Follow Me!

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Sunday Chat: (Some) Protective Styles Ain't for Everybody


Happy Sunday lovelies!

Wow! A lot of time has gone by since I last posted anything! I guess when I have braids in, I don't have too many things to talk about hair-wise. Either way, this past weekend I had to take those box braids out. My hair was starting to dread...and that was a problem. So I took the braids out and will be rocking my Outre Tammy half wig until I figure out what to do next (meaning: do I want to put in Havana twists OR just go ahead and relax since I'm due for one).

After I took my braids out and gave my hair a good detangling and wash session, I did a bootleg length check (I grabbed a section of my hair to see where it falls vs actually taking the time and effort to straighten my hair). To my surprise, it looks like my hair is at MBL! I can't lie, I got excited. I have been trying to get to that length for over a year. Of course, we will see where my hair is once I do a proper length check but it is definitely something to be excited about.

Anyway, after seeing the retention I obtained with the box braids, I got to thinking. During the course of my hair journey, I have always obtained the best retention with braids while half wigs/phony ponies are a close second in the retention game. Buns, however, come in at dead last. I mean I do get retention but not as much as I do when I'm leaving my hair alone for weeks at a time. It was interesting to me because whenever protective styles are mentioned, they are always mentioned in a one size fits all sort of way. For example, a lot of people advocate bunning for retention but there are some people who simply don't retain their length with bunning. Others can't do weaves or braids, while some people (like myself) get the best retention from them. I say all that to say: there is no one size fits all protective style. Because every head of hair is different, they respond differently to protective styles. It's an interesting find that is rarely ever highlighted.

So this Sunday Chat is about what protective styles work for your hair? Which ones have been a complete and utter disaster? Let me know in the comments below!