the protective styling dilemma

26 April 2009 ~ 50 Comments

Jaybaby’s box braid style as featured on Nov. 14, 2008

So, one day, I am hanging out with a friend of mine, and her college friend.
“Did you know that L blogs about natural hair?,” my friend says.
“Really?” her college friend replies. “I’m natural.”
“Yeh,” I say, looking sideways at college friend’s hair. “I do. It’s interesting.”
College friend’s hair is straight, maybe 3 or 4 inches long, with straw-like texture.
College friend asks for hair advice. Says she wants to stop flat ironing it every morning, but doesn’t know which other styles to try.
“Oh man,” I think to myself. ”She should definitely check out the Monday Style Icon section, there are tons of ide–”
“Except that I don’t like how twists look on me. Or box braids. Or cornrows. Really, I don’t like anything except a fro,” says college friend.

“Oh okay,” says L. “Just make sure it’s well-moisturized.”

***

Accepting protective styling is tough for a lot of women. And I wanted to talk about it because Erin mentioned in her ‘natural hair breakdown’ video that she didn’t wear twists in public, and probably never would. (She later retracted this decision.)

Protective styling to many women, means revisting styles (like cornrows, box braids, twists) that are viewed as childish, unprofessional or plain stupid-looking.

But are they really?

Tags: Afro Hair Styles, Black Hair Styles, Natural Hair Care, Natural Hair Growth, Natural Hair Pictures, Natural Hair Styles, Natural Haircare

50 Responses to “the protective styling dilemma”

Alicia 26 April 2009 at 8:15 pm Permalink

Protective styles just don’t work for me. On some people they are cute, but a lot of protective styles I see just aren’t ‘me’. Actually, I do feel that some of them are “stupid looking”. Some of the styles featured on your blog – I would never leave the house wearing them. However, I know that women wearing these styles have a goal in mind, and I can’t knock their hustle. I don’t do box braids or twists on myself (unless its micros or kinky twists) because I think they look crazy and unprofessional. I tried to wear twists once and took them out in the morning before I went to work (it was a beautiful twist-out by the way). I know my hair would be longer if I wore protective styles, but I just can’t get over my dislike for them. Now, if my hair was short or a twa or something like that, I’d probably do whatever it took to grow it out.

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Anonymous 26 April 2009 at 8:23 pm Permalink

I work in hospital settings and I have a hard time with the idea of going to work with my hair twisted or braided unless it’s long enough to pull back into a bun. I have had patients ask me about my hair when it’s in kinky twists and I think initially, they may question my abilities (but that may be more the skin than the hair) but once they get to know me, hopefully, they stop seeing the hair (and skin.)

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Anonymous 26 April 2009 at 8:39 pm Permalink

i think all protective styles can be made to look professional. box braids are a little iffy; i think a braidout is more professional than the braids. but i will admit, some people look a little crazy with their PS. regardless, a woman should feel comfortable and confident with her appearance. hopefully people who chose not to wear PS in public protect those ends at night!

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Anonymous 26 April 2009 at 9:20 pm Permalink

WOW, I’m really shocked to see that some people think twists and braids are unprofessional. I wear my hair in twists, I wear updo’s and buns or just let them hang. How are twists or braids with extensions professional and twists or braids without extensions aren’t?

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Tishana 26 April 2009 at 9:26 pm Permalink

when im wearing my protective style, I often pray for rain so i can wear a hat!! however, i have a hair goal in mind (health and length) and often just ignore the painful stares and comments i get from people in public.
Wwhen you really look at it, there’s nothing wrong with my hair style… its just people who are ignorant- and am i willing to face major growth setbacks because of stupid people? NO, i dont think so.

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jcurlee 26 April 2009 at 9:50 pm Permalink

I wear protective styles more often than not, most of the time I wear two strand twists, and I think I’ve retained a lot of length that way.

