There are a lot of styles that are generally considered to be protective, but ultimately, it depends on your hair. Protective styles are intended to shield your hair - root to tip - from damage. This means your roots aren’t being tugged at, and your ends aren’t being exposed to the elements. These styles save us time in the long run and allow us to try different colours and lengths without compromising our own hair.
Passion Twists
Passion twists are relatively new and incredibly popular. The Boho Babe created them and describes the style as somewhere between spring twists and faux locs. They’re beginner friendly enough to do yourself, and require the least maintenance of all the styles on this list. Depending on how you install them, your roots and scalp should be free from tension too. As if they couldn’t be more appealing, the longer you keep them in, the better they look!
Lemonade braids
This style has been around for a while but Beyoncé undoubtably pushed them into popularity. In the past three years since she released Lemonade, variations of this side-swept cornrow look have popped up everywhere. They’re versatile enough for all ages, and there are so much room to adapt these braids to your specific hair needs.
Knotless Box Braids
Knotless braids are a personal favourite. Traditional box braids tend to leave you tender headed for days after having them installed. With knotless, there’s less tension on the roots and they lay flat, so you have more room for creative styling. Like traditional braids, they can last over four weeks with proper care, survive swimming and weekly washes.
Fulani Braids
This style originated from the Fulani people and has pretty much always been popular. Fulani women decorate their intricately braided hair with jewelry, cowrie shells and beads, though the version we’ve adopted is significantly less intricate. The cornrows that top the style might not be the most protective depending on how tight you get them but again – the variations to this style are endless.
Faux Locs
Faux locs are a temporary alternative to the commitment of real locs. Similar to passion twists, faux locs typically look better the longer you have them. They completely cover your natural hair, which is another huge bonus, but depending on the method you use, (wrapping vs crochet) they might be heavier and cause tension. There are plenty of different sizes and styles to chose from. Some incorporate yarn, human hair, or even a combination of both.
Everyone’s hair journey is different and what works for one person may not work for another. The key is to get to know your hair (we can help with this - email us for a hair consultation!) and know when a protective style stops working in your favour. Natural hair is so versatile, and whether you switch it up to save your scalp or just to express yourself – we’re here to guide you through it.