We won’t even hold you: this is going to change your life.
Most importantly, this is going to change the way you view natural hair and cultivate healthy curls.
As naturals, our biggest priority is keeping our curls healthy right? We shouldn't be that worried about the length, and whatever style is trending isn’t really a huge concern.
But health? Health is the priority and the absolute standard.
So when it comes to maintaining healthy hair, we’re always looking for routines and ways to protect your hair.
More often than not, the option of having a protective style seems to be a fan favorite for naturals.
A protective style is defined as “any style that keeps the ends of hair tucked away and minimizes manipulation”.
That sounds nice, and protective styles may have good intentions for your natural hair, but we have to look at the curl hard truth: that’s not the case. At all.
Here’s one important hair fact that’s essential for overall hair health: your hair needs to breathe.
In addition to needing to breathe, natural hair should follow this standard set of routines on a daily basis: cleansing, hydrating, and moisturizing.
Tell us, CurlMixer. If your curls are “tucked” in a “protective style”, how can they maintain any of those healthy hair habits mentioned above?
Spoiler alert: They can’t!
It’s about time we rethink what a protective style actually is.
Traditional Protective Styles
Box braids. Faux locs. Marley Twists. Other false hopes labeled as “protective”.
Don’t get us wrong: they’re all beautiful in their own way. But they’re all also damaging nonetheless.
Are theses styles really protective if they:
- Cause tension and breakage to your strands, specifically your edges
- Keep your natural hair hidden, making it more challenging to get it's necessary cleansing, hydration and moisture
- Keep your natural hair trapped, resulting in shedded hair, tangles, and knots to remain intact
Myths About Protective Styles
- Protective styles will help grow your hair out.
- It’s okay to leave your protective styles in for nearly 2 months.
- You don’t have to wash your hair while it’s in a protective style.
The longer you keep holding on to the idea of traditional protective styles, the more likely your curls are to become damaged, dull, and ultimately in danger.
Will the real protective styles please stand up?
True Styles that Protect Your Natural Hair
Wash + Go’s
What all is there to say about this CurlMix Classic that hasn’t already been said?
It’s a curl’s best friend:
- Takes care of cleansing, conditioning, moisturizing and styling in four easy steps
- Doesn’t require any elaborate techniques that result in tension on your strands
- Lasts several days, leaving you free to keep your hair hands-free
Twist-Outs and Braid-Outs
Low-maintenance, low-manipulation...but high-quality style!
Similar to Wash + Go’s, these styles offer a great sense of protection to your curls:
- Locks in the moisture while twisted or braided up
- Provides definition and style for days without having to refresh your strands
- Lightweight and lovely by not adding any stress to your hair
Bantu Knots
If you’re really looking to leave your curls alone (locked and full of love and moisture!), this is the ideal style.
This classic style pays homage to the true culture of Black hair. It’s also super efficient to wear when you want to leave your hair unbothered for a few days!
At the end of the day, the curl of the matter is that in order to protect your hair, you have to have healthy hair habits and healthy hairstyles.
Despite its misleading name, traditional “protective styles” are causing more harm than good to your curls.
A true protective style will allow your hair to flourish without literally trapping it.
Share this post with your friends, CurlMixer! This new definition of a protective style will save plenty of curls.
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