The basic reason why you will consider protective styling is to protect your hair, not damage it.

However, while trying to protect your hair from the usual daily rigors, there is a high chance that you can damage it if you don’t do the right things.

This post is aimed at pointing out the things you need to do and those that you need to avoid while protecting your natural hair with a protective style – whether a braid, sewn-in weave, twist, or loc.

Here we go.

1. Moisturize!

Adequate moisturization is the key to ensuring that your hair regains healthy. When your hair becomes dehydrated, it is prone to brittleness and breakage. Applying nutritious moisturizers is the first step towards ensuring that your preferred Protective Styles does not damage your hair.

2. Clean up

Needless to say, your hair is prone to damage when you don’t clean up the built-up residues of dirt, dust, oil, grease, or dead hair before installing protective styling. To save your hair from such damage, you need to apply a good shampoo, deep and regular conditioners or treat with hot oil.

3. Don’t make the edges too tight

While going for braiding, for instance, you must insist that your stylist doesn’t braid in the edges of your hair. This will cause too much tightness and will create tension, possibly leading to serious damage to your delicate hair. If it’s too tight, your hair will pull you back anytime you scrunch your face.

4. Use the right tools

Your choice of tools can also damage your hair. Tools such as brushes, combs, tangle tweezers, and others should be used with care as they can cause hair breakage. Your stylist can advise on which ones will work best for your preferred style.

5. Protect your hair at night

You will protect your natural hair as well as minimize the need for frequent maintenance of your protective styling if you cover it with a scarf or satin bonnet while sleeping. It would help if you also considered using satin pillowcases as your hair will likely rub vigorously on a cotton pillowcase. This will cause tangling and loss of moisture.

6. Care for your protective styling

The fact that they don’t usually require regular styling does not mean you shouldn’t care for and maintain them. You should apply the same diligence in maintaining them as you would with your natural hair. Ensure they are clean, moisturized, and adequately sprayed.

7. Be gentle while uninstalling

Whether for maintenance or to allow the necessary break (after about 6-8 weeks of wearing protective styling), you should uninstall it gently. You can use your fingers, a comb, or scissors to strangle any tangled tresses. Avoid using water or any moisturizer while doing this as it can make it quite difficult.

Remember to allow your hair to breathe for 2 to 4 weeks before installing new protective styling. If you don’t do this, your natural hair will be prone to thinning and breakage.

Published: 2019-08-17 00:27:46