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Epitome Source: @voiceofhair

We all know that good for you natural hair requires a healthy pilus regimen when your hair is out - but just considering you put your pilus in a protective style doesn't hateful yous can forgo your entire pilus care routine. This 'fix it and forget it' ideology that your hair doesn't require much of a commitment in a protective style is a false one. Don't skip these important steps to care for your pilus and scalp while wearing braids and twists.

i. Scalp care starts before installation

The first step to caring for your scalp actually happens before yous get your protective fashion installed. Tracy Chocolate-brown is a certified trichologist and hair expert who co-founded Tru Balance Hair Care every bit a good for you scalp concept. According to Brownish, "the first and virtually important step in taking care of your scalp while wearing braided twists styles is making certain you prep your hair and scalp with a scalp detox earlier your hair is braided." This gives you a healthy foundation for the hairstyle you are about to have for an extended period of time. "Recollect, your scalp is an extension of your skin" says Brown.

Another manner to forestall itching and irritation later is to wash the constructed hair before getting information technology installed to remove allergens that may be coating there.

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Image Source: @protectivestyles

2. What to tell your stylist when getting braids, twists, or locs

The improper apply of braids, twists, and locs tin can lead to balding, fungal growth, and even leave your hair worse than information technology was before they were installed. You want to maintain the health of your hair and scalp, so it is of import to communicate with your stylist that you wish to accept the braids, twists, locs done loosely, loose plenty that you don't experience whatever tension of whatever kind on your scalp. Unfortunately, due to habit, some stylists volition brand the first complect loose, but slowly kickoff to make them tighter to try to make the mode terminal longer. If this happens, terminate them and ask politely to make them loose.

When a protective manner is installed too tightly, the tension y'all feel on your scalp is the nerve endings reacting to the tension. The problem is that the strain causes the blood vessels to constrict and amplify, triggering a betoken to activate pain centers in your brain, and may likely cause a bad headache. This tight protective style may lead to permanent damage to your hair follicles, and over fourth dimension y'all'll offset to notice traction baldness, pregnant your hair may end growing due to damaged follicles. Traction baldness is a progressive condition that is primarily caused by pulling force being applied to the hair. It's all-time to eliminate the risks now before it's also late, equally your hair volition be trapped or fixed in this way for a while, and you lot will not have any relief until the new growth starts to grow in.

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Image Source: @protectivestyles

3. Maintain a cleansing and conditioning regimen

You should proceed to proceed a regimen even when your pilus is in a protective style. Dark-brown recommends shampooing your braids every two to three weeks, "utilise clarifying shampoo focusing on the roots to remove the dirt build-up from your scalp." Just like our bodies need regular cleaning, it is the aforementioned for our scalp. If your scalp has high sebum production or product build-upward, you can wash information technology once a week, and the all-time product to employ is a clarifying shampoo. Brown stresses the importance of beingness "gentle on the scalp" when shampooing your braids, "trying non to disrupt your braids." Launder your hair from scalp to cease, with the movement going in a vertical angle, to forbid frizziness at the roots and for the protective style.

If your stylist used extra hair/textile in the braids or other protective style, utilize a deep conditioner after washing considering the actress pilus/cloth volition soak up a lot of moisture from your existent hair. With that being said, keeping your hair moisturized is very important. Spraying the style daily with a refreshing spray will also keep your hair hydrated.

4. Don't scratch your scalp

If you're experiencing itchiness, "avoid scratching the scalp with combs or finger nails because this can cause pilus loss, or inflammation of the scalp," warns Sophia Emmanuel, a trichologist and stylist at Crown Worthy Inc. Oils can assistance tend to the dryness or irritation you're experiencing, but Emmanuel suggests avoiding applying heavy oils like castor directly to your scalp, "Heavy oils like these clog pores and encourage more dandruff by trapping clay on the scalp." Instead, Brownish recommends using ingredients similar zinc, peppermint oil, tea tree oil, saw palmetto, burdock, nettle, ginger and Vitamin E. She uses these ingredients in her TRU-Balance Hair Intendance Scalp Intendance System due to their antiseptic properties that tin can assist to remove leaner and build-up.

5. Limit protective styling

Remember, even if your pilus looks great, keeping your braids in for likewise long is a big no-no. Try non to habiliment your protective manner for longer than two months, as shedding hair begins to accumulate, and you will demand to get rid of it, as it tin can add extra stress on your hair due to the added weight. By the fourth dimension you take the braids out, yous will have accumulated a lot of shedded hair strands that couldn't fall out due to the protective style.

In one case you lot remove all your braids/twists, or other protective style, detangle in small-scale sections. If you lot are not careful, many of the shedded strands may create friction with the other strands or loop around them causing them to pause. Create as much slip as possible when detangling. Follow up with washing, conditioning, and moisturizing and look a few days or more earlier installing new braids or a protective manner to avert your scalp from getting irritated.

Product suggestions:

  • African Pride Black Castor Phenomenon Braid & Scalp Cleansing Rinse
  • Ballad's Daughter Wash Day Delight
  • Taliah Waajid Protective Styles Refresh And So Clean Bamboo, Avocado And Peppermint Dry out Gel Shampoo
  • Daughter+Hair Moisturizing Sulfate-Free Cleanser
  • Soultanicals Hair Sorrell Knappylicious Kink Drink
  • Design Essentials Scalp Detoxifying Tonic
  • Righteous Roots Oils
  • Mielle Rosemary Mint Strengthening Edge Control
  • TRU-Balance Hair Intendance Braids, Weave & Scalp Care

What are your all-time tips to protect your scalp when wearing protective styles? Share them with us in the comments!