylist LIKES as you will be the one wearing it for the next some odd weeks or months NOT your stylist

-Educate your self on your variety of protective styling options and what ways are best to maintain it (Ex: Google search if nothing else)

-Keep your hair GENEROUSLY moisturized, your hair texture, density, and porosity is what determines how often and how much moisturizer to apply this is the BEST thing you can do when protective styling

-MAINTAIN your style as best as possible and the night times are the most challenging times to do so, this can be aided by wrapping your hair at night EVERY NIGHT and incorporating a satin pillow case for extra smoothness as cotton is ravaging on hair

 and

-Invest in several satin/silk hair wraps, caps or bonnets along with pillow cases

When choosing to protectively style the key is TO PROTECT and PRESERVE so with those two terms embedded in your mind know that the "enemy" is the environment and all things in/around it.

When protective styling it is important that you DON'T...

-Choose a heavy handed stylist, as extreme tightness is also an "enemy" and could actually defeat the protective purpose, create hair/scalp disorders and make your hair potentially fall out or break off

-Add extension hair/weave in any form because this pulls on the follicles regardless of tension, crates friction on the hair shafts and it tends to also defeat the protective styling purposes

-Use heat incorporated with your protective style

-Use chemical treatments before you choose to do so because the last thing you want to freshly lock into a protective style are chemicals

-DO NOT Forget to MOISTURIZE

-DO NOT Forget to use nightly wraps to PRESERVE your style

Here are a few examples of some protective styles I've done on Diva R...

 Below is an example of a natural protective style which i didn't have to do much too because her hair was not reaching her shoulders so this is also a great example of a nice protective style <3

Happy Styling!!!

Diva R's Mommy-Kim