The last thing you would want to do on your vacation is work (and worry) on your hair Extensions. While you are excited of the warm weather, beach days, pool parties, and wild nights, you equally dread what might happen to your hair from all that fun in the sun and water. And vacations are not meant to be bittersweet! That is why protective styles are here to save you from ruining your own vacation. Protective styles are not only low maintenance and very friendly on your own hair but also very trendy. And what’s even better is that there are endless ways to wear them. You can customize each look with hair accessories, pop of fun colors, and intricate parting. There’s no better way to rock your holiday look than with one of these dope ass Instagram-worthy hairdos.
But before we go onto the styles, let’s talk about what a protective style is!
What is a Protective Style?
Protective styles are hairstyles that protects your natural hair from exposure to damaging agents such as sun, heat, and constant manipulation by tucking the ends of the hair away. Protecting hair is advantageous to all types of hair textures. Protective styles include twists, braids, updos, and wigs but are not limited to them. A lot of times, synthetic or human hair extensions are added for even more versatility in color, thickness, length, and appearance in texture.
We have rounded up 10 protective styles that will definitely slay your vacation hair and also check out 5 tips on how to maintain them.
- Short Spring Twists
Spring twists are a relatively easy way to style your mane into a protective fashion. Just take a portion of hair from your root (for a smaller twist, use a smaller section and for a chunkier twist, use a larger section), break it into two, and twist the segment all the way to your ends. Upon reaching the ends of your hair, release the pressure gently to allow the twist to settle in. This defensive hairstyle works best on natural hair since curling the ends of your locks helps keep your twist intact. The great thing about this style is that maintenance is easier compared to other styles. Having products like a gentle cleanser to keep build-up at bay, natural oil to moisturize the scalp, and a silk bonnet to help maintain the style (and your hair’s health) is all you need. Braiders recommend that this protective style should only be left in between four and six weeks.
- Senegalese Twist
Apart from serving as a recognizable addition to any hair styling routine, Senegalese twists also known as rope twists is a protective style that is not only practical but beautiful too. Natural hair is moisturized and pre-parted. As you are twisting, strands of Kanekalon hair or Marley hair are attached one by one to each section. This style can be worn up or down, braided or knotted.
- Box Braids
Box braids are super awesome. They are not only a good protective style but also gives you the opportunity to add some impressive length to your own hair. No matter what style you get them in, there’s no denying the cuteness of box braids. They can protect your natural locks as they grow so there is less risk of them damaging your hair. Undoing the braids around the perimeter, washing your hair, and re-braiding your hair is a sure way to extend the lifespan of your braids. Box braids can last 4-6 weeks with proper care.
- Flat Twist
Flat twists are a combination of cornrows and traditional twists. Unlike working with three sections of hair, as you do with cornrows, flat twists only require two portions at a time. They work great on both natural hair and relaxed hair. Flat twisting minimalizes manipulation of hair on a daily basis and leads to healthier hair.
- Crochet Braids
This creative braided hairstyle, typically achieved by looping synthetic hair extensions through your natural hair with a crochet needle, is a super-stylish and easy way to rock a new and updated hairdo that’s still protective of your natural hair. The variety of style options for crochet hair are truly endless as there are so many different hair textures. So if you’re looking for a long hairstyle or maybe even dying to go short, there’s always a great crochet style to consider. Usually, crochet hairstyles can last up to four to eight weeks. But note that it’s not recommended to keep your braids for longer than two months as it can put too much strain on your natural hair, resulting in unwanted breakage.
- Bun or Chignon
This is by far the simplest protective style that works for any occasion. All you need are hairpins and an elastic band or firm scrunchie. Buns work great on both relaxed and natural hair with a comparative amount of ease. You can part your hair down the center or on one side, whichever you prefer. You can also add some finesse with srtiking or edgy accessories. Use edge control products to make sure your edges stay smooth and sleek.
- Pineapple/Puff updo
This pretty, peppy look is surprisingly easy to create. It’s a fun and stylish way to keep your curls up and out of your face on a hot sunny day. And the best part is you can rock this hairstyle with bangs by bringing the hair from the ponytail forward to cascade into your bangs.
- Cornrows
In this style of hair braiding, the hair is braided very close to the scalp, making a continuous, raised row. As the name hints, cornrows are often done in simple or straight lines but these days they can be seen done in elaborate geometric or curvilinear designs.
- Faux Locs
Faux locs offer more freedom than other methods for protective styling. Faux locs actually look better and more natural as they age unlike braids-they look best when freshly installed. Faux locks are installed and worn in such a way that they have less tension on your edges and thus offer a lesser risk of damage that can result from pulling the hair too tight. By adding a few locs in a different color you can create a trendy and unique hairstyle. Synthetic, yarn, and human hair are the most common hair extensions used for faux locs. Faux locs can last 3 weeks to 3 months depending on the type and how well you maintain your hair.
- Braided Ponytail or bun
Braids can upgrade the basic simple ponytail and make it unique. This style is achieved using synthetic braiding hair. The braiding technique can vary in style. For a formal look you can wear the ponytail down or wrap the braids into a bun. Braided ponytails can also be worn with anything. You can wear them to night clubs or to a laid back day on the beach.
No matter which protective hairstyle you choose, there are a few things to keep in mind to get the most out of your protective styles and maintain the health of your hair. Here are 5 tips to follow:
- Regularly moisturize your hair and scalp if you want your protective style to wonders. A few veils of the mist of our Indique Hair Care Essentials Moisturizing Conditioner used either alone or followed by our Indique Hair Care Essentials French Argan Oil a few times a week will help keep your scalp healthy and your hair soft.
- Protect your hair at bedtime by wrapping your hair in a silk or satin scarf to help prevent loss of moisture or breakage due to friction against the pillowcase.
- To keep the style intact and cut down on friction, manipulate the twists or braids with oiled hands. You can use a natural lightweight oil.
- Limit washing between styles. Washing your protective style too often can result in not only in frizz, but it will also possibly loosen the style due to all the manipulation from washing. Instead, use products like no-rinse shampoos to gently cleanse your scalp between styling or you can use Indique Hair Care Essentials Moisturizing Shampoo
- Be gentle while taking down the style to prevent breakage.