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Alice 26 April 2009 at 9:55 pm Permalink

I don’t like a full head of protective styles ON ME. My hair is too thin and I look really scalp-y, like I’m balding or something. I usually do flat twists or corn rows in the front and leave the rest of my hair loose as a “protective style” because I play with the front and sides of my hair and it’s too short to reach my collars. :)

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Rhapsody in PURPLE! 26 April 2009 at 10:48 pm Permalink

this might sound really dumb lol
but i dont like twists and braids on my twa. I want to protective styling when my hair grows out lol.It looks so much cooler to me on longer hair because you cant pull them back and do cool styles!! Im trying to find PS thats trendy for twa ladies like myself. When i do that i will email pics!

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Miss Malorie 26 April 2009 at 11:51 pm Permalink

Personally, since my hair is still TWA level, I’m not really into protective styles like twists with my own hair… until my hair gets pretty lengthy, I’ll probably be keeping it in kinky twists… I’m not a fan of box braids on my head, but maybe it’s just because I haven’t really seen the light… lol.

And I think if you try, you can make protective styles look professional. I will admit, I am worried about people giving me sideways looks about my natural hair once I get into a more professional environment. (I work with kids in recreation, so anything goes for the most part lol.)

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Da Jadedpoet 27 April 2009 at 1:12 am Permalink

I personally am not a fan of having twists or box braids in my hair. I love cornrows also loved comb coils when my hair was much shorter and a brighter color. Box braids and comb coils since my hair is much longer now just don’t fit my face or personality. I find puffs to be more elegant and professional with the way I like to do them. Puff are a protective style since its a no contact hairstyle but constantly brushing up the edges *if done to hard* will wreak havoc on my hairline.
Are protective styles childish, nah not really a lot of people can pull them off in their own way and look. You can make almost anything look professional or good especially if you exude that confidence. Just my personal opinion though.

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Nicole 27 April 2009 at 2:08 am Permalink

You’ve totally changed my mind about protective styling in one fell swoop.

I don’t like the way protective styles look on my @ the moment because I don’t have enough hair to pull back yet. Once I do, you (and Jaybaby of course) have inspired me to get creative.

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jenteel 27 April 2009 at 4:45 am Permalink

anonymous #3 asked:
“How are twists or braids with extensions professional and twists or braids without extensions aren’t?”exactly!

what it boils down to is length. (a dreaded word for some of you) and thickness for that matter.

alice said:
“My hair is too thin and I look really scalp-y, like I’m balding or something.”

i hear you girl. that’s a valid concern. but for most people, i think it’s about confidence like anonymous #2 pointed out. i bet some of ya’ll would be all over ps styles if your hair was longer. correct me if i’m wrong, but i believe many naturals don’t want to look like the stereotypical unflattering image of the “black girl with no hair”.

i wear twists and box braids pulled back into a bun and i feel i look quite professional. wear a pretty pin in your hair. use chopsticks to keep the hair up…flowers, claw clips, beads… c’mon get creative ya’ll! i’ve done fun patterns and designs with my box braids. i mix flat twists in the front with my individual twists in the back. i must admit i did not ps when my hair did not fit into a bun, but honestly there wasn’t much of a point at that length.

protective styling is more beneficial for shoulder length hair and longer. for shorter hair it’s more about keeping it moisturized in the styles you do wear. get a spray bottle and spritz throughout the day. i feel that’s the time to enjoy your hair the most. so many funky styles to create! although i’ve questioned the reasons behind it, i realize that ps is not for everyone and there are many naturals who have grown long hair without doing twists/braids. however, most of them do bun frequently.

my hair grows to apl easily. after that point i have to baby my ends to keep them healthy. so protective styling makes a world of difference. i could care less if i look like i have less hair then i actually do to others. that would mean i’m caught up in my long hair. i’m handling my b-i! i can flaunt my long hair later. then it’s on b****es – lol!

