Protective Styling

Braided Updos

Before I moved to DC, I was in the salon every two weeks! I rarely got protective styles because I didn't care much for that look. It's been three years since that time and things have changed. What's changed, you ask? Let me explain.

Back Then...

My hair was shorter when I was in NC. I was searching for styles that gave me length, but that was hard to get because my hair was in that awkward stage.  I would try protective styles here and there mainly because my cosmetologist educated me enough to know that I've got to protect my hair. Some styles were just okay, but some styles I absolutely loved:

Overall, though, I preferred my twist outs, curls, and straight hair more than these styles.

I recently talked about my natural hair journey for the Huffington Post. In that post I didn't have room to talk about how my natural hair journey is just that...a journey! During this journey, I've learned a lot about myself and my hair. I've realized it's more than just length. Having length is a preference. My main reason for going natural was to have healthy hair. That's my goal. Whatever it takes to get me there is what I'll have to do!

With this wedding coming up, I'm making frequent trips to North Carolina. I thought it would be beneficial for my hair to start seeing my cosmetologist regularly again. With that being said, the first order of business was the get a trim (which we'll visit later). The second order of business, was to get protective styles to give my hair a break.

I started with two similar styles.

A Braided Updo With Two Strand Twists

The first style I tried was something on the simple side. It'd been a little while since I got a protective style I loved, so I was nervous about it. When I sat in her chair, I had no idea what I wanted, so she had full control.

I loved this style and it lasted for 3 weeks. I was hoping to wear a twist out when I took out the twists, however, I wanted to comb the shed hair out after untwisting. This resulted in a puff out as opposed to a twist out. I had to find something to do with my hair! I pinned it to the side at first but I didn't like it so I ended up putting it in a high ponytail and rocked that for a week until I returned to the salon.

A Braided Updo with Pinned Two Strand Twists

The next style was a little more fancy. It was styled cornrows with two strand twists pinned up in the front. I had a hair and makeup trial appointment on the same day. My cosmetologist thought it would be a good day for a hairstyle trial so we could wrap our minds around looks for my wedding day.

I'm back to my old antics. I clearly forgot to take pics of the hairstyle and I know this video isn't the best, but you can see a better quality of the video here. Also, here are a few pictures that give you a better view of parts of this style.

Hair Care During Protective Styling

We all know you can't abandon hair care altogether when you have a protective style. I didn't have my hair care routine down with the first style. I was moisturizing my scalp with my Influance moisturizer and spraying my hair and scalp with a new product, Design Essentials Hydrience Argan Moisture Replenishing Mist. I used this product to give my dull hair some shine! I wasn't paying much attention to the loose twists. The most I did with them was oil the ends because I wanted to keep them protected.

When I made it back to the salon for the second style, my hair turned out well except for the loose twists. They were a little tough to detangle. When I told my cosmetologist what my routine was, she said I needed to oil my scalp and moisturize my hair. Following her advice the second time around, things turned out better and detangling was a breeze!

The moral of this story is that my first couple of protective hairstyles have been a success. I was really nervous about trying these styles, but trusting my cosmetologist always works out for me! There will be many styles to come between now and March, so be on the lookout!

Which style of my protective styles do you like the best?

Follow Mi!

Twitter | Google+ | Instagram | Tumblr Facebook | Pinterest | Bloglovin' | Email Me