In order for a protective style to live up to its name, both the natural hair and scalp need to be taken care of equally.
Are you considering installing a protective style like Marley twists or box braids? Everyone likes to rock these styles for various reasons. I like to take advantage of the opportunity to play with color without using chemicals, experiment with length while retaining my actual length in between trims and giving my strands a break from the atmosphere and frequent co-washing.
In order for a style to be considered truly protective, there are some important rules of thumb to follow before, during and after the process.
Before installing my twists
My scalp needs a blank canvas to work with. This is the order of my steps and products I currently use.
- Pre-poo: Deity America Nourishing Scalp Serum uses 100% natural ingredients to prep my scalp for the loss of sebum when I clarify. Although it is distributed all over my roots, the main areas of focus are along my hairline and the nape of my neck.
- Shampoo: For a deep scrub that will not irritate my canvas, I turn to a phthalate-free bar like Dyevercity Indulge Your Body (caramel apple scent”> because it works well for clarifying sensitive scalps. I gently massage in a circular motion with each finger simultaneously–no scratching.
While rocking my twists
In an ideal world, going through the lengthy–and sometimes painful–process of installing protective style twists would allow your hair and scalp to breathe fully for a couple of months at a time. However, for a lazy natural like myself, prolonging the lifetime of a style might seem nearly impossible. That is why I used to care about neatness but now don’t mind if my twists start channeling my inner Lisa Bonet.
Low manipulation styles are always a good idea. While my hair is already protected in twists, I don’t want to cause too much tension on my scalp or irritate it. It simply depends on my mood, but most of the time a half-up bun or a loose three-strand ponytail will suffice.
Throughout each day, I try not to touch my twists for three reasons:
- I don’t want to transfer oils and dirt to my real hair (which will force me to co-wash sooner”>
- I don’t want to encourage unraveling
- I don’t want my real hair to frizz up
If a twist does unravel, I use a whipped butter-gel to provide a soft hold that lasts.
At night, I wrap my edges with a satin headwrap and stuff the length of my twists into a satin bonnet. To maintain a more polished appearance for my protective style, the next morning I might apply an edge tamer to the baby hairs–but otherwise, I prefer to let them run free.
After taking down my twists
Depending on how long I wore my protective style twists, it may be time for a protein treatment restore the strength of my strands. This is how my wash day goes the day I take them down:
- protein treatment: OmniPotent Duosity Double Whipped Treatment delivers quick results and the viscosity is perfect–not too thick, not too runny.
- conditioning cleanser: SheaMoisture African Water Mint & Ginger Detox & Refresh Hair & Scalp Conditioner is everything that it sounds like–a refreshing cleanser that leaves my scalp with a tingly clean.
- leave-in: My curls need root-to-tip moisture, so I use Camille Rose Naturals Coconut Water Leave-In Treatment
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