Preserve hair at night
Taking the extra two minutes to preserve your hair at night can make the difference in the overall look of your protective style and it means that you can protective style for a longer period of time. If you feel like your head just needs to hit the pillow as soon as you’re ready for bed (like me) then at least invest in a satin pillowcase*.
Satin pillowcases* are better than regular cotton pillowcases, because they don’t dry out your hair and they reduce frizz in the long term. Here are some other tips about preserving your protective style at night:
If you have a weave, you can braid/twist the extension hair in large sections (depending on the hair texture) before putting it into a ponytail and putting either a satin scarf or bonnet on.
If you have braids or twists, it may be hard to get your hair into a ponytail with a normal scrunchie, so use a headband* to gather all of your hair together.
Be careful not to pull your hair back into a ponytail too tightly, especially if you have thicker braids, because this can wear on your edges after a while. Afterwards, tie a satin scarf around your head to keep the style from getting frizzy over time.
Touch it up as needed
Time flies when you’re rocking a protective style because all of your normal day to day natural hair obligations are tucked away. A month may pass and even though you aren’t yet ready to say goodbye, your hair may be ready for a change. If you don’t want to take your hair down yet, you can retouch the style to make it stretch a little longer.
If you have a weave, you can get your braids redone or the tracks re-tightened so that they won’t hang as loose. If you have braids or twists, you can take out the first two rows around your entire head. Wash and condition the section before getting your hair redone.
Although the rest of your hair will be loose, you can make the style stretch for a few more weeks up to another month before totally taking it down.
Even if you decide to take a break from your hair and protective style, make the most of your effort by caring for your hair underneath. If you take the extra time to do these steps during your protective style, your hair will remain healthy underneath. It gets easier as you continue to do it, and your hair will definitely thank you in the long run.
Vivian Gray says
Beautiful
Poseidon Burnett says
Them box braids snatch my edges!
Thaddeus J. Williams Jr. says
Beautiful black woman! Captivating!
Krystal White says
Poseidon ur braider snatched ur edges
Erica Acire says
I like the less water but clean idea Meshell Webb
Theresa Marie Bryant says
This article is right on time. Just got some box braids