Protective Styling for Growth: Do’s and Don’ts
Protective styling (PS) is a key natural hair hack for growth. However, to reap the real benefits of PS, you need to know the do’s and don’ts of the game.
Learning how to PS well has many pros which are:-
🌺It allows you to give your hair a break;
🌺It is a great way to tuck away your ends and grow your hair;
🌺It saves you valuable time (and money) when your schedule demands that you get up and go; and
🌺It looks cute and allows you to switch up your look.
NaHaZo has four top do’s and don’ts that every natural head should follow if they want to go from length milestone to length milestone.
We unpack Protective Styling by discussing the following:-
1. Protective Styling Do’s
💛Do enter a protective styling challenge
Protective styling challenges are great for several reasons.
- They keep you honest and make sure that you are focused on your hair goals.
- The community in the challenges motivates and inspires you when you feel like you are not seeing the desired results.
- You learn a lot by doing as a group. Many naturals see a lot of growth when they go on hair challenges for extended periods.
- You get real-time feedback from other’s experiences. When naturals check in with each other, they benefit from the conversations on LOC, LCO, PS, and all the other need-to-know Natural Hair Buzz Words.
Not sure about joining a hair challenge. Check out NahaZo’s Natural hair forum for the community, support, and guidance your hair needs.
💛Moisturise your hair while in Protective Styling
This is a big one.
Moisture is the holy grail of all hair health!
If you want to get the most out of your PS, make sure that you consistently moisturize your hair. This is regardless of the protective style that your hair is in.
NaHaZo recommends moisturizing your hair at least three times a week. Use the time that your hair is in PS to properly lock down on a consistent hair regime.
Try these easy DIY hair sprays to moisturise your hair, without having to break the bank. Rose water, Hibiscus water, and Clove water are some of our hair favourites.
💛Pre-poo with oil the night before takedown
When you are ready to take down your PS, do not skip the pre-poo stage!
Pre-pooing your hair in oil the night before you remove your PS is one of the most underrated hair hacks.
Not only does it give your hair slip when you are detangling it, but it helps avoid the formation of knots and tangles that may compromise your growth.
💛Set aside time to take down your PS
This is non-negotiable.
Whatever you do, make sure you clear your calendar to take down your PS.
Your hair has been tucked away for a long time and is prone to knots and tangles. Especially if you are not gentle and in a rush during takedown.
Plus when you are in a hurry, you tend to rip at your hair strands, making it prone to breakage and split ends.
Set aside a morning and an afternoon when you do not have any commitments or chores to unravel your hair.
Have you kept your protective styling in too long and are now faced with matted, tangled hair? Never fear, NaHaZo has got you covered. Try out our Homemade Detangler for Matted Hair.
2. Protective Styling Dont’s
❌Don’t keep your hair in a protective style for too long
Do not commit the cardinal sin of PS – which is keeping your hair in the style too long.
This is one of the fastest ways to not only snatch your edges but also cause breakage and split ends during take down.
It is a well-known fact that styles kept too long tend to weaken hair at the point where the extension is attached to your hair.
To avoid exposing your hair to possible breakage, make sure that you do not keep your PS for more than 3 months.
Are you ready to takedown your protective styling? Find out How to Detangle Natural Hair for an easy, pain-free and quick PS takedown.
Keeping your hair in PS for a set time allows you to develop a hair routine that CONSCIOUSLY caters for your hair’s needs.
❌Don’t neglect to moisturise your hair
This is a don’t that many naturals make a mistake of doing.
They put their hair in PS and forget about it. This is a big no-no!
Not only does it cause you to get dry hair, which is the number one cause of breakage, but it also weakens your hair strands and compromises your texture.
While your hair is in PS, make sure that you take the time to moisturise it consistently, and seal in the moisture with a light cream.
Want to try wigs as protective style that will still allow you to have access to your hair? Catch up on the real tea on the Types of Wigs in the market.
❌Don’t apply heavy oils (and creams) to your scalp and hair
Do not apply heavy oils and creams to your scalp (and hair) when it is in PS.
Heavy creams and oils tend to clog your pores, causing itchiness and dandruff. One of the building blocks of healthy hair is a healthy scalp, and so it is a no-brainer to have a clean scalp.
If you want to realise length, make sure that you do not neglect your scalp by clogging it with products. Rather use light oils such as Rosemary Oil, Fenugreek Oil and other simple DIY hair oils for naturals.
❌Don’t jump straight into another protective style
Do not make the mistake of jumping from one protective style to another, especially if you have had the previous style for longer than 2 months.
Make sure that you get into the habit of styling your hair and giving your scalp a break from PS.
This is a good time to learn what styles suit your hair length and also how to style your hair without the crutch of PS.
Try and ‘air’ your natural hair out for at least 2 weeks after a PS. Once you get into this habit, you will find it easier to be comfortable styling your hair into different looks.
Armed with these gems of do’s and don’ts, you should be able to PS like a pro.
Sound off in the comments below, and let’s hear your fabulous and insightful stories on protective styling.
And until the next time ladies, happy naturaling!
