Summer Is In Full Effect!
Summer is here, and it is your time to shine! There are so many cute looks that are trending this summer. Some of the best styles are protective styles! The possibilities are endless. It is up to you to decide which hairstyle you want to slay this summer, and of course,
protective styles are the go-to look. If you may be struggling to find the perfect style, let this article be a guide to lead you to your best fit. Here are the many different styles this summer has to offer.
Why Should I Wear Protective Styles?
Some of you may think to yourself what is the point in wearing protective styles at all when you have all that
naturally beautiful hair. Of course if you want to leave your hair out than you should do it, but let me share with you the many reasons why protective styling is a good way to go.
Benefits of Protective Styling
First, let's get into the general benefits of protective styling:
Benefit #1
Protective styling gives your hair the luxury of relaxation and wellness. What I mean by that is using a protective style on your hair gives your hair a break from constant manipulation. It is essential to give your hair a break every now and again to keep it as healthy as possible.
Benefit #2
As I'm sure all of us have noticed, protective styling
retains hair growth. Not only that, it helps your hair sometimes grow at a rate even faster than when you have your hair in its natural form.
Benefit #3
A protective style gives you the opportunity to switch up your look and try something different while your hair takes a much-needed break from
heat and styling products.
Benefit #4
Protective styling preserves the softness of your hair. If you moisturize your hair thoroughly before you do a protective style, it will most likely stay that way. This process happens because all the oils are being kept and soaking into your hair because you are not manipulating it in any way.
Benefit #5
I think this is a pretty obvious one, but it saves so much time! With a protective style, it only takes a few minutes to get your hair ready. However, we all know with our natural hair it can take thirty minutes to an hour. And sometimes our hair doesn't want to cooperate so it can take much longer to get yourself ready. The idea is to reduce the damage that is caused by daily maintenance with heating and styling products that occurs on your natural hair. Once you remove a
protective style, hair breakage is natural. No matter what, our hair sheds or may start to thin out once we start to style it.
The Summer Benefits of Protective Styling
With every season, there are reasons why protective styling is essential. Here are the reasons why you should choose protective styling during the summer time.
Chlorine
During the summertime, everyone goes to the pool. If you are a person that likes to swim and get their hair wet, you should consider getting a protective style as a barrier. Frequent swimming in pools and chlorinated water has
noticeable effects on your hair. Chlorine is very drying for your hair. When your hair becomes wet with chlorinated water, your hair shafts absorb the chlorine.
The Sun
When it gets deep into summer, the heat becomes unbearable and believe it or not, all that sun isn’t good for your hair. If your hair has prolonged exposure to the sun, UVA and UVB rays can damage the outside cover of the hair strand, called the cuticle. Signs of sun damage to your hair include discoloration, dry and brittle strands, broken or split ends, thinning and frizziness.
Humidity
When it gets hot, moisture can be the worst enemy to natural hair. When you are in your home, your hair looks perfect, but once you are out for 30 minutes, your once perfect style looks a mess because of how humid it is outside. With protective styling, you don’t have to worry about humidity changing your hair because it won’t affect it at all.
Maintenance Tips for Protective Style
Although you have protected your natural hair now, that doesn’t mean you should do nothing the 2-3 months it is in style. To make sure your hair is healthy and growing, here are a few hair care tips to remember while you have a protective style.
1. Protect your hair at night
When you cover your hair with a satin headscarf at night, not only does it protect your edges but it also protects your hair from drying out when you sleep. If you find satin headscarves uncomfortable, you can also use a silk pillowcase in its place which helps your hair as well.
2. Keep your scalp moisturized
You can always give your roots a quick spritz of water daily. It takes seconds. Our hair needs moisture to survive, and there is no
better moisturizer than water. Applying water can do so much for your roots. This moisture is necessary to keep your hair healthy and help it grow.
3. Apply sealing products to your hair
You should make it a point to add a sealing product to your roots at least once a week. A natural sealant such as castor oil can help to soothe your scalp, seal in moisture and protect your hair from hard UV rays which is essential during the summer. A sealant can also be applied to the protective style to avoid frizzing.
