Protective Styles For Natural Hair

Protective Styles For Natural Hair
Wearing protective styles can be a fantastic way to nurture your hair and help natural hair to grow longer. The beauty in protective styles when maintained properly is that they can help reduce exposure to potentially damaging elements such as hot styling tools and tension caused by merely rubbing against sweaters, coats and other textured garments.

Protective styles include wigs, braids, buns, and twists. More specially — any style where the ends of your hair are out of harm’s way.

Regardless if you choose to wear clip-ins, weaves, or wigs while transitioning or perhaps you’re just going for a different look, it is essential to take care of your own hair. Here are 3 simple, yet important tips to keep your hair in great shape:

1. Keep your hair clean

Sometimes while wearing wigs or weaves, women; and men too, tend to go longer than they should before shampooing their hair. For naturally curly hair, the ideal cycle to shampoo your hair is usually between 7-10 days. Using a gentle yet effective sulfate and paraben free shampoo and conditioner such as Dark & Lovely Au Naturale Anti Shrinkage allows the removal of dead cells and provides relief from styling products from the hair and scalp which helps to encourage healthy growth of new hair.

Did you know that you can cause fungal or bacterial infections on your scalp by shampooing infrequently? You certainly can. Your hair follicles become clogged when your scalp is dirty which can not only slow hair growth, but also lead to fungal and bacterial infections. So ladies….and gentlemen, as beautiful and handsome as you look in your new do, take the time to care for your hair and scalp.

Frequently shampooing and getting conditioner treatments is one of the easiest ways to maintain your own hair. You will also notice that your hair will be softer, pliable and easy to handle.

2. Use a good conditioner

Shampooing your hair is not enough to keep it healthy. While shampoo cleanses your hair, a conditioner provides compounds to beautify and protect your hair. These compounds also restore lost oils and moisture to the hair.

Have you ever thought about what your hair goes through in a single day? It’s exposed to the excruciating heat of summer, the chill factor of winter, sweat and pollution. So if conditioning your hair has been an afterthought, you may want to adjust your thinking because it’s more just slapping on a little cream to your wet hair.

If you find that your hair is very dry, consider a deep condition weekly for healthier hair. Of course apply the deep conditioner such as the Dark & Lovely Moisture Conditioner to freshly shampooed hair, then cover your head with a plastic cap and use low, indirect heat from a hooded hair dryer for about an hour before rinsing it out with cool water. Cool water is best because while you may think hot water will ensure there’s no residue, it will also in effect reverse the process by leaving your hair cuticles open – cool water closes the cuticles.

Be aware also of extreme tension on your scalp from weaves, cornrows and wigs. So in addition to using an excellent conditioner regularly, keep your scalp in good condition too. A good scalp massage every couple of days is not only soothing to your scalp but it can also avert itchiness, increases blood to the scalp, thus stimulating hair growth.

3. Keep your hair moisturized

If you have coarse, thick dry hair, the more moisture the better. So after cleansing your hair and scalp with a sulfate and paraben free shampoo, protecting it with a rich conditioner, consider a moisturizing leave-in spray before styling your hair.

Moisture helps make styling your hair easier and it’s vital for healthy hair growth. Before putting on a wig or a weave installation, using a good moisturizer such as the Dark & Lovely Moisture Seal Leave In Styling Mist. This advanced combination of natural ingredients and body enhancing polymers infuses and seals moisture into your hair strand for a soft and full finish.

Conclusion

Remember, a protective style doesn’t mean “out of sight”, “out of mind” for your hair. Your own tresses are still there, being protected underneath that wig, weave or braids. To learn more about the products mentioned in this article or about our natural hair care line of products, call VIP House Of Hair Beauty Supply & Salon at (661) 723-0990 or book appointment online.

How do you care for your hair when wearing protective styles?