Natural hair is beautiful but comes with a certain level of responsibility. Lack of maintenance results in fragile hair characterized by brittleness, dryness, and damage. The damage can be caused by multiple things such as excessive heat. chemicals, and manipulation. Here are some protective styles that can be used in shielding your hair from any form of potential damage.
Bantu Knots
Bantu Knots are one of the easiest protective styles you can do yourself and are common with celebrities, including Rihanna. The style is versatile and gorgeous for women of different hair lengths and ages with natural hair. The knots protect your hair and help to achieve heat-less waves or curls. All you have to do is take a comb, part your hair into sections, twist each section, and wrap until you form a small knot. Note that the smaller the knot, the tighter the curl will be.
Half-up Bantu Knots
Bantu Knots are also excellent because you can pair them with another hairstyle, such as the edgy half Bantu half curls.
Unfortunately, this was my first and last time doing it. Someone told me I looked like Kodak Black and I was left traumatized after that. Now I know I shouldn’t care what other people think, but there are many other styles to choose from that I feel confident with and will continue to use.
Marley Twists
Marley Twists are among the best styles in protecting kinky hair because they are light; thus have the least damaging impact on the scalp. The type of hair used for this protective style will enhance a coarse and natural appearance, along with a fuller finish.
The picture above is an example of a non-natural color that looks amazing. I did a look similar to this and received many compliments on it. I highly suggest trying out different colors with a protective hairstyle if you’re in a space to do so.
Senegalese Twists
Senegalese Twists have a similar look to Marley Twists. The feature that differentiates the two protective styles is the type of hair that is used. Kanekalon braiding hair is usually the standard, which causes the finished look to be silky and smooth.
If you want your style to have more body and a coarser texture, then Marley Twists is a better choice. If you want a sleeker and more smooth style, choose Senegalese Twists. Don’t feel like you can only decide on one either, try both of them throughout the year.
Box Braids
Box Braids are among the most popular protective styles. Janet Jackson rocks one of the signature Box Braids looks in the film Poetic Justice. If you have ever heard of someone saying they have Poetic Justice Braids, now you know their origin, if you didn’t already. Box Braids have become less common because they have a “knot” on the top. Most people will want a sleeker look, so they’ll opt for Knotless Braids.
Knotless Braids
The beautiful thing about braids is that you can rock them differently. Here you can wear different colors, add bangs, add metallic thread, have various lengths, and sizes. One of my favorite ways to have a custom look is by blending different colors together. For example, during the summer I like to use lighter colors, so my hair has a bright summer vibe. Some of those colors include platinum blonde, light brown, golden blonde, and a hint of natural black (1b). The number of ways you can customize your look is endless.
Goddess Braids
Goddess Braids are the same as regular braids except, they have curly hair at the bottom and sticking out each braid. This particular style will allow you to have a fuller look but can still be sleek at the same time. Note that if you choose to do this style and the curly hair that’s exposed is synthetic, that it will tangle. There is a way to avoid the hair tangling less frequently, but it requires work. One way is to put your hair in a ponytail, wrap the ends around it, and then cover it with a headscarf. I did this and my hair lasted a good month.
Can’t decide which one you want to try first? If it were me, I’d try something new. Knotless Braids look good on anybody, so you won’t have to worry there. If you’ve done them all, then try doing a bold color on a style that you might not wear as frequently.
Faux Locs
Faux Locs are an imitation of having real locs but look just as good. The advantage of this protective style is that they tend to look more natural as they age. Since this look won’t be as sleek as others, the grown-out roots will blend nicely with the rest of the hair. With this style, you can use synthetic hair as well as human hair. Just know that if you use synthetic hair, it will have a shinier finish and possibly be heavier. Installing the hair is relatively expensive as compared to braids because it takes much time for installation, and the technique is complex.
Butterfly Locs
Butterfly Locs are a more distressed Faux Locs look. The best way to describe this protective style is that it has tiny loops sticking out each loc. For those who want a little more body to their Faux Locs, this is a great alternative. I mostly see Butterfly Locs done on shorter lengths, but any length will look great.
Goddess Locs
Goddess Locs are the same as Goddess Braids except, instead of braids they’re locs. If you like having a protective hairstyle with more fullness to it then this is a great option too. There are an endless number of ways to personalize this style. For instance, you can add gold or silver accessories, or add different colors throughout the hair. Remember, if you choose to have curly synthetic hair exposed, then it can be tangled easily. Since Goddess Locs might be slightly harder to maneuver, using a bonnet may suffice compared to wrapping it.
Takeaway
These styles are perfect for people with natural hair, and one can alternate between any of them. Even though not every protective style was listed, a few options were provided for those who want to experiment or wanted a little more knowledge. Wearing any of these protective styles will provide your hair with time to rest and sensitize on the magnificent growth.