The do's and don'ts of protective styling

Let it be 

Traction is the biggest threat to our hairline and yet season after season, we deal with receding edges. It’s extremely important to keep styling at a minimum. Style your hair a maximum of three days a week (that’s if you absolutely have to). Open the hair up to the scalp and moisturise with a rich hair food twice a week to avoid flakes and brittle hair. One of the best solutions for keeping a healthy hairline is applying growth boosting and thickening oil like castor oil and massaging the hair line to encourage blood circulation.

To bed 

It’s just as important to take of your hair in preparation for bed as you do during the dayt. Avoid cotton scarfs as they will suck any product and natural oils that your scalp produces, stick to silk scarfs or alternatively a silk pillow case which is good for your skin as well. The smooth texture of the material will also place very little tension on your edges while keeping them tamed and laid for the next day. Oil your hairline and massage in the product.

To the top 

Our lives are very fast-paced meaning we can’t always have our hair in our faces. The high pony is the perfect styling choice – it perfect for the office, gym and nights out. Its flexibility makes it the ideal for a working woman. The trick to ensuring your hair and edges are not strained is to tie just a portion of the hair and letting the back half loose. The hair that is held up will be less heavy, meaning less weight on your edges. Steer clear of using desk essentials like rubber bands to tie your hair (even if it’s not your hair).

All the way up 

Classic up-dos like ballerina buns and top knots are always popping. However be cautious about how you achieve these looks, when tying all the hair up in one ponytail this will add weight onto your hairline. To lessen the risk of irreparable damage, loosen the hold. When cresting the bun, don’t tie the entire section of hair all at once, take in sections and wrap at the base of the ponytail to decease the weight.

Pick wisely 

We are always going on about the importance of protecting your hairline at all costs however your hair’s health and growth is just as important. In order to ensure that your mane grows beautifully it’s extremely crucial to be aware of the kind of accessories you use to style or beautify it. Look at the material used to create them. Elastic, metals and plastic hair accessories have the tendency to wreak havoc on the strand and edges. Use accessories that are gentle on the hair and hairline.