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Franki 27 April 2009 at 6:27 am Permalink

I'm cool with twists, but I rarely wear them out anywhere 'cause mine tend to unravel at the root. I hate the way box braids look on me and never wear them – they do make me feel a bit childish. I would never wear cornrows that traveled further back than the crown of my head. I wore Bantu knots to class for over a week when I was finishing up my thesis (though to be fair, that's mainly 'cause I was too busy/stressed/tired to do anything else).

For me, protective styles are what I do before I go to bed & what I wear on days when I'm not going out much and don't need to worry about how I look. I'm very much a ponytail/up-do/'fro kinda girl. Part of it's holdover from years of wash-n-gos. Part of it's simple love of wearing my hair out. And part of it's years of watching white television shows and reading white magazines and seeing microtwists, dreads, & braids with down-the-back extensions (pulled up into a bun, of course) as the only protective styles on professional black women.

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LivingGolden 27 April 2009 at 12:35 pm Permalink

This discussion is an example (IMO) of how far we still have to go in terms of accepting natural hair in our own community. My friend (who wears locs) and I were talking last week about the people who accepted us when we each made the decision to go natural. Both of us agreed that non-blacks were far more accepting of our natural hair than our own. When I went natural, I was told I looked ridiculous and that I must have lost my mind to “cut off all that beautiful hair.” Even now, I still get more compliments from non-blacks. If I get a compliment from another black woman, it’s normally from another natural. It’s shameful.

I wear 2-strand twists to work. I never knew they were thought of as protective styling (been natural going on 11 years now and still getting used to all this terminology) and I’ve never considered them unprofessional. Shoot, I did 2-strand twists when I still had a perm. Mainly, I either wear my hair in twists or wash and go. I’ve gotten a few stares on both, but some people are complimentary. I don’t think I look childish (may have to poll some folk now). My sister does an amazing job with my twists (thanks sis). Sometimes I wear them down with a band at the front or I’ll pull them back. Either way, I think I’m rockin them.

I will say that I have seen some women in twists who need to take then out NOW. They are not meant to be worn on all hair types. Sorry, but it’s true. Twists look great on thicker hair. If you have super-thin hair, try doing coils with very small sections of hair. I maintain that if you’re going to wear your hair natural, then you owe it to yourself to find the style that best shows it off. I work with a woman (over 50) who wears her hair in 6 or 7 little plaits. I wanted to scream the first time I saw her and everytime I see her, I want to take them out. She looks absolutely ridiculous and I’d be embarrassed for anyone to associate she and I in the natural world.

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FindingMyWayback 27 April 2009 at 2:18 pm Permalink

Honestly, I am in awe at how many women that have posted do NOT like protective styles!! I am amazed!! When I went natural, I was just so happy to be natural! I had scalp showing everywhere! I had no idea what I was doing and did my own hair. Did I care? Hayull naw! The KEY to it is to ROCK IT!!! When you wear your hair with confidence, with style with grace, no matter what position you hold or atmosphere you are in, it becomes beautiful along with the person wearing it. But if you wear it and only deem it beautiful or fly from the responses you get from other’s, then you have gone natural, most likely, for the wrong reasons!!
I agree with LivingGolden. some of these posts show that we have a long way to go. The stigmas attached to our hair have more strength than I imagined. And they have GOT to stop. And we naturals are the only ones that can help. But when we add to the stereotype, it just makes it harder for us.
Who you are and your natural beauty can NEVAH look stupid!
But I got yall back. I’m a keep rockin’ the protective style any which way I can and anywhere I can. and I have gotten compliments (even with my funny shaped head and gapped teeth) from 1 inch to now (whatever length I have reached, lol) And I will chop again soon! Why?! Cuz I can and cuz I’m fly like that….and so are you…..you just gotta know it. Yall feel me?

P.S. Browsing fotki albums ALWAYS helps, LOL!!

