One of the biggest mistakes you can make while wearing a protective style such as box braids, twists of any kind, faux locs, etc is thinking that just because it’s protected, you don’t have to put in the work to maintain HEALTHY hair!
While protective styling is a great way to promote healthy hair growth because it is not being manipulated daily, it is not magic and will not cause you to grow hair faster on its own.
Your hair is still growing when it’s not in a protective style. The true keys to growth are care and consistency, which you can give your hair no matter what style it’s in.
Just as you would give your hair some TLC on a daily basis, don’t let protective styling make it any different.
In order for a protective style to work as it should, it has to be carefully installed, maintained, and refreshed.
- Don’t tie up your hair too tightly. Tight styles cause breakage and hair loss.
- Don’t forget about your actual hair, especially if you wear a wig, crochet braids, or hair extensions. It still needs to be moisturized, washed, and taken care of regularly.
- Don’t leave a protective style in too long. While it can be tempting to put your hair in braids and forget about it, this can cause tangling, dryness, and breakage if you don’t switch up the style. We recommend leaving protective styles in for about two weeks on average- and never push more than two months.
Of course everyone’s hair is different and different styles call for different measures, but there are three rules of thumb.
- Keep your hair moisturized! You might not have to use moisturizers as often as normal when your hair is in a protective style, but do not neglect moisture. Use moisturizers and oils such as our Naptural Growth Oil to prevent dry and brittle hair. Our favorite moisturizer to use while wearing a protective style is our Moisturizing Detangling Hair Mist.
- Keep your hair clean. Dirt, grease, and product will build up whether or not your hair is in a protective style, so wash it regularly. Some styles such as faux locs are not recommended to wash, so the use of a dry shampoo is beneficial.
- Don’t leave the style in too long. As we mentioned above, this will eventually lead to hair damage, tangling, and hair loss. Just like you need to let your hair rest from being styled, you need to let it breathe from protective styles.
- When you take out the protective style, give your hair a nice detox with our Charcoal And Peppermint Bronze Bundle.