30 Protective Hairstyles To Try For Natural Hair

Natural hair is beloved for a lot of reasons, one of which is its versatility. It can be worn straight, curly/coily, picked out, or stretched out. Another luxury is when you grow tired of dedicating your time and energy to wash day, you can opt for protective styles.

As celebrity hairstylist Ursula Stephen explains, 'a protective style is one that protects your hair from the harsh effects of sun, heat, and being too overly manipulated.' It can be a hairstyle with extensions or just using your own hair. Robin Groover, hairstylist and African Pride brand educator adds: 'The benefits of healthy protective styling are length retention, stress free maintenance, and versatility. The objectivity is healthy hair with style ease that does not require lots of time to look good.'

While protective hairstyles are meant to help keep natural curls healthy, they can also end up doing the opposite if you’re not careful. 'Some protective styles cause damage due to the use of improper techniques in the preparation of the style,' Groover explains. 'For example, traction alopecia is a common result from tight braids, weaves and extensions.' So, it’s important to go to a stylist you trust and to speak up if the style hurts in any way. Prior to getting a protective style, you should wash, detangle, and trim your hair. Once the style is installed, make sure to regularly moisturise. 'Products that have penetrating ingredients like coconut oil, jojoba oil, and olive oil are great to use while wearing these styles,' Stephen says.

As for how long you should keep protective styles in, that depends, says celebrity hairstylist Susy Oludele. 'If you have quick natural protective hairstyles it can last one to two weeks. For protective styles with extensions, it can last anywhere from one to two months, sometimes three if you maintain it well.' She recommends wearing a satin bonnet (or a scarf will do) at night or sleeping on a satin pillowcase to help preserve the hairstyle. Stephen adds that you should take a break in between styles to prevent hair loss due to the tension of braids or sew-in weaves.

Ahead, some inspiration for protective hairstyles to try out.