Hair

6 Protective Styles To Stunt In This Season

The DMX Challenge would've been nothing without Black women -- we invented and mastered the hairstyle switchup.

The way we do it is by wearing protective styles. Protective styles allow us to be versatile while also preserving the fragility of our natural hair. It allows us to stray away from heat and chemicals which, if used too much, can do major damage. Now, they do take time to install in many cases but once you have them, you're set for a good amount of time. Protective styles are great for reducing breakage and promoting healthy hair growth.

In order to maximize its benefits, while sporting a protective style be sure to:

  • moisturize your hair
  • invest in conditioning spray
  • keep your scalp clean
  • don't keep it for too long

Ahead, you'll find some fly protective styles that will make fall an easy transition for you and your hair.

Fulani Braids

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Ijeoma Kola, PhD on Instagram: “No YouTube video today but enjoy this 360 view of my #fulanibraids! In last week’s video I shared all the deets on the style including what…”

Fulani braids are equally historic and stylish. Fulani derives from an African ethnic group known as the Fula. This style of braids incorporate uniquely patterned braids spanning from thin-to-medium. The beads are what make them fire! Be sure to add some spice to this style by adding a variation of hair jewelry.

Two Braids

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Ciara Anderson on Instagram: “Press play for a quick & easy #naturalhair protective style 🙇🏿‍♀️❤️ Tag a curl friend👯‍♀️ What’s your goto protective style? This has been…”

We are here for this style because it's quick and easy on the brain and the coin. With this look, you can make it more dramatic by adding more hair for length and volume. There's nothing like a style you can try at the house and this definitely fits the bill.

Senegalese Twists

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Bella Michelle on Instagram: “Miss my holiday glow 😭 Just posted a video on my holiday prep for Ibiza. #linkinbio”

Senegalese twists are not new but they are oh so faithful. Women all around the world adore this style because of its versatility. You can even create your own crown with a wrapped bun.

P A S S I O N SPRING TWISTS

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Whitney White on Instagram: “✨P A S S I O N SPRING TWISTS!!🎉✨ This 🔥PASSION-FILLED🔥 Protective Style was JUST uploaded!!! 😭👏🏾💃🏾 Go check it out at…”

Passion twists have been on our radar for a while but we absolutely love how Whitney styled them in a shorter length. The loc style is perfectly boho and when executing this style, know that the hair you choose and the twisting method is crucial.

Half Up - Half Down

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Destiny Taylor on Instagram: “The braids are out and she’s back at it! 💃🏾 Girl, I slayed this protective style in less than a hour! Def going to be one of my go-tos. 😍…”

I have tried this style and I loved the ease of waking up, shaking and getting on with my morning routine. When I saw the price of the hair, which was under $10, I knew this would be a bomb protective style. Most importantly, it was extremely easy to maintain. With a good bonnet and some edge control, I kept this style for almost three weeks.

Straight Backs

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Jaila | Hairstyle Inspo ➿ on Instagram: “I finally did my hair after three days of pure chaos 🥴 Here’s my take on the neat cornrows + curly buns + exaggerated baby hair style,…”

I'm a sucker for straight back braids and Jaila's rendition of the classic style is fire. She took a simple design and jazzed it up with a messy bun. You can easily achieve this look yourself or even show this photo to your stylist to have them recreate it.

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