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| My hair was braided all around--a braid crown |
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| A simple top knot bun with a pink headband as an accessory to spice it up |
Now that my hair is MBL my favorite styles are Low Manipulation Hair Styles. I love enjoying my hair now that it is at a fun length where I can really create cute hair styles. My favorite low manipulation hair styles are twist outs, braid outs, pigtails, bantu knot outs, wash 'n go and puffs. A low manipulation hair style is a hair style in which it does not take much manipulation to be achieved. They are second to PS in regards to retaining length. Because I wear my hair naturally curly, I believe that the ends are still semi-protected from the elements--the ends are curled in on itself so that it is not fully exposed to the environment. Because my low manipulation styles are short enough that they do not brush against my shoulders, they are very protective. Because my wash n' gos are starting to sit on my shoulders, which is not very protective, I usually like to wear it as a high puff.
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| Twist out |
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| Braidout |
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| High Puff |
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| Wash 'n go |
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| Wash 'n go |
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| Pigtails are a low manipulation style instead of a PS because the hair is hanging down enough that it rubs against my clothes and the ends are exposed. Therefore my hair isn't 100% protected. |
Which is better for you: Protective Styles or Low Manipulation Hairstyles?
I feel like the answer is a personal choice. A protective style may seem like the way to retain the maximum amount of length but in actuality it depends on several factors. The decision to wear either protective styles or low manipulation styles comes from if you really would think one would be better suited for YOU (your lifestyle among other things) and if it would actually protect your hair.
In the Case of Long-Term Protective Styles
A sew-in could be a great protective style. Your hair is braided underneath for a long period of time. Even more so, the weave stitched onto the braid shields your hair from sun damage. However, if you have a leave out, the hair can be damaged from constantly having to blend it to match the weave.
Even if you did not have a leave out, it is easy for people to forget to take care of their real hair underneath the sew-in, If you are someone who cannot help but forget to take care of your real hair when you do not see it every day, then a sew-in can be counterproductive. The take out of the sew-in can also cause damage. Scissors are commonly used to take out the thread in order to loosen the weave from the braids.
What if you accidentally cut your real hair and not the thread? This can happen easily if your real hair is black and is matches the color of the thread. Also, if you use scissors to cut the weave, you might cut your real hair if your real hair matches the color of the weave. Impatience can cause you to accidentally cut your real hair instead of the thread or weave.
Moreover, what if you have very fragile hair that needs tender loving care from frequent protein treatments to bring it back from the dead? Braiding it up (manipulation and can cause significant stress on weak strands) and not being able to thoroughly treat it will not help. It can worsen the condition. I believe that only healthy hair that can take missing out on treatments and that are able to withstand the initial manipulation of the sew-in installation is suited for sew-ins. Hairstylists part hair, comb it out, might even blow dry it--all so that they can braid it (usually tightly so the sew in could last). This manipulation is not good for hair that needs TLC. Then, after this damaged hair is treated in this way, it is either forgotten under the weave OR even if someone is able to take care of it, they aren't able to clip the split ends that may arise and they aren't able to thoroughly treat the hair. Damaged hair might need a protein treatment once a week. If the hair is underneath a sew-in, the most the weave wearer could do is shampoo it, dry it, moisturize and seal it. They cannot coat the hair strands in treatment. They cannot look out for split ends.
I know many people treat their hair after the sew-in, and that is good. However, what good does it do if they immediately go back into the sew-in after the treatment? Damaged hair needs TLC. You need to make sure the hair is actually getting stronger and healthier before you just go back into another sew-in.
However, many people have found success using this method of constantly wearing sew-ins back-to-back. Everything that I have said is just something that you should think of before deciding to wear sew-ins or any long-term protective style that hinders your ability to thoroughly treat your hair (crochet braids, faux loc extensions, Senegalese twists, kinky twists, microbraids, box braids, etc).
You must ask yourself:
- Is my hair HEALTHY enough to handle the initial stress and manipulation that comes from the installation of this long-term protective style?
- Will I be able to TREAT my hair the way it must be while this long-term protective style is in my hair?
- Will my scalp's health be compromised because of this style? (Tight braids from sew-ins can cause bumps and distress the scalp. Micro-braids or any extension style such as micro-braids can pull too heavily on the hair strands, causing tension to the scalp. Remember that hair grows FROM the scalp. If your scalp's health is compromised, your ability to grow your hair is compromised as well.)
