So, you wanna know how long protective styles last. Well that kinda depends on you.
The questions to ask yourself are:
What look am I going for?
What’s my budget?
How long do I want my style to last?
When it comes to the look, you have protective styles that allow for you to swing your hair all around and styles that have everything tucked away. And you’d also need to decide if you only want a style that uses your hair or if you’d like some volume and length enhancement. Your budget comes into play too. Whether you’re doing it on yourself or going to a salon, the non-extension styles will always be less than the extension styles. But, in their defense, the extension styles also last longer. And then what are the circumstances by which you’re getting this style? Answering this should lead you to answering how long you’d like your protective style to last. Below are examples of a few different types of protective styles coupled with their longevity. They are also categorized by non-extension and extension styles so you can quickly scan for the type of style you’re going for.
If you’re going out of the country for 6 weeks you may need to choose a different style than if you were planning on taking a 1 week vacation to a tropical island. Below are a few examples of protective styles along with their longevity.
Non- Extension Protective Style Examples
All of these non-extension examples can last up to 4 weeks.
Flat Twist Buns
The foundation to this style are flat twists. They are styled in a way that they all come to the same point and turn into two strand twists. From there the two strand twists are crafted into a bun of the stylist’s choosing. The bun can sit anywhere on your head.
Flat Twist Up-Do’s
Similar to flat twist buns the foundation of this style are flat twists that all go in the same direction. Unlike the buns, these up-do’s leave the two strand twists to hang down, or are pinned in a unique shape. The other aspect of this style that separates it from buns is that these are always going towards the top of your head.
Pinned Two Strand Twists
This style can serve as two styles; morphing into a non-protective style after taking out the twists. The foundation of this style are two strand twists. The two strands are done in a very neat way on either wet or dry hair. If done on wet hair they can be dried before being pinned or get pinned while still damp. After the pins are taken out, the two strand twists can be unraveled and the style turns into a twist out.
Extension Protective Styles
Flat Twist Up-Do with Extensions
This is the same exact style as described in the non-extension protective style section, except hair is added throughout the style. Textured hair is seamlessly fed into the flat twists and extends into the two strand twists. Adding extensions adds about a week to this style, landing it at up to 5 weeks.
Twist Extensions (Marley twists, passion twists, spring twists, etc)
These styles are a favorite amongst our clients. It involves using textured extension hair to create twists. These twists can be as short as hanging above the shoulder to as long as extending to mid-back. They can last up to 6 weeks and serve as great vacation hair.
Knotless Braids
You may be wondering why “knotless” and not just braids. Well, quite honestly, it’s because we wanna make sure we’re keeping you in the cool crowd. Box braids also serve as a protective style but for now knotless braids are hot for a few reasons. They create less tension on your hair AND they have a bit of a unique look. With proper care this style can last up to 8 weeks.
Feed-In Cornrows
Feed-In cornrows come in sooooo many shapes and sizes. They can be done with a stitch braid or unique parts or a simple straight back look. A feed-in cornrow means the extension hair is slowly added to the cornrow making it look flawless and more natural. This style can last up to 4 weeks depending on how fast your hair grows.
And there you have it. A whooping 7 protective styles for you to choose from. PLEASE NOTE this is not a complete list of all your protective style options. Other popular protective styles include faux locs, crochets, wigs and more.
Thank you for taking the time to read our blog and find out more about our services.
If you’d like to book with us you can book online or shoot us a text at 301-910-4247.