Hey guys….

As much as I love protective styles(because they help you retain length,save your hair from harsh weather,save you the trouble of trying to figure out something with your hair & a host of other advantages..),I’ve been a victim one too many times of a particular protective style gone wrong (weave-ons), and yes I had to learn the hard way. These might apply to some other protective styles. Here are lil’ ways to avoid them so they don’t go from protecting to destroying …

Run through them with me please, will you?

1.Uneven Hair Length: This is particular to weave-ons, I always end up cutting some parts of my hair with a blade cos I can’t find the thread to cut when taking the weaves out..Arrgghhh!It’s so annoying to see some parts of your hair really short some parts looking like ‘wth happened here??’.

I figured the key to avoiding this is a 3way street if you have to install a weave:

a. Talk to your stylist to go easy on the sewing, so you’ll be able to see the threads when you wanna take them off(note: when they are in for too long, your hair would start covering them,mysteriously..hahaha..so to be safe keep them for 5-7weeks 8 at the max).

b.Be patient when taking them off yourself especially when you have phobia for what’s in (c), don’t be in a hurry otherwise you’ll end up with unevenly cut hair.

c.Let someone else help you out, I mean they’ll see the thread better than you would.

If you can’t deal with any of these(sometimes like me), get a nice wig!…

2.Dry, Flaky Scalp: My hair and scalp are usually dry and flaky by the time it’s time to take the weave out (I hope I’m not alone in this). I discovered the wonder of coconut oil(it fixes everything!*chuckles*) and other oils- tea tree, avocado, olive, peppermint.

Its easier to apply when you have braids or single twists on. You could mix 1 or 2 tsp of any of the oils with water and/or aloe vera in your spray bottle and it solves the issue of having to rub it with your hands on your scalp. It leaves your hair moisturized the whole time.

Applying these oils on your scalp every other day can help keep your scalp from being dry, flaky and itchy. Avoid heavy/ sealing oils tho, like castor,jojoba oils etc. as they are unable to penetrate into hair shaft.

3.Hair Breakage: I usually experience too much hair breakage when I loosen the cornrows (I always wonder how come I haven’t gone bald yet when I look down at my big ball of hair*not funny*), twists,braids or whatever protective style I have on.

The secret to minimal shedding is to deep condition and cowash before putting in any protective style, keeping the hair and scalp moisturized all through the life span of the style and patiently taking them out gently.

4.Missing Edges: My edges go missing or are scanty by the time I take the protective style off. They break if they were installed or packed to tightly(which could lead to wounds or little boils), lack moisture or were mistakenly cut by a blade.

Avoid holding your edges too tightly in any style it’s being put in(you can apply hair growth oils), keep it moisturized and avoid cutting it with blade when taking out installations.

What other problems do you encounter with protective styles?

Hope this was helpful… Have a lovely weekend!

x

Jasmine