Those with short damaged hair might decide to utilize a long-term protective style because their hair is too short to short-term protective style (for example, bun), they do not like their hair "out" and they want cute hairstyles they cannot achieve with their short hair. I believe long-term protective styles are great for those with short damaged hair but I still urge them to proceed with caution. PLEASE make sure you treat your hair and clip your split ends before AND after the long term protective style. Please make sure that your scalp health is not being compromised and that the hairstylist is treating your hair with the utmost TLC during the installation process. PLEASE wash, condition, and treat your hair to the best of your ability while you have it installed. Lastly, do not have it installed too long and not continuously back-to-back.
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| Kinky Twists |
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| Micro-braids |
In the Case of Short-Term Protective Styles
Short-term protective styles are a great option for those with damaged hair. They are able to wash, condition, and treat their hair easily while the hair benefits from the protection of a protective style. Those who are able to short-term protective style are those with hair long enough to braid or bun. However, I believe there can be a case where the hair is TOO long to effectively protective style without overly manipulating the hair, which can cause damage.
My example is my hair now. When I was BSL, I believe it was easier to short-term protective style. My hair was long enough to bun and braid but short enough that I could bun and braid with all of the ends tucked in. With my crown braid, I was able to braid my hair all around my head in a circle without too much tucking. With my buns, I was able to tuck the ends of my hair completely in the bun without messing up the style. The problem with short-term ps is that they need to be fairly neat to ensure that the ends (the weakest part of the hair) is tucked safely away.
Due to my length and thickness now, I cannot use ponytail holders as easily as before to create buns. I would have to wrap them too many times around my hair to create a neat bun that keeps all of my ends safely tucked away. They pull on my hair, causing breakage. Pulling on my hair also pulls on my scalp, which irritates it and causes sore spots. I bought the Puff Cuff as a replacement for ponytail holders, but they are unable to help me tuck all of my hair away and when I tried, I just created a lopsided bun. I can create curly buns by using a ponytail holder loosely, but they are not protective because the ends are out. They are low manipulation styles. I can also create double minibuns, but because they are smaller than one big bun, they do not cause as much tension and stress. Overall, I've just found buns too stressful on my hair and scalp as my hair has gotten longer and thicker.
When I attempt a crown braid, my hair is too long and thick to wrap around my head once. There is part of the braid that would stick out and not go perfectly into the crown braid even with the help of bobby pins. This is why I've started to resort to pigtails instead.
There are also other options such as single strand twists which I've let to try. The thing that holds me back, however, is that if I wash my hair that will hurt the style. However, I wash and treat my hair twice a week. I've learned that washing and treating my hair every 2-3 days helps to keep my hair moisturized and strong. What would be the point of going through the process of creating this style only to wash it after 2-3 days? (There will be a post as to why I wash and treat my hair every 2-3 days)
In the Case of Low Manipulation Styles
As of right now, due to my length and thickness, I believe that low manipulation hair styles are best for me. They do not cause stress on my hair or scalp and because I wear my hair curly, I feel like they offer some level of protection (the ends are not totally exposed to the elements). However, because my ends are exposed to the elements more than if they were totally hidden away, I try to keep up with protein treatments every week or every other week to ensure my hair is strengthened. I make sure to search and destroy my split ends and single strand knots often (leaving hair exposed to elements causes splits. Letting hair stay curly and wrap around each other can cause knots to form). However, I feel like the damage caused by low manipulation styles (some exposure to environment, single strand knots, and some splits) are minor and as long as I am diligent in my hair care, I can continue to retain the same amount of length I could've retained in a protective style. Plus, what is the point of having the longest hair I've ever had in my life if I don't enjoy it? What is the point of having curly hair if I do not see how beautifully it curls and how big it can get? Low Manipulation allows me to protect, style, and enjoy my hair all in one. I care so much for my hair and it allows me to reap the benefits. I feel like low manipulation styles is great for healthy hair that do not need to be constantly tucked away and protected.
The Answer to the Question
As I stated before, the answer is a personal choice. Which style do you think you'd actually benefit from and would actually help you retain length? Which style is suited for your lifestyle?
If you are very busy and have no time to style your hair, then a long-term protective style may be great for you as long as you make sure you care for your hair underneath the weave.
If your hair is too short to bun, then a low manipulation style may be great for you. You can wear wash n' gos or braid outs on short hair until your hair gets long enough to bun.
If your hair is too long and thick that bunning and using ponytail holders could cause it stress, then you can consider low manipulation hair styles.
If you have short, fairly healthy hair, then a sew-in might be a great option to protect your hair, give you a new style, and give you a break from your hair.
There are many scenarios and it all depends on you and your hair.
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