Retaining Length W/O Protective Styling???

So I've been trying to rock the twist style on my medium length hair and I hate it. However, I am trying to retain length. Has anyone else been able to retain length without wearing protective styles? Or is this the only way?

I have a good amount of hair and only recently have I even considered doing protective styling. I still maintain length but porbably not as much as I could have.

you should check out moptopmaven's blog. she NEVER wears protective styles and she's almost at waist length. it is technically possible, you just have to be on your a game to take care of your hair. getting a moisture and protein balance is key, i think

Karyn wrote:you should check out moptopmaven's blog. she NEVER wears protective styles and she's almost at waist length. it is technically possible, you just have to be on your a game to take care of your hair. getting a moisture and protein balance is key, i think

This is what moptopmaven says on her blog:

Many people ask my thoughts on "protective styling" versus wearing your hair out. I have done both, and from personal experience have retained the same amount of length doing it either way. The key to retaining length for me has been moisturizing, careful detangling, and alleviating stress placed on my follicles.

I believe her. Everyone's hair is different and even different sections of hair on the same head can respond differently to products and techniques.
While my natural hair is getting stronger, I try to eliminate anything that has led to setbacks in the past. So the question for me each time I style is the same one that Clint Eastwood asks "Do You Feel Lucky?"

i am having the same problem! i wear lace front wigs as a protective style, and underneath i have my hair braided and deep conditioning. but when i TRY bantu knot outs or something, the curls are WICKED cute, but the length is... discouraging. WHAT can i do to help promote growth and retain it. my products i use are on my blog [link in signature]

Gotta love Tracee Ellis Ross' hair!!!! But yeah, you have to try different techniques. It's all trial and error with this hair game. What works for one person may not work at all for another. My hair was past my collar bone long before I started doing protective styling (which was only around November) so I would say it's either or. Like someone said earlier...as long as you maintain moisture and detangle carefully AND keep your ends healthy your hair will grow.

Thanks a bunches! (: will be trying something different and hopefully succeeding!! btw love your profile picture, beautiful curl pattern

Aww, thanks. But that's actually the curls from after me taking down a bunch of cornrows I had.
This is my natural curl pattern....
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that's even better! (: love it!

I was just going to make a post on this. BGLH just did a post on someone maintaining their length without protective styling. Is that truly possible? Cuz im so focused on protective styling, I literally have my hair in these twists for like 3 weeks straight, I literally dont go out just so I dont have to take my hair out. Plus its cold in NYC now and i have to do my hair in styles that will maintain looking neat after I take off my hat

Aww thanks, GotCurls!!!! I appreciate that!!! I'm trying to get mine at least to BSL curly. That would be nice. That will take a while though!! But I am workin on it!!!!

@ Blackngolden....I believe it is possible. I have seen too may girls on youtube that have long LONG haid that don't ever do PSs so yes it's possible. I never did PSs (well I was but didn't know that's what they were)before I joined CN in November. And my haid was a little below shoulder length then. But now it's even longer since doing the PSs on purpose but you can retain length either way. I think it's just all in how you take care of your hair as far as moisture and your ends are concerned. If your ends remain healthy then I think that will help.

@misskris, yes it seems as if hair take a long time to reach any length lol but stick it out girl, cuz it's already beautiful!

Got Curls

I hate to be the bearer of bad news BUT
Teyana taylor wears weaves.

I'm not a huge fan of protective styling, but I think its more critical for me to protect my ends in the summer. I will probably keep my hair up when we have heat waves (thankfully not very often) and be more diligent about taking care of and sealing my ends.

I don't do PS a lot either. I may wear my hair in twists for 4-5 days once or 2x in a month or two. I've seen progress with and without protective styles. It really depends on how you care for your hair and keeping those ends as healthy as possible.

I think I need to do more protective styling to maintain my length. My hiar is past my shoulders but not quite at BSL, which is my goal. But I HATE protective styles as well...I just dont want to walk around with twists/braids all the time. But, I guess I have tosacrifice for a little while-atleast until I get to BSL because I think that's what it's gonna take for me.

MrsCottonCurls wrote:I think I need to do more protective styling to maintain my length. My hiar is past my shoulders but not quite at BSL, which is my goal. But I HATE protective styles as well...I just dont want to walk around with twists/braids all the time. But, I guess I have tosacrifice for a little while-atleast until I get to BSL because I think that's what it's gonna take for me.

I never walk around with braids or twists - they make me look like a child. My PS are buns which are more "adult" and elegant on me. I just had to keep trying different things to see what will work, but I knew I couldn't wear my hair out 365...

I think protective styling works because it allows your hair to hold on to moisture for longer periods of time without a lot of manipulation. But your hair can definitely thrive without it. You may have to increase the moisture and trims a little bit, but it can be done. I wear PSs about 80% of the time because I am a very busy person and would prefer to not spend 1-2hrs a week doing my hair.

I've been in bun mode for the past couple of weeks when the weather took a turn for the worse for a bit. Its better now (40s with rain), but I like the hands-off approach with my hair these days.

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I was hooked on protective styling but I noticed that PS allowed me to slack off. I would go a night or two without re-moisturizing or I wouldn't be as thorough with the process as I should've. Not to mention all of the pressure that was being put on my edges so I started wearing my hair out more and that MADE me moisturize every night. When I get home from work, I throw it up some kind of way so that my ends are rubbing against my clothes all day. At night, I moisturize and re-twist/braid/knot. I straighten about every 3 months to trim and check my retention. I was surprised with how much it had grown in January.

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I do more protective styling now because I wear my hair in a bun alot to work. I like to definitely wear it out on the weekends but at least 4-5 days out of the week its bunned. Ive noticed my hair grows alot while protected but when I wasnt bunning it it grew at a steady pace as well. Moptopmaven is sooo right when she says that moisturizing and careful attention to detangling matters, alot of times women are so rough with how they manipulate their hair which is what may cause it to break off or not grow at a steady pace.

Yes, it is possible to retain length without protective styling but the people who retain the most with this routine generally have thicker strands that are super healthy to begin with (good protein and moisture balance) and typically spend more time/money to keep it that way.

This may not always be the case but I know for me and my super porous hair, if I wear my hair out one day, I have to baggy/deep condition the next to get my moisture levels up to what I'm used to. On the days that I protective style (weekdays), my routine is so much simpler; it takes about 5 minutes and I usually take my hair down as soon as I go home to reduce the tension on my scalp and to remind me to keep up with my regimen

If you still don't want to PS that's fine, to each their own right? I would say look up fierce/chic protective styles that you would want to get dressed up for though, cause that's how I got hooked on them

HTH!

well i am transitioning and my hair is a little short and i tried to do like loose braids but it just doesn't look right because of my hair and they are too short to pin back nicely and look nice enough to do it. and my hair is uneven in some places..so i don't know if protective styles would do right at this point. so i do braid outs and twist outs and moisturize my hair with a mixture of oils and conditioner and water and oil my scalp. in ya'lls opinion, do you think that will help me until it gets longer enough to do more protective styles? thanks