Under the Braids: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for Your Protective Styles

June 30, 2026 By fashionandstylepolice in Beauty Tags: Beauty Blogs, Fashion and Style Police Beauty Blog, Hair Care Routine, Hair Care Tips, how to care for protective styles, Under the Braids: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for Your Protective Styles Leave a comment

Protective styles are an absolute lifesaver for keeping your hair tucked away, shielded from the elements, and safe from daily styling stress. That said, rocking a low-maintenance look doesn’t mean you can completely forget about hair care! Keeping your natural curls and coils healthy underneath is super important if you want to avoid breakage. Exactly how you care for your hair and scalp depends heavily on the specific style you choose. If you want to make sure your hair thrives while tucked away, here are some quick, easy steps to keep your protective style fresh and flawless.

Tip 1: Keep Your Scalp Clean

Healthy hair starts at the root, so keeping your scalp clean is non-negotiable. Aim to wash or clarify your scalp every week or two to prevent a heavy buildup of oils, sweat, and styling products. Clean pores mean happier hair follicles and less itchiness. For a seamless wash day, use a diluted shampoo in a spray bottle or a targeted nozzle applicator to cleanse your scalp directly without completely soaking or frizzing up your extensions or braids.

Tip 2: Keep Your Hair Hydrated

Just because your natural hair is tucked away does not mean it stops needing moisture. Dry hair snaps easily, so mist your hair and roots every few days with a lightweight water-based leave-in conditioner or a refreshing hydration spray. Lock that moisture in by lightly smoothing a natural oil, like jojoba or argan oil, over your scalp and the length of your natural hair.

Tip 3: Protect Your Hair Overnight

Friction from your pillowcase can ruin a beautiful style overnight, causing frizz and stripping away essential moisture. Before you head to bed, always wrap your hair in a silk or satin bonnet, or use a satin scarf. If your extensions are too long or bulky to fit comfortably in a bonnet, sleeping on a high-quality silk or satin pillowcase works just as well.

Tip 4: Don’t Leave It In Too Long

It is incredibly easy to push your style a week or two past its expiration date, but overwearing a protective look can lead to severe matting and hair loss. As a general rule of thumb, do not keep a style in for longer than six to eight weeks. Giving your natural hair a break between installations allows your scalp to breathe and recover.

Tip 5: Be Ultra-Gentle During Take-Down

The process of taking down your style is when the most breakage usually happens. Take your time and avoid rushing through it. Use a detangling spray or a light oil to give your hair some slip as you un-weave or un-clip your hair. Gently use your fingers to separate any lint or buildup at the roots before you pick up a comb.

Love Your Hair Underneath

Protective styling is one of the best things you can do for your hair journey, but the real magic happens when you care for what’s underneath. By taking a few minutes each week to wash, moisturize, and protect your scalp, you ensure that your hair comes out longer, stronger, and healthier than before. Your hair will absolutely thank you for the extra love!

What is your absolute favorite protective style to rock during the year? Do you have any tried and tested tip for how to care for protective styles? Let me know down in the comments!

Simple ways to care for your hair

January 2, 2020 By fashionandstylepolice in Beauty Tags: Beauty Blogger Cheshire UK, Fashion and Style Police, Fashion and Style Police Blog, Hair Care Routine, Hair Care Tips, Simple ways to care for your hair 6 Comments

*Collaborative post.

Sometimes we overcomplicate things and do more harm than good. Our haircare routine is one thing we overcomplicate. When it comes to haircare, I like to keep it simple. The simpler the routine, the healthier my hair is. Our natural hair can be difficult to maintain but when taken care of properly, the results are amazing. I have been paying special attention to my hair for the last couple of years now and I have started to see the results. My hair is thick and healthy. It is also growing like weed now, which is good. Prior to me going natural, my hair was weak and very unhealthy. I was dealing with intense hair breakage and I could do little or nothing with my hair. So going natural was the best thing I ever did for my hair. It allowed me to treat it properly with the nice hair care products like this Nanogen hair thickening fibres, to keep the hair healthy and shiny.

Here are some simple ways to keep your hair nice and healthy –

Use a hydrating shampoo

A simple way of caring for your hair is to use a hydrating shampoo regularly. Your hair retains more moisture when you wash it with a hydrating shampoo. Many shampoos tend to dry out the hair so keep an eye on the ingredients before you splash out on the next shampoo.

Conditioner is a must after you use a shampoo

Using the right hair conditioner after a shampoo is a simple way to care for your hair. You should also pay attention to the ingredients to ensure they are best for your hair type. Leave in conditioners also work great for the hair. I like to apply mine everyday to keep my hair moisturised and healthy.

