7 Tips To Help Care For Box Braids And Other Protective Styles

January 31 2023

One of the best things about your daughter’s natural hair is that there are so many styling options. But from time to time she may want to take a break from her curls and give them a break as well. Those times call for a protective hairstyle. Protective hairstyles do just what their name implies. They protect her hair from everyday wear and tear and the elements to give it a rest and help it grow stronger and healthier. There are so many options to choose from cornrows and twists to the currently trending protective style, box braids.

But tucking her tresses safely away into a stylish do doesn’t relieve you of regular hair care. It’s important to show her strands some extra TLC during this time to keep her style and her hair clean and healthy. But how do you care for box braids and other protective styles? Here are seven tips to keep her hair well cared for while protecting it at the same time.

Keep A Regular Shampoo Schedule

Braids and protective hairstyles don’t need to be shampooed every day, but it is important to keep a regular shampooing schedule. You also need to pay special attention to her scalp since many protective styles leave it somewhat exposed. It’s easy for dirt, oil, and products to build up over time. This buildup can lead to problems over time. You’ll want to shampoo your daughter’s style about once every two weeks, or how often her stylist recommends.

How To Shampoo Box Braids (And Twists, And Scalp Braids , And…): You’ll want to pick up Bubbly Beautiful Be Invigorated Shampoo and Be Invigorated Conditioner for the job. The clarifying shampoo helps to remove oil, dirt, and product buildup, strengthen her strands, and clean and heal her scalp. The conditioner slathers her hair in vitamins, proteins, and botanical nutrients to moisturize and protect her hair and scalp. Apply a generous amount of shampoo to her scalp and gently massage it all over. The goal is to cleanse without loosening roots and disturbing her braids. Rinse well making sure that absolutely no suds remain. Apply the conditioner all over making sure everything is coated. Allow it to absorb and do its job for a few minutes and then rinse well and air dry. You can speed the drying process by gently squeezing braids with a microfiber towel to absorb excess moisture, but be gentle.

Leave Her Hair Down Once In A While

Sometimes she will just want her hair up and out of her face, especially when she’s busy. We’ve all been there, but if she has a braided or twisted style, wearing her hair up all the time can cause damage to her hairline and baby hairs, and it can loosen her roots and shorten the longevity of her protective style. So try to limit her wearing her hair up to one to two times per week.

Protect Her Hair At Night

After a long day, it’s tempting to just crawl into bed and forget about everything, but her hair needs protection at night. Wrap her hair in a silk scarf to prevent friction on her pillow from causing breakage and frizz and to help keep her style in great shape. It will protect your investment in her protective style and make it last longer.

Regularly Oil Her Hair And Scalp

Protected strands need additional moisture to look and feel their best the same as any other natural hair. Use your favorite pomade on her mane once per week to keep her tresses well moisturized and in good health. We recommend our Bubbly beautiful hair pomade that can be applied to braids, scalp, and skin.

Use Leave-In Conditioner

It’s not uncommon for natural hair to become dry over time, even in box braids or other protective styles. Bubbly Beautiful Be Strong Leave-In Conditioner can refresh her strands between shampoos. It will restore her hair’s moisture while strengthening with silk proteins and nourishing and protecting it with horsetail extract, aloe, and green tea extract.

Don’t Keep Her Hair In A Protective Style Too Long

While a protective style can give her hair a break from daily detangling and styling damage if it’s worn too long a protective style can begin to damage her strands as well with matting and breakage. It's important to have protective styles without added hair taken down every two to three weeks and protective styles with added hair for about six weeks. If you choose to leave braids or pomade in for a long period of time, always apply pomade or oil to the scalp to prevent breakage.

If your daughter needs a protective hairstyle, a touchup or a takedown the excellent stylists here at Just 4 Girls Salon are here to help her natural hair stay healthy and beautiful! You can book an appointment at any one of our three locations today found at 568 Fayetteville Rd SE in Atlanta (678) 927-0554 or 1295 W Spring St STE 101 (inside Smyrna Market Village) (678) 391-4622, or 3660 Highlands Pkwy SE, Smyrna, Ga 30082 (678) 391-4622. You can also book for either of our locations online!

7 Tips To Help Care For Box Braids And Other Protective Styles

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