Protective hairstyles are styles that tuck the ends of the hair away and reduce daily combing, heat and handling. They're most associated with natural, curly and coily hair. This guide lists the most popular ones, from box braids to faux locs, with a one-line description and a link to the full guide for each.
How to choose a protective style
- Time in the chair. Crochet styles take about two hours; micro braids can take twelve.
- How long you want to keep it. Large cornrows last a couple of weeks; small braids and twists up to eight.
- Tension. Knotless braids, twists and soft locs are gentler on the hairline than styles with a knot at the root.
- Upkeep. Styles with loose curls, like boho braids, need daily attention; plain braids need very little.
Braids
- Box braids: Box braids are individual braids made by dividing the hair into square, box-shaped sections and plaiting each one, usually with extension hair added for length and thickness.
- Knotless braids: Knotless braids are box braids that begin with your natural hair, with extension hair fed in gradually a little way down, so there is no knot at the scalp.
- Boho braids: Boho braids, short for bohemian braids, are box braids or knotless braids with loose, curly strands left out along the length and at the ends.
- Goddess braids: Goddess braids are thick, raised braids worn close to the scalp, like oversized cornrows.
- French curl braids: French curl braids are box or knotless braids made with French curl braiding hair: the top part is braided and the rest is left loose in silky, bouncy curls.
- Micro braids: Micro braids are very small, thin individual braids, sometimes only a few strands wide.
- Cornrows: Cornrows are braids plaited flat against the scalp in continuous raised rows.
- Feed-in braids: Feed-in braids are cornrows where extension hair is added in small pieces as the braid goes along, instead of all at once at the start.
- Stitch braids: Stitch braids are feed-in cornrows with crisp horizontal lines running across each braid, like stitches.
- Lemonade braids: Lemonade braids are long cornrows that are all braided toward one side of the head, so the braids sweep across and fall over one shoulder.
- Fulani braids: Fulani braids are a braided style that comes from the Fulani (Fula) people of West Africa and the Sahel.
- Tribal braids: Tribal braids is a broad name for braided styles that use patterns rooted in African braiding traditions, usually a mix of cornrows at the front and individual braids at the back, with beads, cuffs or other accessories.
- Butterfly braids: Butterfly braids are large braids, usually two or a few jumbo cornrows, where loops of hair are pulled loose along each braid to give a puffy, textured, wing-like look.
- Crochet braids: Crochet braids are extensions attached with a crochet hook: your natural hair is cornrowed, and pre-made braids, twists, locs or curls are looped through the cornrows and secured.
- Braids for men: The most popular braids for men are cornrows, box braids and two-strand twists, usually paired with a fade, taper or undercut at the sides.
Twists
- Twist braids: Twist braids, or twists, are a protective style made by twisting two strands of hair around each other instead of plaiting three.
- Passion twists: Passion twists are two-strand twists made with curly, water-wave extension hair, which gives them a soft, springy, slightly undone texture.
- Senegalese twists: Senegalese twists, also called rope twists, are two-strand twists made with smooth synthetic braiding hair, giving a sleek, shiny, rope-like finish.
Locs
- Faux locs: Faux locs are a temporary protective style that looks like locs.
- Soft locs: Soft locs are a type of faux locs made to be light, flexible and soft to the touch, usually by attaching crochet locs and wrapping them with soft, kinky-textured hair.
- Butterfly locs: Butterfly locs are a type of faux locs with a deliberately distressed texture: curly hair is wrapped loosely around each loc, leaving small loops along the length.
- Starter locs: Starter locs are the first stage of real locs: the small coils, twists or braids your hair is put into so that it can begin to mat and lock over the following months.
- Microlocs: Microlocs are very small locs, much thinner than traditional locs.
- Loc styles: Loc styles are ways of wearing and arranging locs: tied up, twisted together, braided, pinned or shaped with a fade.
Other protective and natural styles
- Bantu knots: Bantu knots are a hairstyle in which the hair is divided into sections, and each section is twisted and wrapped around itself to form a small coiled knot against the scalp.
- Quick weave: A quick weave is a hair extension method where wefts of hair are glued onto a protective cap that sits over your braided or molded natural hair.
- Silk press: A silk press is a way of straightening natural, curly or coily hair with a blow dryer and a flat iron, without a chemical relaxer, so that it's smooth, shiny and full of movement.
Looking after any protective style
Sleep in a satin bonnet or on a satin pillowcase, keep your scalp clean with diluted shampoo or a scalp rinse, and moisturize with a light oil or leave-in spray. If the style feels painful or pulls at your hairline, it's too tight: ask for it to be loosened or redone.
Give your hair a break of a week or two between installs, and deep condition before the next one.
FAQ
What is a protective hairstyle?
A style that keeps the ends of the hair tucked away and cuts down on daily manipulation, such as braids, twists and locs.
How long should you keep a protective style in?
Usually 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the style. Leaving it much longer can cause matting and breakage at the root.
Which protective style is the gentlest?
Knotless braids, two-strand twists and soft locs put less tension on the scalp than styles anchored with a knot.
Do protective styles help hair grow?
They don't change how fast hair grows. They can help you keep length by reducing breakage, as long as they aren't too tight.
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