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msjaim 27 April 2009 at 3:07 pm Permalink

all Im going to say is it seems as if folks are getting their personal opinions on aesthethics confused with what professional is/ means…clean hair without random bits & pieces in it is "professional" .what ppl dont get is professional is a whole package. Its how u conduct yourself & relation to what you do & in some cases your wardrobe… my hair is kinky & does not slick back with ease. I will not wreak havoc on my hair to try & slick it back or have it submit to something it can not to inherently just to please someone else… I even think women with thin hair should feel free to wear twists or box braids… as long as they like it & are not subconscious about it..thats all that matters. I def agree with findingmy wayback, your last 2 statements.. folks need to repeat that to themselves before they go to bed & when they wake up.. by the way My hair is in twists right now… looking pretty fresh if I may say so myself…

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Anonymous 27 April 2009 at 3:46 pm Permalink

I’ve seen women with their stomachs hanging over wearing mini skirts and tube tops in the summer. They seem supremely confident in what they’r wearing. Doesn’t mean it looks good.

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Moni 27 April 2009 at 5:25 pm Permalink

I definitely think any style can be professional depending on how you wear it, what you wear it with, your industry, etc. I twisted my twa last summer and my (White, Jewish) boss would compliment them when I wore them. Now that my hair is longer I am experimenting with various styles. I would definitely wear twists to work. I wouldn’t wear my box braids because I haven’t reached a skill level where they look good enough to wear to work.

There will always be people who will hate on even the neatest hairstyle. One of my friends said that she hates Sasha Obama’s twists (ie this hairstyle http://www.bittenandbound.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/sasha-and-malia-with-mom-michelle-obama.jpg) because it looks like “she just escaped from the plantation”!!! I know most of us are admiring those twists and wishing that ours looked like that! And the funny thing is that she’s natural herself. Regardless of how good your hair looks, there will be someone out there who doesn’t like it, so you might as well wear what you like.

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Jc 27 April 2009 at 5:31 pm Permalink

I haven’t left a comment because some of these comments just left me speechless, disappointed and sad. When we as naturals judge and describe other naturals in this way, we are self-harming.

Jenteel is spot on.

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Krystal (aka Pirouette) 27 April 2009 at 6:49 pm Permalink

I completely identify with some of the hesitancy of wearing protective styles. I think protective styles look best on longer hair. And sometimes the styles presented are so intricate and complex, I feel psyched out of even trying them. I have worn two-strand twists to work, but my fine hair strands cause my twists to look somewhat puny. So I don’t wear this style to work often. Most often, I wear protective styles on the weekends and if I’m prepping for an “out” style.

I definitely understand the benefits of wearing protective styles. I just think they look better on longer hair.

I’ll also reference Rustic Beauty on Youtube, and mention that she did not start doing her famous two-strand twists until she got some length. In one of her videos, she said she just wore her hair in a fro until it grew the length she was able to start experimenting with more styles.

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bajanprincess82 27 April 2009 at 7:42 pm Permalink

I disagree that ‘any’ style can look professional. There is a lady that my mother works with that wears plats/box-braids to work. Her hair is about 6 inches long and it looks a mess. I cringe everytime I see her b/c white folks at my mom’s job have that as their model for natural hair. They aren’t ever fuzzy or anything like that, but they make her look unpolished and unprofessional.

But hey, opions are like butt-holes, everybody’s got one!

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LivingGolden 27 April 2009 at 8:03 pm Permalink

Krystal, here’s one trick I’ve learned for my twists to make them fuller….do them on a Friday or Saturday and then spritz with a mixture of water and some essential oil (or whatever liquid moisturizing concotion you like). I find that when I do this, the twists puff up as they dry and I get a fuller look. I have a lot of hair, but it’s very soft, very fine and very curly. I don’t consider any of these negatives mind you, but when my sister first does my twists, they look really small. Once I spritz them down the next day and let them dry, they puff up. I also go through and re-curl the ends on my fingers using castor oil or Carol’s Daughter Mimosa Hair Honey. Works for me anyway. Moni, your friend is an ass. Sorry. I LOVE that Sasha wears twist. They seem to be her favorite style and I love that little girls get to see her embracing natural styles.