4. Don't style your hair too tightly
When you design your hair too tightly, it pulls at your hairline. The constant tugging and pulling can weaken the hair along your hairline and rip out your edges. Nobody wants that! Be gentle with your hair and how tight you style it.
5. Redo the edges of your hair
After 3-4 weeks your hair will start to look a bit older because your roots begin to grow out when your hair grows. When many people see this, they think it is time to take out their hair but don’t do that. Depending on the style, you can freshen up the front of your hair by redoing it, and it will make your hair look as good as new. That way you give your natural hair more time to rest and grow.
Styles You Should Consider This Summer
There are several different protective styles you can choose to rock this summer. Here are ten favorite looks that we all see beautiful women wear every day.
1. Single Braids (Box Braids)
Box braids have been around for a long time now, and it doesn’t seem like they’re going anywhere anytime soon. If you want a protective style that can be versatile, this is an excellent way to go. And the great thing about them is, there are so many different ways you can get them styled so they can be unique to you. There are several colors to choose from, different lengths, different thickness, etc. The possibilities are truly endless, and they last for 2-3 months if you take care of them correctly!
2. Fulani Braids
This style is a type of cornrowing technique that started trending lately. And I have to say; they look amazing. The style comes from the Fulani people who are an ethnic group found mainly in West Africa. There are several different unique braiding patterns you can choose to do. Many people add jewels to the hair which helps to make it pop.
3. Faux Locs
If you want to try dreads but are afraid of the commitment, this is the style for you.
Faux locs are temporary extensions that mimic real dreads. There are several different types one of the more popular ones being goddess locs where the dreads curl at the end. People also like to add jewels to this style and even add different colors of styling yarn into their hair to personalize the style.
4. Twists
Twists are very similar to braids with the singular style. The great thing about twists is that there are several different twist styles to choose to do. You have Marley twists, Senegalese twists, kinky twists, and Cuban twists to name a few. The difference with these twists is that there are different types of hair used to create the style making each one look completely different. Just like with braids, there are different colors, lengths, and thickness you can choose to do. It is all ultimately up to you.
5. Cornrows
Although cornrows may seem like a simple style, there are so many different things you can do with them as well. You can have the
two cornrows on either side or have several small ones. Recently we see people do a lot of different things with cornrows. Many people do different patterns and even different sizes on their hair. And it is straightforward to maintain. Once you get the look, it is kept like that until you are ready to take it out.
6. Feed-In Braids
Feed in braids is trending this summer. I typically see it in the form of cornrows. And the braids are created into a cool creative pattern. You will usually see very tiny cornrows put into the design with bigger cornrows creating a very detailed look. It is a style worth considering.
7. Crochet Twists/Braids
Crochet has been around for a while now, and people are finding more inventive ways to make your crochet braids look its best. Doing crochet braids or twists is similar to regular braids or twists, but it takes less time to complete. If time is of the essence, this is a look to consider.
8. Yarn Twists/ Braids
This style is one of my personal favorites. I love yarn braids. This look is such a unique style because you use actual yarn to do your hair. The look and texture are so different and is genuinely like no other. Another benefit is that you can do any color you want because yarn comes in all kinds of colors.
9. Sew-in Weaves
If you want the look of having your natural hair out without actually having your hair out, then this is for you. Sew-ins are a great protective style to rock. There are many different textures and lengths you can choose from as well to personalize it. Just remember to watch out for the pool!
10. Wigs
To all my wig lovers out there, of course, you can rock a wig during the summer months. The maintenance is a bit different, but overall
wigs are an excellent protective style for any season. The great thing about wigs is if you want to go to the pool or beach, you can choose not to wear it if you would instead not get it wet. Also on a hot or humid day, you can decide to rock a short wig or not wear one at all. Wigs are great because you can choose when and when not it works for you.
What Will Be Your Summer Style?
Summer is coming in hot, and we all want to look our best. There are many different protective styles and ways to do your hair that you can choose to do. The great thing about these protective styles is that there are a variety of options out there for you. And it is also important to remember that it is okay to choose to wear your natural hair, there are just many benefits to having a protective style. And don’t forget that although you have protected your hair, it still needs regular maintenance to keep it moisturized and promote hair growth. There are also so many other styles out there that you can choose from that were not listed. What are your favorite go-to summer protective styles?
