Are all protective styles created equal?

Weaves and braid extensions are a hit with black women allowing for dramatic style changes and added length at the drop of a hat. Although extensions look great, we are more concerned here with the health of your real hair. So is growing your hair out with any type of extension ever a good idea in the long run?

Let’s look at the pros and cons of Braids, Weaves and Wigs.

Pros:

•    Braids allow freedom in as much as they leave your scalp free to breath and your hair is protected within the braid so unlikely to break. Human hair braids give the freedom of style as they can be curled or straightened and they are much lighter on the head than their synthetic counterparts. Individual tree braids can give the look of gorgeous free flowing hair while your own hair is completely braided up.
•    Weaves can give you a natural look depending on the skill of the stylist and the quality of the hair while your hair is protected in cornrows underneath. There is also the added advantage of being able to change your hairstyle from a curly to straight weave quite easily.
•    Depending on the quality of the wig, it can give an extremely natural look without all the hassle of sewing tracks into your hair. Wigs also allow full access to your own hair when you remove it nightly.

Cons:

•    Synthetic hair braids tend to rob moisture from your own strands so require daily moisture with a strengthening leave in spray. Human hair braids can be quite expensive and threaten to slip out at the first sign of moisture. Depending on the type of braids done, they can also be quite high maintenance. Excessively tight braids are responsible for thinning edges in many black women too.
•    Weaves do not allow for much access to your scalp so there is increased chance of matted hair and it’s often not easy to wash and condition your own hair thoroughly. Your own hair also takes quite a while to dry after being washed which can lead to fungal infections and mildew.
•    Some wig combs are rough and can be rough on your edges if not carefully handled.

The major problem with extensions particularly braids and weaves is that it leads to neglect of your own hair. Ladies will avoid washing braids to avoid frizz and avoid washing weaves because it loosens the braids underneath and the weave will not last as long.

The cons need not spell disaster for your hopes to wear extensions but a touch of realism is required. A lot of black women wear weaves, braids and wigs all year round yet not many black women have long hair. Does that tell you something? Simply, a protective style is only as good as the person wearing it! If your hair regimen needs work then in spite of constant protective styling, your ends will keep on breaking and hair will appear not to grow. On the other hand, if you have a sound hair care regimen, you could go all year round with only basic protective styling like buns and keep all your length!

It is also important to learn how to look after your own hair from day to day while retaining length. Running to braids, weaves and wigs to protect your length is sometimes counterproductive. I am aware of a lady who grew her hair to mid back length with box braids for about 3 years. She rarely gave her hair a break from the braids and even though she retained majority of her length over the years, she didn’t know how to retain length without the braids. When she stopped using extensions, she noticed to her horror that she lost almost a year’s worth of growth in just a few months simply because she didn’t know how to take care of her own hair!

The lesson here is, learn how to look after your own hair first and use extensions just to compliment your regimen. You will get more satisfaction from knowing that you grew your hair through sheer hard work rather than hiding your hair away!

So nobody wants to wear a boring protective style every day but you know you will probably have to at some point in order to protect those ends!
Here are 10 protective styles you will actually enjoy wearing! All links will open to new windows.

1.    New take on a bun – See here
2.    Cornrows – See here
3.    A weave – See here
4.    Individual braids – See here
5.    Tree braids – See here
6.    Kinky twist – See here
7.    Curly updo – See here
8.    Tucked in ponytail – See here
9.    The classic puff – See here
10.    Bantu knots – See here

Bonus style – Straw set – See here

Protective styles don’t have to be boring. There are an infinite number of variations you can do on the above styles to keep you happy.

Learn about the benefits of protective styling

So what is a protective style? The clue’s in the title! It is simply a style that protects your hair, specifically the ends from all the breakage causing dangers we face every day. The point of them is  to keep the moisture in your strands where it belongs by keeping the ends intact.

Believe it or not, if your hair is about shoulder length, this is the period that it is most vulnerable to breakage. When your locks are constantly brushing against your shoulders, friction will do it’s nasty work and the clothes you are wearing, particularly cotton will sap the moisture from your ends and make them more prone to breakage. Enter the protective style, the saviour that will help you through from shoulder length to arm pit length and beyond.

Protective styles are utilized by longer haired ladies too. It stands to reason that if your ends are hidden then they cannot break right? So the long and short of it is that protective styling helps you retain length by keeping your ends intact. For example, twists and braids even at shoulder length would be considered protective styles as the ends are intact hence less prone to breakage.

Let’s face it however, protective styles tend to be a bit boring. Who wants to wear tight grandma curls daily and a chignon is only elegant if worn once in a while!