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Dr.Muse 27 April 2009 at 8:07 pm Permalink

I was loced off and on for a long time so protective styling does not inspire me at all. I unloced to be loose and that’s whats up until my hair is long enough (as jenteel noted shoulder length is when it gets beneficial) and then I will do two strands because I like long two strands not because its some form of miracle grow. When I was a long haired loose natural I wore my two strands to work all the time. They are absolutely “professional” in my opinion.

This is interesting because to me the idea that a woman would wear a hair style she disliked for hair length is silly. I like how mimi cute lips put it- when you are secure your hair is an “accessory”. Why would I or anyone wear anything they consider unflattering?

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LivingGolden 27 April 2009 at 8:08 pm Permalink

also @bajanprincess82, totally agree. We should secretly take some pictures of these women and send them in so folk can vote. In fact, I may do that. Maybe I’ll do an imitation of the style the woman at my job wears and send it in. I bet a lot of folk won’t find it cute at all. They’d probably all volunteer to re-style her. LOL. I’m kinda hard on what I call “militant naturals”, but I realize I’m somewhat like that when it comes to natural styles. I can’t stand to see an unkempt, unflattering natural. I somehow (unfairly I suppose) think it reflects badly on other naturals who’re taking the pains to create great style in their hair.

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Moni 27 April 2009 at 8:18 pm Permalink

LivingGolden, I’m not offended in the least. As long as she doesn’t talk negatively about my hair (which is more than I can say for some of those closest to me) then I can deal with a difference of opinions.

As for protective styling only being beneficial once you reach shoulder length, I completely disagree. My hair is about 5-6 inches and protective styling has been sooooo beneficial. I usually wear twists or braids for a week then twist or braid-out for another week. I almost never get the knots and snarls that were almost standard when I was wearing wash and go’s or other out styles all the time. The longer I wear my hair out, the more difficult it is to detangle and then it’s more likely that I’m going to lose hair.

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Ayomide 27 April 2009 at 8:34 pm Permalink

Wow, I wear twist everyday. I love them on me! and that might be because I have thick hair. I do know that twist aren’t for everybody and you do have to do them right or they won’t look good. I remember the first time I got twist I got so many compliments from my white teachers about how my hair looked.

My twist were actually cuter shorter.I would love to wear my hair in a wash and go style but I can’t because of the thickness of my hair. My hair ends up going out and not down but I can rock a twist out any day. I have also done box braids but I have to blow dry my hair first.

I never considered twist unprofessional. What is professional anyway? Who’s definition are we going by? As long as your hair is clean and kept nicely what’s the big deal.

Every hairstyle isn’t for everybody. It takes time to see what works for you. I don’t look down on others that have thin hair and rock twist. If they like it then who I am I to say anything, at least they have the guts to be natural.

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Krystal (aka Pirouette) 27 April 2009 at 8:45 pm Permalink

LivingGolden, thanks for the tip. Usually, I twist my hair when it’s sopping wet. When it dries, my twists shrink up and look unimpressive. My hair is 7 inches at the longest. Once, I twisted my hair damp, and my twists did look fuller.

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ChristinaBella. 27 April 2009 at 11:49 pm Permalink

protective stlying is super importaunt..just 2 weeks ago i box braided and kept the braids in for 2 weeks, i used to keep my hair in twists and take them down each week but i saw no growth out all..after doing the box braids for 2 weeks my hair is sooo much closer to apl and its much thicker..i want to thank L soo much for answering my question awhile back about lenght retention through braids..since my hair is growing and i’m keeping them in longer i expect to hit apl sooner than i thought..and i was the girl who never throught i could reach apl but with protective stlying and mosturizing i’m on the brink of hitting my goal..once i hit apl bra strap length im coming after for!

