Pardon my ignorance . . . but?

I never knew so many women with natural hair got braids & weaves until I decided to go natural. Honestly, this shocks me (but then I am not a fan of braids or weaves).

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]I understand the whole protective hairstyle thing, but why braids and weaves? How is that "good" for your hair if you're trying to avoid breakage?

I have never had a weave or braids (except with my own hair back in the day), and I'm not being a smart butt, I'm asking a serious question. I don't see how that can be good for your hair and edges with all the pulling & tugging and weight of the weave.

I've had braids recently & I didn't get any breakage. It was not too tight. My edges were intact after I took down the braids. I retained a lot of length from the braids

@yldthng: I've wondered that same thing too. I've worn braids, wigs, and weaves and although I did not experience a lot of breakage, I also made sure to take care of my hair with the "protective styles". I also, let me hair rest for about 2 weeks in between braid extensions, so that I could really nourish my hair. I will say that I think, and this is BIG I think, that some of the breakage, etc., may occur when women do not take the time to take care of their hair when wearing the "protective styles". I have known and saw women whose hairline was so badly damaged from the braiding with extensions and weaves, that it took them months and years to recover from the damage.

This is just my humble two cents

It also depends on how tight the braids are braided in. Some women get the done SOOOOO tight their scalp hurts. And if they always get them done tight (and frequently get braids) then yeah they will be hell to pay with those edges. I have only had box braids twice in my life, once in high school and once in grad school (10+ yrs ago). And never had a weave so can't speak on that that much but I DO know that with the weaves, (some) your hair can be corn rowed underneat the weave and your hair is protected. Now the glue in weaves, probably the worst thing a woman can do to her hair. But the corn rows underneath allow your hair to rest and grow too.

I've worn them both, braids and sew in weaves. No breakage unless they start twisting and break off. Only happened a few times. But overall, no problems. I have known and know women and girls who never wash their hair while they are wearing these styles, not sure if it's ignorance or lazy. But, they should be washed and cared for cause your own hair is underneath.

My mom always kept my hair in braid extensions when I was a kid before she decided to relax it. I'm talking about taking one set of braids down, and putting another set in the next day. She did this for years and my hair was very healthy and never broke off. She made sure to wash and moisturize my hair regularly and that the braids were never done too tight.

I have been transitioning for 1 year now and if it wasn't for weaves , braids , and wigs i would still be relaxed because my hair wasn't long to begin with and when it stop relaxing before it started growing i went to a shrinking weird awkward looking stage so i'm glad i was and still i'm able to use "extensions" as protective styles , i use extensions for length when my hair was shorter to achieve styles i otherwise couldn't with my real hair , my favorites are wigs every 2 weeks i wash moisturize detangle seal my hair than i cornrow it , when i have to go to work etc i put on a wig of my choice , i don't see anything wrong with wearing extensions as long as you care properly for your hair underneath Some women may experience breakage due to their lack of care for their hair underneath the extensions but i mean to each's own if extensions aren't for you that's cool too the ultimate goal here is achieving healthy hair however you can

What other protective styles would you recommend? I transitioned with both braids and weaves and pretty much have worn both on and off as part of my styling options for years. No breakage or thinning but I ALWAYS took excellent care of my hair under the weave and the braids. I made sure to moisturize regularly while wearing both and made sure not wear my braids longer than 6-8 weeks max. Also I shampooed and conditioned my hair, with the braid/weave hair, and treat it as if it were my actual hair so that I could make sure my hair was being pampered with the foreign hair in it. You can have healthy hair with these styling options but you have to take care of your hair, just as you have to care for your hair without them.