A protective hairstyle for natural hair is a style specifically designed to shield the hair from daily manipulation and environmental damage.
Based on the definition, a protective hairstyle is a term predominantly used to describe hairstyles suitable for Afro-textured hair. These styles are designed to minimize manipulation and exposure of the hair to environmental elements. This means they help keep your hair tucked away, reducing friction, tangling, and potential breakage from styling tools, hands, clothes, and harsh weather conditions like sun, wind, and cold.
Choosing protective styles can play a key role in maintaining the health and length of natural hair by:
- Reducing Breakage: Less daily combing, brushing, and heat styling significantly cuts down on mechanical stress on the hair shaft.
- Retaining Moisture: Ends are often tucked away, helping to preserve moisture within the hair strands, especially when combined with proper sealing techniques before styling.
- Promoting Length Retention: By minimizing breakage and damage, hair is better able to grow and retain its length.
Common Protective Hairstyles
There are many versatile protective styles that can suit different preferences and hair lengths. Some popular options include:
- Braids:
- Box Braids: Individual braided sections.
- Cornrows: Braids styled flat against the scalp.
- Goddess Braids: Thick cornrows.
- Twists:
- Two-Strand Twists: Hair is twisted into two sections.
- Senegalese Twists: Twists created using kanekalon hair.
- Flat Twists: Twists styled flat against the scalp, similar to cornrows.
- Updos: Styles where hair is gathered and secured, such as buns or French rolls, often incorporating braids or twists.
- Wigs and Weaves: When installed properly over braided or twisted natural hair, these can serve as protective styles.
Implementing protective styling is a cornerstone of many natural hair care routines, allowing hair to rest and thrive while minimizing external stressors.