Now the all important question; Is protective styling necessary? That’s a difficult one to answer as it really depends on the person. If you are starting with a solid foundation of good hair practices and a simple effective regimen then chances are you will already have protective styling in your styling arsenal.

If however you are more carefree, it might be wise to err on the side of caution and add a few protective styles to your regimen weekly. Who knows, you might find one that you actually like!

Whether your hair is shoulder length or longer, it’s wise to actually comprehend the purpose of protective styling. It is simply a means to keep your ends intact and not a way to wear your hair every day until the end of time. A bun worn daily may protect your ends but can play havoc with your hairline especially if worn tight. Ask yourself, what is the point of having long hair if you can’t enjoy it sometimes? Go on, show off your length and enjoy the fruits of your labour!

Christmas is almost upon us now. Most of probably feel unprepared doing our last minute dashes to the shops for gifts or contemplating what to wear for that party in 2 weeks. Either way, this is by far the busiest time of the year so how do you factor your hair care into it? You wouldn’t want to neglect your hair at this most crucial time when the weather is cold and dry and your locks can suffer and set you back months. No doubt, your hair will be in need of some TLC this season!

If time is an issue which is very likely with the school break looming and the tons of shopping you still have remaining to do, it’s time for an action plan. Do you want to look drop dead gorgeous for the office Christmas party and get through the holidays with a beautiful mane all the while making it look effortless?

Here’s your hair’s holiday survival guide!

1. ‘Tis the season to be jolly but ‘tis also the season for Weaves and Braids! Braids and weave installs are a lifesaver at this time of year. Not only are you protecting your precious strands from the elements, you can continue to look fabulous. Your wash and conditioning routine should not change but you will find that your styling time will be cut drastically.
2. Conditioner on dry hair – Ditch the shampoo and up your co-washes. Slather your dry hair in a creamy conditioner when you get back from a hard day’s work. Cover with a plastic cap while running yourself a hot bath. Soak yourself for a well deserved ½ hour then rinse the conditioner off. A double treat for your locks and body!
3. Try an Ultra Quick Morning Co-wash – If you have braids then this is ideal for you. Loosen some conditioner with double the amount of water and stream through your braids while working in to the scalp. Leave it in your hair while you have your shower rinsing it off once you are done. Allow the braids to air dry as you go about your day. It will save you tons of time and you will have that smug sense of satisfaction that your hair is clean!
4. Hats and Scarves – Get accessorizing! Not only do they look great with your outfit, they protect your tresses from the elements too!
5. Texture is suddenly all the rage. It’s no wonder that a Quick And Easy Braid Out is the styling weapon of choice this season. Whether your mane is relaxed or natural a braid out is easy and looks great.

Whatever you are doing this December whether you are staying home with family and friends or jetting off somewhere exotic, us this survival guide to make your holiday hair care a breeze. Have a great Christmas and look forward to another year and another 6 inches of hair!

Read the article: Want Long Healthy Relaxed Or Natural Hair But Don’t Know How To get it?

Also Read: How To Do A Braid Out On Dry Hair

Is there any credibility to this popular belief?

You’ve all heard it, trimming your hair will make it grow faster. Your friends say it, your hairdresser says it, and your mum said it so it must be true right? Wrong!

There is no scientific basis behind this common misconception. It is a fact that human hair grows at the rate of about 6-10 inches per year the actual rate of which is determined by genetics. Hair is made up of dead cells so unfortunately, there isn’t any way that the live cells at the root of the hair would be aware of their dead cousins getting trimmed off at the end and get stimulated to create more hair like crazy to make up for it! The idea of it is ridiculous.

A possible reason why people think this is because cropped hair that gains an inch in two months looks like a dramatic change hence you would think that the hair is growing faster than shoulder length hair that gains an inch as well but it’s more of a subtle difference.

So is trimming necessary then? Yes and no. If you want to keep your ends blunt and even or you are trying to keep your hair at a certain length then trim away! It certainly is not necessary to the health of your hair. If what you want is to grow your hair long, all you need do is remove any split ends you see. This is called ‘dusting’ the ends.

If you are a huge fan of heat styling your hair (blow drying, flat ironing etc) then you will probably find that you get split ends more than usual due to heat damage. Unfortunately nothing will help heat damaged hair except for a pair of scissors!

Contrary to another common misconception, split ends will not travel all the way down the hair shaft to the root! More likely, it will just peel off to the side leaving a dry fuzzy hair end which will more than likely break off at the point the split end stopped. Remove these split ends as all they do is make your hair ends look dry and unhealthy which is not the idea when your are trying to achieve long healthy hair.

If you are taking care of your hair however, conditioning regularly and keeping the heated appliances to a minimum, a light dusting of your ends now and then is all you need to keep your hair healthy while retaining maximum length. See the article on how to find a regimen.