by
Klassy Kinks
As we enter the fall/winter season, many naturals decide to use protective styles to withstand the cold, harsh air. While the versatility, ease and convenience of protective styles make them a must do at some point between September and March (or May depending on what part of the country you live in), there are a few hidden dangers associated with the ways we commonly protect our hair for long periods of time.
Protective Styles Can Jeopardize Your Edges
In efforts to get a protective style that will last long, often times we get tight braids or cornrows that have our hairline playing peek a boo with our napes. Alternatively, maybe you’re stressing your leave out to seamlessly blend in with your straight, curly or kinky weave. Opt for larger cornrows and bigger braids around your edges, and try doing crochet weave around the perimeter of your hair rather than having leave out.
Protective Styles Can Weigh Down Your Hair
How many packs of marley hair did you use on your last protective style — 10… 15? I know when I did jumbo box braids last year it took nearly 8 packs of kanekalon hair, and my neck definitely felt much lighter after they were taken down. Loc extensions are another style that can become heavy because of the amount of hair involved. Pay special attention if you have finer hair, and if you notice a protective style is weighing your neck or some of your hair strands down, consider pinning your hair into an updo to cheat gravity.
Protective Styles Can Mess Up Your Routine
The most dangerous thing about protective styles is that they make us lazy with our hair. Granted, many times we turn to braids, twists, weaves, and other long term protective styles because we’re either frustrated with our hair, too busy, or just giving it a break. However, the benefits of protective styling are completely negated if you don’t continue to moisturize and care for your own hair underneath. Find yourself an applicator bottle to dilute shampoo for your roots, and a nice leave in conditioner spray that can reach those nooks and crannies below your wigs and weaves.
What are some challenges you’ve encountered while protective styling?
27 Responses
Ok I wore box braids micros and twists before . I now protective style with cornrows but I get if bigger not small and leave my edges out . I also get my real hair braided without any added extensions .
I have one grandchild and she have jumbo box braids
I’m so happy I don’t have to worry about these problems. When I wear my hair in 2 strand twists and updo’s I only use my own hair. This way i can keep up my moisturizing regiment.
Hair must be nutured as well as the whole body. The more vitamins you eat, the healthier is your hair. I have discovered an awesome dietary supplement that contains basic compounds for enhancing hair growth and stopping hair loss – Hair Gain Formula by Military Grade. But most importantly, it lowers the level of prostaglandin D2, which causes hair loss when elevated. In my case effect is visible – much thicker hair and almost no seasonal hairloss.
I agree that people are at different stages of their journey and not everyone reads the same thing so you never know who sees what where. Plus a refresher never hurts. This is a good read also. Especially at this time of the year.
http://curlkit.com/protecting-hair-protective-styling/
I agree, protective styles can be destructive styles if care is not taken check out these 10 reasons I wrote on the dangers of protective styles
http://www.coilsandglory.com/when-protective-styling-is-not-protective-10-reasons/
This is a good article! The “dangers” of protective styling is not mentioned much. My go to protective hair style was buns. My hair crown has thinned out and suffered from much breakage as a result of binning constantly. Now I just wig with a flat twists underneath.
Too true about the weight of some styles. My faux locs had my neck feeling weighed down. I loved the style though. I’ve gotta think of a way to use less hair and make it lighter.
This is why I don’t do protective styles. I prefer low manipulation styles. Every week I change my hair. My edges thank me. I’ve noticed such a difference in my hair since I stopped protective styling.
I never do protective styles, either. I like to keep my hair wild and loose, and my scalp loves to breathe! Having a style in my hair for over a week feels so unnatural to me. It doesn’t look as great as my real hair, either.
I usually use 4 packs of hair. Isn’t 8 a bit excessive?
I always used only three or four packs when I was protective styling by braiding with hair extensions( I don’t do that anymore ). Four packs felt heavy for me so I used only three packs most of the time and wore a lot of updos when I used four packs. I can’t imagine what it feels like to use eight packs.
Lmao………nope, it not just you .
There’s nothing “hidden” about the first two. That’s the first thing you worry about when doing majority of protective styles ( braids, twists, weaves).
Is it just me, or are natural hair articles getting repetitive?
http://www.2kinkyladies.wordpress.com
There’s nothing new to learn I guess? These kinds of articles still do help new people though.
That’s the key. For a lot of us ‘seasoned’ naturals, these articles will appear repetitive, but as you said, they can be a big help to newbies.
It’s not you, I see it also
Lol, no, it’s definitely not just you
You’re not the only one, I’m also having a feeling of deja-vu here!
Um, there’s not really that much left to say about natural hair that hasn’t already been said somewhere online so…
Sometimes, one just needs reminding… there’s a lot of info out. No harm done I say.
Just because some of us have already come quite far in our journeys doesnt mean that this information wont be useful to those who are just starting out…
Nothing nice to say dont say it at all,.. And I peep the snarky comment, blog in signature, drive hits to my blog thing you have going on.
wait, how do you figure these comments were not nice…I have seen worse on this blog…you get a ‘thumbs down’
Lol I don’t know what you’re bent out of shape about. There was nothing snarky about my comment; it was an observation that I am clearly not the only one to make, A, and B, I put my blog as a signature in all of my comments, regardless of what I have to say. If you don’t like it, simply keep scrolling. Peep that. <– Now THAT was snarky. 🙂
I agree with everything you said. Apparently mere observation is offensive.
yep, they are