5 REASONS I LOVE PROTECTIVE STYLES AND WHY YOU SHOULD TOO.

1) They help keep your hair healthy.

Now let me say this loud and clear: PROTECTIVE STYLES ALONE ARE NOT ENOUGH TO KEEP YOUR HAIR HEALTHY!!!!! When I say that protective styles keep your hair healthy, I mean that in combination with your healthy hair routine they will keep your hair looking good and strong. Simply tucking your hair away and neglecting it isn’t the route to healthy locs. The reason that protective styles aide you in your journey to healthy hair is because it’s less stress on the hair. Think about it; when you rock your hair as is there is usually a lot of manipulation going on. You have to at least touch it up once a day and then tie it up at night. Not only that, you have to account for the weather, humidity, and friction from your hair rubbing against clothes and other materials (hats, headrests in the car, etc). Putting your hair into a protective style will protect it from those elements which may cause damage.

Photo by Etty Fidele on Unsplash

2) They are super convenient.

Who likes waking up an extra 30 minutes to an hour earlier just to do your hair? Certainly not me. I never been a girl who enjoyed styling their hair. Come to think of it, I’ve been rocking protective styles majority of my life. I love the ease and convenience of waking up, shaking my braids out, moisturizing and walking out the door. 5, 10 minutes top. I don’t like styling my hair. And wash day is never fun for me. So protective styles let me slide every now again with the entirety of wash day and help me do my hair in less time than normal.

Photo by Ayo Ogunseinde on Unsplash

3)They’re a time saver.

You ever wake up late for work or school and rush through everything. And you know the one thing that will hold you up the longest is your hair. Even with the short TWA (teeny weenie afro) that I’m currently rocking, styling it is still a nuisance. I have been fanaticizing about getting some braids in my head. The ease of just getting up at my dreaded 03:30 AM for work and knowing I don’t even have to look my hair, I can just get dressed and go. Ahhh, what a dream that would be.

Photo by Suad Kamardeen on Unsplash

4)They last longer than normal styles.

I don’t know how some people get their twist outs or wash and gos to last so long. Have to re do my wash and go daily. I don’t know what im doing wrong, but im over it. When you rock a protective style, its lasts so much longer without having to touch it up.

Photo by Vladimir Yelizarov on Unsplash

5) It gives you versatility.

My absolute favorite reason I love protective styles are because they give me a creative outlet that I just don’t get with my natural hair. I’ve been natural for 8 years this June. I have only straightened my hair twice in that time. And blow drying? Maybe 4 or 5 times. I now know that some heat is good for your hair but back then I was deathly afraid of heat damage. I wanted to keep my hair as healthy as I could, and that’s where protective styles come into play. From wigs, to braids, cornrows, twists and any color imaginable, I have complete control without risking damage to my hair.