The 10 Healthiest Protective Styles For Natural Hair
- Kaila
- Published: July 31, 2023
If you’re looking for ways to keep your natural hair protected while maintaining its health and promoting growth, you’re in the right place. We understand the importance of safeguarding your curls, coils, or kinks from daily styling, manipulation, and environmental factors.
In this post, we’ll explore a variety of protective hairstyles that not only shield your hair but also help retain moisture, reduce breakage, and encourage length retention for natural hair.
Table of Contents
What Is the Healthiest Protective Style?
One of the healthiest protective styles would be mini braids. Mini braids are usually done using your own hair, requires little manipulation and is versatile in styling. While mini braids are a great option for a protective style we understand it won’t be everyone’s go to choice. Here’s a list of the 10 healthiest protective styles to choose from:
1. Knotless Braids
Knotless braids have gained a lot of popularity as a go-to protective style for natural hair, and for good reason. Unlike traditional braids that start with a knot at the base, knotless braids begin with your own hair and gradually add synthetic or human hair extensions, resulting in a more comfortable and gentle installation process.
This method reduces tension on the scalp and hair follicles, minimizing the risk of breakage and hair loss. Knotless braids also offer a more natural and seamless look, as the absence of knots at the base creates a smoother and more realistic appearance.
The lighter and less bulky look of knotless braids makes them more manageable and versatile, allowing for easy styling and less strain on the hair.
Our Recommendation for braiding hair: X-pression
2. Cornrows
Cornrows have been known to be a great protective style for natural hair due to their numerous benefits. One of the primary benefits of cornrows is their ability to tightly secure the hair close to the scalp, reducing daily manipulation and friction that can lead to breakage.
By distributing tension evenly along the scalp, cornrows help to protect the hair shafts from external damage and allow for better hair growth retention. Cornrows provide versatility and flexibility, allowing you to experiment with various hairstyles while keeping your natural hair tucked away.
Whether you opt for simple and classic cornrows or intricate patterns with the very popular stitch method, this timeless protective style is sure to keep your hair healthy and stylish.
3. Mini Braids
As mentioned earlier, mini braids are an excellent choice for one of the healthiest protective styles, especially for those with natural hair. These smaller-sized braids provide several advantages when it comes to maintaining the health and integrity of your hair.
Mini braids offer ultimate protection by keeping your hair strands neatly tucked away and shielded from external factors that can cause damage, such as friction, manipulation, and environmental stressors. They create a barrier that helps to retain moisture and prevent excessive drying, promoting hair health and minimizing breakage.
Mini braids require minimal styling and manipulation, reducing the risk of over-manipulation and potential damage to your hair. They also allow for easy access to your scalp, facilitating proper cleansing and moisturizing routines.
Mini braids provide versatility, as you can style them in various ways, such as updos, buns, or half-up styles, offering a range of options to express your personal style while maintaining the protective benefits. Mini braids are a great choice as one of the healthiest protective styles.
4. Braided Crown
A braided crown is not only a stunning hairstyle but also an excellent choice for a protective style. This versatile and elegant look involves braiding the hair around the crown of the head, creating a beautiful and regal effect. One of the key benefits of a braided crown is its ability to keep the majority of your hair protected and secured.
By gathering and braiding the hair away from the face and neck, this style minimizes exposure to daily manipulation and friction, reducing the risk of breakage and damage. It also helps to retain moisture in the hair, preventing excessive dryness and promoting overall hair health.
A braided crown offers versatility as it can be worn for both casual and formal occasions. You can customize the style with various braid patterns, sizes, and embellishments to suit your preferences.
5. Head Wraps
Headwraps are a fabulous choice for a protective style, offering both practicality and style. They provide a multitude of benefits for natural hair. Headwraps offer complete coverage, effectively protecting your hair from environmental factors such as sun exposure, wind, and pollution, which can lead to dryness, breakage, and damage.
They also help to retain moisture by sealing in the hair’s natural oils and preventing excessive moisture loss. Headwraps are versatile and can be worn in various styles, allowing you to change your look effortlessly while keeping your hair protected.
Headwraps also provide endless opportunities for self-expression, as they come in a wide range of colors, patterns, and fabrics, allowing you to showcase your unique style and personality. With their practicality, versatility, and ability to keep your hair shielded and stylish, headwraps are an excellent choice for a protective style that promotes hair health and adds a fashionable touch to your overall look.
