15 Best Protective hairstyles for natural hair

How much time daily would you like to spend on your hair styling? I bet minimum but you definitely wouldn’t like going out with your hair sticking out in some sort of explosion on your head.  Protective hairstyles aim to limit the stress of environmental factors on natural hair. Protective hairstyles are priceless in themselves, since besides a flawless elegant look, they keep your hair ends tucked and protected from aggressive damaging factors. How can you boost the protective effect?

Cornrows work for short relaxed hair and natural hair that needs to be extended and protected. A quick trip to a salon will leave you feeling beautiful and confident in days to come.

Oldest trick in the book when it comes to hairstyles. They’re not difficult to maintain and can last for over 3 weeks, depending on the amount of care you put into it.

Shrinkage can be such a pain!  Women with natural hair have to deal with shrinkage after washing, which can make your hair appear shorter than it actually is. To add texture or flair, simply take your favourite curl cream and twist your hair out.

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Crotchet braids have also become quite popular over the years because they are a quicker alternative classic braids. When crotchet braids  unravel, they look beautifully curly and as long as you keep them well hydrated and maintained. Plus, if well kept, they can be reused multiple times.

Using Havana hair extensions, these twists are created with two strands (rather than three with cornrows and braids). If you want bigger and fuller twists, you apply minimal tension. If you want thinner twists, you pull them tighter.

An African style of wearing your hair just as the name suggests, Ghana braids are long-lasting braids, offering a way for you to have fabulous hair when time just isn’t on your side.

Lace wigs have also gained massive popularity this year for their simple but slaying style. You can rock 20 inches of blonde today and switch it up to 12 inch blue tomorrow! Next time your boyfriend wants to ‘see other people’ show him other people.

This is a fun and creative way to make your cornrows stand out more. Cornrows can be easily turned into a Mohawk and creative designs make them stand out.

These ones have become increasingly popular over the years and it’s not hard to see why. They are an excellent way to test out how actual permanent dreads will look on your head, should you choose to go that route on your natural hair journey. The extra weight might take a while to adjust to, though.

For when you don’t know how to braid, the rope twist or Senegalese twist is super simple and easy to do. It’s a twist with a twist! Cool right?

Rock the knots like the goddess you are. Simply twist your hair into small matuta-like buns and like an African goddess! The perk to this is you can later on unravel them if you want to rock a curly ‘fro.

An undercut is a simple way to experiment with styles that do not require too much commitment. You can literally rock these with any of the above styles mentioned.

Not in the mood for the typical braids? Then yarn may be your simple solution. Be careful not to pick out thin yarn but thick ones best suited for natural hair to avoid the yarn from thinning or breaking your hair.

In this case, the simple thing to do is simply make two cornrows and tuck them into a bun at the back

They look like Bantu knots, but not quite. They are big matutas and about four of them, ideally braided. They look great when you’re already wearing braids or Senegalese twists.