How to Care for Protective Hairstyles

It’s good to give your hair a rest from extreme styling from time to time, but many of us find ourselves in a catch 22; we wear protective styles because our hair is unhealthy, short, damaged or because we want to leave it alone, but constantly wearing protective styles can cause more damage than good if not done with care. Protective styles can be great; I wore my hair in braid extensions for almost a year straight as I grew it out after my first big chop. I then wore them again for another year when I had so much hair, I no longer wanted to wrestle with it for hours on end. Both times, my hair grew like crazy because I made sure to take care of it and my scalp while protecting it. 

Here are the steps to growing healthy hair while in a protective style.

1. Shampoo: Cleansing the hair weekly with a sulfate-free shampoo will eliminate debris, grease, and product build up, which can help the follicles thrive. Focus cleansing on the scalp by massaging the shampoo in and letting it sit for 3-5 minutes before rinsing thoroughly.
2. Deep Condition: Ensuring protein is replenished through weekly deep conditioning treatments will keep the hair strong and help to avoid breakage. If possible, focus on the length of the hair, especially the last 3-4 inches. Leave in for 10-minutes minimum and put on a processing or shower cap and sit under heat or jump in a hot shower if possible. Rinse thoroughly.
3. Leave-In Conditioner: A leave-in added mid-week can help retain length by building up weak strands. Focus on spraying or applying a creamy leave-in to the length of the hair.
4. Moisturize: Adding a water-based moisturizer to the hair 3 times a week will keep the hair pliable, minimizing breakage and retaining length. If possible, use a spray moisturizer such as Sweet Nature's MSM Herbal Moisturizing Spray or a light-weight cream moisturizer.

These steps will help to retain length and keep the hair healthy and hydrated after it's taken out of the protective style.