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Dani 28 April 2009 at 12:24 am Permalink

@ bajanprincess82 – That’s the problem. Why should she be concerned about what white people or anybody else thinks? That’s their problem…not hers.

I’m currently transitioning (7 months in…)and I just started stepping out the box with my protective styling. I’ve seen enough Fotkis to know that twists and box braids can definitely look professional when done right.

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LivingGolden 28 April 2009 at 12:37 am Permalink

Krystal, I wash, put in plaits and let my hair dry. I find that my hair twists better when it’s curlier. Then my sister will lightly spritz each section of hair before she twists.

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Lita 28 April 2009 at 12:58 am Permalink

it seems that to many, a professional style is defined by what is closest to relaxed styles, or perhaps even european hair. If hair is neat, clean and not overly complicated, I don’t see how it is ‘unprofessional’. So I don’t understand the distinction (as far as being more professional) between braids and braid outs, twists and twist-extensions.

and children with perms make me weep a little, so i say go Sasha!

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Black girl with long hair 28 April 2009 at 1:00 am Permalink

@ LivingGolden… thanks for giving out such good advice!!!

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Loolalooh 28 April 2009 at 3:32 am Permalink

It was tough, and I mean tough for me to accept protective styling during my first year natural. I would only last in twists for about a week or so, but wore twistouts, puffs, fros, etc. the majority of the time. Protective styles felt like jail to me.

Yes, I viewed protective styles as “revisiting childhood”. I also thought they were limiting. In my relaxed days, I almost always wore my hair out … so once I went natural, I did not want to almost always wear my hair bound. It wasn’t until months later that I realized protective styling is essential.

These days, I’ve learned to like the twists, braids, etc. (to an extent) … but I’m hoping that one day, I can go back to loose hair styling without the risk of losing hair over tangles, etc.. I think I can … right now, it’s about reaching the length goal first. I’ll play later.

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serenissima 28 April 2009 at 4:02 am Permalink

i love two-strand twists… i lived in them for about three years, and my hair was super long and healthy when i took em out my junior year of college (and remember, folks, im relaxed, so there is some solid proof that protective styles DO work… and for ALL different hair types!)

it absolutely APPALLS me to hear people say that PS are not ‘appropriate’ and are ‘child-like’… it reminds me of what a lot of people were saying in the ‘nigerians hate natural hair’ post about natural hair being seen as childish and getting a relaxer being a ‘rite of passage’ into adulthood. are twists and braids the equivalent of this for naturals, and once you transition to intricate styles or hair of a certain length, youve reached adulthood? and only THEN may these PS be ‘appropriate’? thats crazy!

its like were taking all the negative imagery and stereotypes from being relaxed and transferring them over to natural hair… if only we used our brainpower for good instead of evil!

and anonymous number 3 HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD with her statement of twists and braids with extensions being ok, and with out natural hair not being ok. cuz everybody has worn cornrows with extensions down to their ass to school or work, or gotten a nice set of braids when they were going on vacation, wanted to look fly, and didnt want to worry about their hair. why is this okay and your natural hair NOT okay? smh

i googled and found some absolutely LOVELY PS styles for shorter and longer hair… who honestly believes these wouldnt look good on them or arent ‘appropriate’ for the workplace?

shorter hair:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3114/2770798114_8fb3d89a8f.jpg?v=0

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_MxNqONrSknY/SV-rqxqcWyI/AAAAAAAAA9g/iP1XVS4RUsg/s400/kris2.jpg

http://media.photobucket.com/image/2%20strand%20twists/hdturner/033.jpg

longer hair:
http://www.itsyours.net/shop/images/a-kinky-closeup.jpg

http://images23.fotki.com/v867/photos/8/806979/2991691/FinishedbabylocksDec2105-vi.jpg?1181460487

come on now, ladies… we have got to do better!

