I Finally Found a Protective Natural Hair Style!
Okay, so I've been experimenting with protective styles for this past month!! I have tried a wig (pretty cute!) and 2-strand twisting or corn-rowing my hair. I have FINALLY found a style that I think will work for me. I gravitated toward this style because it protects my edges. I have been noticing hair loss around my edges, and this has been frustrating for me. This style has many benefits for my hair, and it is easy for anyone to replicate on their hair.
The beauty of this protective style is that it can be worn as is, with just a hair piece covering the exposed hair. ​No manipulation to your hair needed.
What I used: - Stocking wig cap (in black) - Eco Styler Olive Oil Gel (max hold 10/10) - ORS Olive Oil Creme Hair Dress - Hairbrush - Wide tooth comb - Head scarf This style can be done on freshly-washed or dirty hair, but if you will be using this as a protective style (like I am doing) for at least a week, I recommend starting with freshly washed or cleansed hair.
Here's my process:
1. Divide your your hair in the front of your head, taking away as much or as little hair as you want from the main section. The aim is to prevent edge breakage, so take away all the fine, fragile hairs from the main section. 2. Divide your hair in the back as well, if you are worried about breakage of the fine hairs at the back. ​3. Gather the main section of hair in a satin- or silk-lined scrunchy to prevent hair breakage, or do like Naptural85 and sew a piece of satin around your existing scrunchy. I had neither at the time, so I used my ordinary cotton scrunchy.
4. Add dollops of gel on the 'out' hair, and use a hairbrush to incorporate this 'out' hair into the main section. Note: It will be frizzy at the ends because nothing is holding is down yet. Just concentrate on smoothing down the front. Do the same for the back of your hair. 5. Put the scrunchy over your hand, and put your hand inside of the stocking cap. 6. Smooth your hair down with both hands, and take the scrunchy hand and gather all the outside hair to your 'ponytail'. Cover it now with the scrunchy, and tie around. Don't tie it too tightly because the main purpose of this style is not to pull your edges too tightly when you're making an updo. Guess what also? You are also protecting your fragile hair from the harsh cotton scrunchy by placing the stocking cap on the hair before you wrap it with the scrunchy.
Hi! Let me know if you tried this.