Moisturise daily

Moisturising the hair daily is a quick and easy way to take care. I have a leave in conditioner, coconut oil and water mixture in a body that I spray on my hair and it keeps my hair so healthy. I have a very dry scalp so keeping it moisturised everyday is really important.

Put on a silk scarf at night

Wearing a hair scarf at night helps retain the hair moisture. It also protects the hair, reduces hair breakage and keeps the hair in place. A silk bonnet also works great if you rather have that on at night. I would be lost without mine.

Protective styles help the hair

Having your hair in protective styles help give the hair a well deserved rest from all the manipulation. I like to have my hair in protective styles every other moment to give the hair a break and switch up my look. Also, using the hair protective style products help the hair style stay neat for longer.

What do you think of these simple hair care tips? Can you share any of your haircare tips? Please share them in the comments section, let’s chat.

Thanks for reading, commenting and sharing. Have a happy new year.

Humidity and your Hair

November 28, 2017 By fashionandstylepolice in Beauty Tags: Beauty Blog Cheshire UK, Beauty Blogger, Coconut Oil, Curly hair care, Fashion and Style Police, Hair, Hair Care, Hair Care Routine, Humidity and your hair, Olive Oil 33 Comments

For those of us with curly hair, we know exactly what kind of effect high humidity can have on it. Without warning our hair can frizz up leaving us looking like one of those poodles in a dog show. This isn’t the best situation when we are headed out for a date or to a special function.

The truth is, high humidity can have a more serious effect on your body than just your hair. When the humidity is high you could suffer from heat stroke to an overgrowth of mold in your home. This is why, some folks who live in areas of the world that have higher than average humidity levels invest in a dehumidifier. Not only can it save you some annoying dust mite infestations, a device like this can do wonders for you hair too!

Why Does It Frizz

Before we get to the how, why don’t we cover the why. Scientifically, when hair comes in contact with the moisture, hydrogen bonds in your hair are formed between the molecules of water and the proteins in your hair. This will cause your hair to frizz.

Of course, why it happens isn’t as important to us and to the how to get rid of it or how to prevent it in the first place. We are all about prevention on Fashion and Style Police so we would like to start there.

No Hands Ma!

One of the worst things you can do when you are afraid of your hair getting frizzy is to keep touching it. The more interaction your hands have with your wet hair the more likely it will turn into a big mess. No matter how tempted you might be do your best to keep your hands off of you hair.

Dehumidify

As we mentioned earlier, a dehumidifier could do a great deal for the humidity in your home. Unfortunately, this help won’t reach outside the walls of your home, yet, once the frizz is tamed in your home, it will be much easier to handle when you head out for the night.

Beauty Products

If you have curly hair and live in an environment that boasts high humidity then you are very familiar with the fact that there are tons of products on the market that climate to combat the frizz the moment you get out of the shower. They can come in a wide array of prices and forms.

There are serums, foams, and gels that can help you keep the frizz at bay. Other ways you can use beauty products to prevent a frizzy head is to use a shampoo that has an anti frizz formula. This can battle the problem while you are in the shower.

Since we mentioned the shampoo, it is important to mention that keeping your hair well conditioned will do a great deal to help fight the frizz before it even sets in. Find a conditioner that is highly rated when it comes to preventing frizz and go from there.

Natural Remedies

While we love the beauty store, there is no denying that sometimes, the best remedy is the natural kind. Not only do natural aids tend to be cheaper they don’t add any more chemicals into our world. Let’s take a look at some natural items that claim to settle the frizz.

Apple Cider Vinegar

This product can be found at any grocery store for a fraction of what a frizz serum would cost. If you rinse your hair with apple cider vinegar you will find that your hair will not only be free of frizz, it will have a healthy shine as well.

Avocado and Olive Oil

If you take one ripe avocado with a tablespoon of olive oil, mash them together, you can create a natural mask for your hair that will rival anything on the shelves of the beauty shop. Just apply it to your hair after washing and let sit for up to an hour. Rinse and then condition so your hair doesn’t smell like guacamole. You’ll find the hydrating qualities of this natural mask to do a world of wonder for your frizz problem.

Coconut Oil

Known for its amazing beautifying qualities, coconut oil can also hydrate your hair and prevent frizz. In fact, if you find that your hair is frizzy, you can use a dab of coconut oil as a finishing product to create a smooth and shiny look.

Olive Oil and An Egg

Combine a raw egg with a tablespoon or two of olive oil and smother your hair in it before you wash it. Let it sit for an hour and then wash and rinse like usual. These two natural items are chock full of healthy fats and protein, which are needed to fight frizz.

Conclusion

Frizz is annoying and we need to always look our best. When we do we feel great about ourselves. If you have problems with frizz and humidity try a few of these tips we’ve mentioned. You’re hair will be happier for it.

Do you have any tips to share? Pls sound off in the comments section below.

Thanks for reading. Have a great day!