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Franki 28 April 2009 at 5:05 am Permalink

@ Dani

Because white folks still run a lot of stuff and you don’t want someone disallowing “twists, dreads, braids, or other ‘trendy’ styles” in a dress code because they don’t think they can be done and look professional or appropriate for the classroom/workplace.

I’m not pushing the need to be a “credit to the race” on anyone (lord knows I’m not), but I can understand why someone would think that if your head is the only natural one white people are seeing then you should try to look as if you have some idea of what to do with it.

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Black girl with long hair 28 April 2009 at 5:40 am Permalink

@ everyone… i think protective styling is, and will continue to be, an important part of most black women’s regimens.

protective styling doesn’t have to be ugly. there are tons of ways to make it attractive.

i think, too, that being natural requires a certain level of not giving a f*ck what other people think — whether they be white or black.

i’ve found in my experience that my regimen SUFFERS when i take into account the unreasonable concerns and hang-ups of other people. it THRIVES when i don’t give a damn.

i mean, if these are people who already have an issue with the texture of my hair, why should i give them any more power/say in my life by censoring how i choose to do my hair? it’s not like they have my best interest in mind.

and i agree with those who said that this, of course, doesn’t mean that i walk around with crazy looking plaits in my head. it means understanding that, even if i do a nice, neat set of twists/box braids in my hair, some people might STILL think it’s childish/unprofessional.

but if i know, with integrity, that that is not the case, and they’re just trippin’ because afro-textured hair is at often viewed as unkempt/odd, then i’m going to keep doing my thing while i anticipate the day mainstream culture changes its mindset.

but that change has to start with us. we have to have the courage to allow our hair to just be.

and i mean, thousands of natural women have paved the way for us. it’s not like protective styling is new. there are literally hundreds of fotkis and hair forums filled with ideas. it’s not like this hasn’t been done before.

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jenteel 28 April 2009 at 10:54 am Permalink

well said l.

for clarification purposes a protective style is any style that protects the hair strands (cuticle) AND the ends thereby promoting length retention. just because you put your hair in box braids or 2-strand twists doesn’t instantly make it a ps style.

i discussed the difference between extensions and box braids done with your own hair in my answer to the reader question “do braids promote growth?”: http://blackgirllonghair.blogspot.com/2009/03/reader-questions-do-braids-promote.html

extension braids protect the whole strand but more importantly the ends. the last couple of inches of hair are older and the most fragile. so if you are doing twists and box braids on your own hair, please remember to pin the ends under in some sort of way to hold in the moisture. also, wear a bonnet, scarf or use a satin pillowcase at night. please refer to the posts under the label “protective styles” tab: http://blackgirllonghair.blogspot.com/search/label/protective%20styles

in my first comment, i did not say that ps is not beneficial to shorter hair (it is helpful in preventing tangles and knotting); i stated that it is “ more beneficial to hair that is shoulder length and longer.”

like jc mentioned, many of these comments saddened me, not because i don’t agree with them, but because they reek of the kind of mindset that holds back many women of color from embracing their natural hair in the first place. j

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Dani 28 April 2009 at 3:27 pm Permalink

@ Franki – I think you and others may be putting too much emphasis on what people think. If you’re workplace will not allow you to wear “twists, dreads, or braidouts”, that is cause for a discrimination suit. And I don’t feel that natural hair is trendy… so I’m just going to leave that part alone.

Wearing natural hair has nothing to do with being a “credit to your race”. And I’m sorry that you feel that White people run things. They don’t run anything in my life… I’m in full control. Life is too short for me to worry about what others think.

I’m not pushing the need to be a “credit to the race” on anyone (lord knows I’m not), but I can understand why someone would think that if your head is the only natural one white people are seeing then you should try to look as if you have some idea of what to do with it.

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bajanprincess82 28 April 2009 at 3:44 pm Permalink

@Dani, you are right, and evidently she doesn’t care. She’s doing ‘her’ with her hairstyle.