6. Protective Updos
Updos are a great choice for a protective style that offers a multitude of benefits for natural hair. By gathering the hair into an elevated style, updos keep the ends of the hair tucked away and shielded from external factors that can cause damage, such as friction, environmental stressors, and daily manipulation.
This reduces the risk of breakage and helps to maintain the overall health and integrity of the hair. Updos also provides versatility, as they can be customized to suit various occasions and personal preferences. From sleek buns to intricate braided updos, there are endless options to choose from that not only protect your hair but also allow you to showcase your individual style and creativity.
Whether you’re attending a formal event or simply looking for an elegant and protective everyday style, updos are a great choice that combines practicality, versatility, and the preservation of healthy hair.
7. Senegalese Twists
Senegalese twists are an excellent choice for a protective style that offers numerous benefits for natural hair. These twists, created by adding synthetic or human hair extensions to the natural hair, provide a protective barrier that shields your own strands from daily manipulation and environmental stressors.
Reducing the exposure to friction and tugging, Senegalese twists help to minimize breakage and promote hair growth retention. They also offer versatility, as they can be styled in various ways, such as updos, ponytails, or left loose, allowing for different looks and versatility in your styling options.
Senegalese twists are a great option for maintaining the health and length of natural hair while adding a touch of style and elegance and is a great option as one of the healthiest protective styles.
8. Bantu Knots
Bantu knots are not only a stylish and trendy choice but also an excellent protective style for natural hair. These knots are created by twisting sections of hair into small coils and securing them against the scalp. One of the key benefits of Bantu knots is their ability to protect the ends of the hair, which are often more fragile and prone to breakage.
Keeping the ends tucked away and secured, Bantu knots help to minimize damage caused by friction and external factors. Additionally, Bantu knots promote moisture retention by sealing the hair cuticles, preventing excessive drying, and maintaining the hair’s natural moisture balance.
This versatility allows you to switch up your look while still keeping your hair protected. Bantu knots are a fantastic choice for those looking to protect their natural hair while embracing a chic and distinctive hairstyle.
9. Jumbo Box Braids
Jumbo box braids are an excellent choice for a protective style that offers numerous benefits for natural hair. These braids, created using large sections of hair, provide a protective shield that keeps the hair strands tucked away and shielded from external factors that can cause damage.
reducing manipulation and friction, jumbo box braids help to minimize breakage and promote hair growth retention. They also offer versatility, as they can be styled in various ways, such as updos, ponytails, or left loose, allowing for different looks and styling options.
They also offer versatility, as they can be styled in various ways, such as updos, ponytails, or left loose, allowing for different looks and styling options. Additionally, jumbo box braids require minimal daily maintenance once installed, making them a convenient choice for those with busy lifestyles.
10. Curly Wig
Curly wigs provide a protective barrier that allows your natural hair to rest and grow without being subjected to daily styling and manipulation. By wearing a curly wig, you can protect your hair from heat damage, harsh weather conditions, and constant styling, which can lead to breakage and damage.
curly wigs offer versatility and convenience, as they come in a variety of styles, lengths, and textures, allowing you to switch up your look effortlessly. They also provide an opportunity to experiment with different curl patterns and colors without the commitment of permanently altering your natural hair.
Whether you want to change up your look or simply give your natural hair a break, curly wigs are a fantastic choice for a protective style that promotes hair health and allows for endless styling possibilities.
Conclusion On The Healthiest Protective Styles
In conclusion, incorporating healthy protective styles into your natural hair care routine is a wise decision that can lead to stronger, longer, and more healthier hair.
By opting for styles like knotless braids, cornrows, mini braids, braided crowns, headwraps, updos, Senegalese twists, Bantu knots, jumbo box braids, curly wigs, and more, you can safeguard your natural hair from damage while maintaining its health and strength.
These styles not only shield your hair from external factors but also promote moisture retention, reduce breakage, and minimize manipulation. Moreover, they offer versatility, style, and an opportunity to express your individuality.
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
- Mini braids are one of the healthiest options for a protective style in terms of preventing excessive damage and being low manipulation.
- The least damaging hairstyle depends on your hair style but the key factors to look for is low manipulation and styling such as mini braids, box braids etc.
- The braids that hurt the least are knotless box braids. Knotless braids allow for less tension at the root and scalp of the hair with a more natural look.