A Regimen for Protective Styles
I get it, you need a break from your hair sometimes.
Between wash days, styling, and fighting with the weather, it can feel like your mind is always on your hair... and your hands.
I mean, who doesn't love waking up with their hair already styled and ready to go?... I know I do.
But the most dangerous thing about getting a protective style is this "set it and forget" mentality that starts to sink in.
You get your braids, twists, or weave in and all of a sudden you forget about your hair underneath.
Yeah your hair looks good on the outside, but underneath it all, your curls are dry, brittle, and your scalp is screaming for mercy!
If you keep this up, once you take down your style you will start to notice a bunch a shedding, maybe some breakage and definitely a dry and itchy scalp.
And now you're back to square one with your hair -_-
But it doesn't have to be this way. You can still maintain your progress while growing out your hair while in a protective style.
The key is sticking to a regimen.
Without further ado, here it is:
Your New Protective Styling Hair Regimen
#1 Prep before your install
It's so important to detox your hair and scalp before you install a protective style. This gives your hair the proper foundation for wearing a style for an extended amount of time. A clarifying shampoo like the Volume Shampoo will gently remove buildup from your hair and scalp.
A deep conditioning treatment will also penetrate your hair with nutrients so that it will stay moisturized for longer. The Deep Repair Treatment is infused with keratin, making your hair stronger to protect your hair during styling.
#2 Cleanse and condition
Never avoid cleaning your hair while it's in a protective style. This can lead to dryness, breakage, and allow bacteria to build up on your hair and scalp. Grab your clarifying shampoo and gently cleanse your hair every two to three weeks. Allow the water to run down your hair as to not disrupt your style and cause frizziness. Follow up with a deep conditioner as the added hair for your install will soak up a lot of the moisture from your real hair. In between wash days use a leave in conditioner, like the Emergency Miracle Treatment to maintain your hair's moisture levels.
#3 Avoid scratching your scalp
Scratching your scalp can cause inflammation, leading to hair loss. To combat dryness, use a light weight oil to relieve your scalp. A heavy oil, like castor oil can clog your pores and encourage more dandruff by trapping dirt on the scalp. The Amethyst Oil is a light weight oil infused with hemp seed oil to penetrate your scalp and soothe irritation.
#4 Don't wear it forever
Your protective style should last you about two months before it's time to take it down. If you wear it any longer you can risk your hair matting or breaking due to the added weight for a long period of time. When you take down your style you'll notice a ton of shed hair that was not able to be released while your style was in. It's important to detangle carefully using a conditioner with slip to prevent breakage. Then throughly wash and deep condition your hair. Wait about a week before installing your next protective style to avoid irritating your scalp.