Is everyone with natural hair supposed to feel the same about hairstyles? When you all had relaxers did you not have good and bad hair days and some styles that you just wouldn’t war? I just don’t get why we are all supposed to agree on hairstyles that we don’t all like. I’ve been natural my whole life and I fully support everyone who wears their natural hair. However, if I see something that looks a mess, I call it a mess. It is just my opinion and no one with twists or braids needs to change what they are doing to please me or anyone else.

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Dani 28 April 2009 at 4:13 pm Permalink

The last part of my comment was a quote from Franki I didn’t delete before posting. Just wanted to clear that up…

@ bajanprincess82 – That we can agree on. People should just use the “do you” mantra, especially when it comes to hair. I used to think the same thing… but now I could care less. Dani only worries about Dani now :)

On another note, I just found this blog and I love it!

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Franki 28 April 2009 at 7:41 pm Permalink

@ Dani

I don’t consider natural hair “trendy” either. I was paraphrasing several uniform policies that have been the subject of discrimination suits. I totally agree that a shitty policy is subject for a suit. But if you don’t have the money for a lawyer, don’t have the ACLU on speed dial, and need that job, then you may be pissed that Jane Doe’s scraggly-as-hell braids made Ignorant Work Policy Writer think braids aren’t okay.

Alternately, Ignorant Work Policy Writer was ignorant to begin with, but that’s another argument.

In short, one can look a hot mess if one wants, but that person should then expect to be called out.

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Franki 28 April 2009 at 7:46 pm Permalink

Non-sequitur: I’m currently one of two black women in a classroom. I’m wearing twists right now, pulled up into loop buns on the side of my head. I’ve got one of my scarves on as a headband, and I think I look fierce as hell.

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serenissima 29 April 2009 at 2:24 am Permalink

can i just say that i hate that the ‘White people’ debate came into this… what about White people with extremely curly hair themselves? Spanish girls with bushy naps? ive seen it all… this isnt just a ‘Black Militant Natural’ only problem

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Anonymous 29 April 2009 at 4:09 pm Permalink

I’m just happy my hair is long enough to pull into a bun. My twists never look right.

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naturallady 30 April 2009 at 5:32 pm Permalink

Tried protective styles and I just don’t like them. I have attempted two strand twists plenty of times but half way through I take them down and go with my twa. My hair is longer than it looks and sometimes I want to show that off but just can’t find a protective style that I truly like and that I am happy with.

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SistaOpinion 9 May 2009 at 9:33 pm Permalink

DrMuse spoke for me when she said:

I was loced off and on for a long time so protective styling does not inspire me at all. I unloced to be loose and that’s whats up until my hair is long enough (as jenteel noted shoulder length is when it gets beneficial) and then I will do two strands because I like long two strands not because its some form of miracle grow. When I was a long haired loose natural I wore my two strands to work all the time. They are absolutely “professional” in my opinion.It’s weird because I wore twists A LOT prior to locking but now that I’m back to loose hair I’m just.not.feeling.them. And I have the kind of hair that really BENEFITS from staying in protective styles.

I think our zeal (wrong word, can’t think of a better one right now) about black women wearing their natural hair can sometimes hinder us from being honest about certain hairstyle choices on certain women. However, I believe that just as there is a TWA for every woman, there is a protective style for every woman…they just have to find it. :)

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Naija Barbie 8 June 2009 at 11:06 pm Permalink

Protective styling works on meh well. I do box braids and twists and I've never been much of a cornrows person because I have a huge forehead and suchess so it's like…yeah. I think most look good on people and IDK why people view them as childish. They're not.

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The Star 27 September 2009 at 1:39 am Permalink

This was a really interesting discussion to go back and read! Is there a such thing as protective styling a twa? It's long enough to twist, so should I be twisting it more frequently or just keep wearing it out?

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