The term Protective Styles maybe a bit unfamiliar – but it is something you do unconsciously, because it’s something that we African ladies do often to keep our hair from getting damaged or to “encourage growth”.
I have put the words “encourage growth” because it is a perception more than a fact. Protective styles don't make your hair grow, but they do make it possible to prevent breakage since your hair may be breaking at a faster rate than it grows. What protective styles do, is to keep your ends "protected."
I am currently trending twisted braids, my hair is pretty short and I was getting a bit bored with having the same hairstyle – the braids were a perfect solution especially because of the little maintenance required. The style then got me searching on its benefits, below are some examples of Protective Styles:
1. Two-Strand TwistsTwists work best on natural hair. Relaxed strands are simply too straight and slippery to hold twists in place without unravelling. They work for children and for adults. You can fashion twists in various ways while still protecting your delicate ends.
3. BraidsYou can braid your natural hair or you can opt for braid extensions. Whether your braids are all yours or created with enhancements, you still need to care for your hair and scalp while you're wearing them.
4. WeavesHow many times have you heard a woman say that she got a weave and her hair just grew like weeds? The reason this seems to be so is because a properly cared for weave is a great protective style. If your hair is braided completely beneath it, it's not subject to sun, wind, rain or other weather. For maximum hair growth, however, it's still important to care for the hair beneath the weave.
5. Flat TwistsSimilar to cornrows flat twists are created with two sections of hair instead of three. Flat twists offer more versatility because unlike two-strand twists, flat twists work equally well on relaxed or natural hair. If your hair extends past the nape of your neck, you can gather the ends of flat twists and fashion them into a ponytail or bun.
