Maximizing Your Growth in Protective Styles

The biggest mistake people make when keeping their hair in protective styles like twists, braids,& sew-ins is thinking of it as a time for them to do absolutely nothing to their hair. Just because your hair is tucked away doesn't mean that it doesn't need the same things that it needs when its out! People get so much growth while their hair is protected, just for it to break from neglecting it and poor removal techniques. So here are five basic rules that will keep your hair in tip top shape while protected so that you can actually retain all that growth that you're getting under there!

1) If you don't read anything else, read and understand this: Your hair needs to stay moisturized while in these styles. And if you read my previous post on moisture, you know that that does not mean lathering your scalp with Beewax, Miracle Grow, Indian Hemp, or any other pore clogging, petrolatum filled product. It also doesn't mean spraying your hair every other day with oil sheen. What it does mean is getting a moisturizing braid spray and spraying where your hair is daily or every other day (you'll have to figure out what works better for your hair). If you're in braids or twists, that means down the length of the braid/twist; if you're in cornrows, that means spraying the cornrows, and if you're in a sew in, that means lifting up the weave to spray directly on the cornrows underneath. This will keep your hair moist. African Pride & African Royale both have good braid sprays that serve the purpose. You may also follow up the spray with a light oil( olive oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, etc) along the hair shaft every 3 days or so.

2) Do not leave your hair to accumulate all of that dirt. Ladies, it is not cute to have dirt accumulating at the root of your hair, nor is it cool to be afraid to touch your hair because of a fear of flakes flying everywhere. Wash your hair! Dry, dirty hair will lead to breakage. Try to wash your hair at least every other week with diluted shampoo, focusing on the roots, and diluted conditioner, focusing on the length of your hair. Leave the conditioner on for at least 5 minutes, and for the really good people, deep condition under a shower cap with heat as you normally would for 15 min or more or walk around the house for an hour if you don't use heat. And yes, you can do this while you have your weave. Lift the hair up and focus on your cornrows underneath. Use a pointy tip applicator bottle to direct the shampoo & conditioner. Same for cornrows. Make sure you rinse out your products thoroughly & allow your hair to dry (a hooded dryer is good for this, but a blow dryer will work also. If using a blow dryer, blow dry until its almost dry & allow it to airdry the rest of the way.

3)Let go of the "grease the scalp" obsession. Use a light oil every wash day, and maybe a few times a week, as needed. Your scalp makes its own natural oils & doesn't need excessive amounts of your additions. It only creates buildup on the scalp. And remember, no petroleum products....please?

4)Do not leave your styles in for excessive periods of time. Yes, I know that you paid a lot for that hair style but.....if your braids & cornrows are hanging onto your hair for dear life, then it is past time for you to take them out. This weakens the hair----> breakage. You can maximize the hair style (braids/twists) by having your edges redone every 2 or 3 weeks. It'll keep the hair looking fresh, and save your edges.

5) And finally, speak up if your hair is super tight, have the stylist take it out and redo them immediately. If you've already left, take out the edges and redo them. A quick conditioner wash might also help to loosen up the tightness. You do not want to suffer a hair growth set back just because you were afraid to speak up. Remember, you are paying these people. Ask for what you want.

Protective styles can be the ultimate hair growth maximizer if done and maintained properly. Try these tips and see what a difference it makes in your hair.

Happy Hair Growing!

-Bee