Perfect Protective Hairstyles

Most women of color have gotten rid of the “creamy crack,” also known as a relaxer, realizing that the European standard of beauty isn’t the standard at all. In today’s media, some individuals choose to wear styles that were created for and by African Americans. These styles can be worn by all ethnicities, but credit must be given and renaming the style is a form of disrespect, due to the fact that these hairstyles are our identity and not a trend. 

Furthermore, many styles are still seen as unkept or unprofessional for the workplace, which is why some black people style their hair that may reflect the European standards. The United States Army lifted the ban of dreadlocks and other braiding styles in 2017.  Before the year 2017, dreadlocks were against the dress code. You can also research instances where students were sent home for their hairstyles, teachers have cut their hair without permission or banned these styles in the school handbooks. 

However, it is prevalent in our culture to see non-POC individuals wearing these styles and receiving praise for it. When in all actuality, the Black community has been shamed for something that is within their culture and that grows directly out of their scalps. For example, when Kim Kardashian called cornrows “Bo Derek braids,” Black twitter was not the happiest.  Learn more about the connection between hair and identity in black culture here.

Box Braids

In my opinion, box braids are a great style for the summer or long/extended trips. They’re very low maintenance and depending on your hair texture and upkeep they will last for about a month and a half. I’ve seen some of my friends leave them in for that amount of time, or a significantly shorter amount of time, it depends on the individual. Box Braids can take up to six to eight hours to do. However, the results are beautiful. 

Two Stand Twist

Twist outs are predominately used by women who are natural. This style doesn’t take long to create. However, it could take trial and effort to get the perfect twist out. It’s more about knowing what products your hair loves. Also, it’s a good idea to follow YouTubers how to share the same hair type as you do but keep in mind all hair is different. 

Weaves & Wigs

A weave is another term for hair extensions. Most people get hair extensions, but the black community is seen as the highest consumer of it. However, weaves and wigs are not to hide natural beauty, but to protect hair from heat damage or to be left alone to increase growth. Since Black hair does not require to be washed daily, that is not an issue for long term use of this protective style. The price range for each can start from 50 to 300 dollars, depending on the quality and the vender. There are great stylists all over the country, and if you are in the Richmond area direct message me on Instagram and I can send you a list of great stylists. 

This article intends to educate and shine a light on black culture while giving examples of protective styles. Remember to uplift each other and be open-minded to everyone’s culture.

P.S don’t be a culture vulture. 

Image credit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

• Black
• Box Braids
• Braids
• hair
• poc
• twist out
• weave
• women