Protective styles for short hair?

Quita3514

New Member
So I have a real short pixie cut similar to actress melinda williams jus a tad bit longer..I'm realizing growing short hair is hard and still tryna maintain some sort of style sooo..I'm either goin to wig it up or come up with a short protective style so I don't have to put so much stress on the hair while I want it to grow...there's where u guys come in..lol..I need some ideas for a short protective style?

www.startinfromsquareone.blogspot.com
 
For short hair you don't have many options. You can wig it, or get extensions. I'm not a huge fan of wigs so when I'm in the house I throw on my bonnet. I'm not sure if this is protecting my hair or not but it makes me feel like I am :)
 
i wore a wig from the time i did my big chop 4/2010 till i was able to bun which is like yesterday!!!
 
Wig. For me, anything less is too much manipulation, because you're constantly messing in it because it is Short. Too much Hair handling.

If you are in a Cooler Climate, go ahead and tuck it away for the Winter and keep it nice & moisturized underneath. You'll be surprised with what you end up with in the Spring.
 
I remember when I had a short do someone told me to enjoy it while I can because once it starts getting longer things will be different.

How about using some of the really small rollers they make and adding them to the top or using a product to give it a different look?
 
I am looking at other options. If your hair is long enough to do finger curls, that's a great protective style.
 
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IMO, short hair is a protective style because it doesn't rub against anything.

I think it become a problem when short hair ladies feel their look needs to be "salon fresh" everyday.

I wash every 3 days. So the first day my curls are fresh and I pin curl. By the second the curls may drop, so then I wrap. So the third day my hair style just kinds of lays and molds to head or has a slight bump depending the the length. BTW, I have been able to go a whole weeks pin curling short hair because I had tight curls after rollersets.

If I am lazy and don't wash my hair until the 5th/6th day I just keep the "flat wrap look" and wear some nice earrings to compensate. All the manipulation to have it look fresh is not good.

If you want to maintain a curl, depending on what phrase you are in the short hair process, you can buy some caruso rollers or curlformers ( or the those foam rods) to put back a curl without having to rewash and avoid heat.

Also, this is a great time to cornrow, bantu knot or braid it over night for a twist/ braidout for a few days before the next wash.

Low manipulation, low heat will help grow your hair out healthily... Cause short is already protective.
 
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Thanks shinka I think I'm caught up on that salon fresh look. I also think I'm dissatified with the length if it was a tad bit longer I would feel a lot better about my hair sometimes I feel like I can do anything with it..bc everything consist of heat..and that's a nono unless I want to stay at this length..lol anyone know where I can find shorthair tutorials cause I'm realizin

www.startinfromsquareone.blogspot.com
 
I just added some photos to my album so you can see... I think we started about the same length, but I have grown my hair from short relax styles where a 1/4 inch curling iron didn't really grip most if it...lol

It will take heat to intially style, but wrapping is your best bet. Please use heat protectants and only use heat 1-2x week on clean hair.

Try light styling pomades. Motions has the weightless clear hair dressing. Also try the leave in mist as wel as foam wrapping lotion.

I would use a curling iron ( I never owned a flat iron, but am now considering buy ceramic for the healthy heat styling) to style until it was long enough to roller set. I fingered styled the hair down and loosely tie with a satin scarf. In the morning, I would spray with UBH dew mositurizer, put some motion hair dress around my edges and lightly finger/fluff the hair.

As it grows, you can do pincurls. For now,experiment with the parting- that's a great way to add freshness. Some days I wore it all back or left side part, then a right side part, diagonals...you get my drift.

Also color rinses like Jazzing and Clairol can add some fun/change when bored with the short hair without the damage or permanent color.
 
The pic in my avatar is from about August 2007 (I just like it alot and feels it captures ME via my styling choices and that was the best condition my hair has ever been in a relaxed state). I had BC'ed in may 06, then fro's & twisted until Sept 06. I was locking from Sept 06 to Dec 06 which means I twisted my and the only twisted the roots during that time.

In jan 07, I moved to florida and decided to take the twist down. My sister in law, who is a beautician, relaxed my hair with Motions Lye, reg. I had about 2 1/2 inches of layered hair. She only cut the back at that time for a tapered look.

So this is the grow out from Jan to August. I grew about 2-3 inches using the same methods I do now. That's when I learned my hair flourishes with Lye relaxers which is why I keep kicking myself in the butt for using a no lye box perm when I decided to relax again this last time.
 
i've been flat twisting/braiding my hair after i take a shower at night, and just putting it under a hat during the day. that might work for you.
 
The main chemicals that straightens the hair that are put in LYE and No Lye perms are different.


Here is a detail explanation: Is Lye or No-Lye Chemical Relaxing Better for Your Hair? - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

In general, Lye tends to be better for the hair, as in you retain more elasticity.

No lye tends to be better for the scalp in terms of the "time" it takes for it burn.

For me, no lye strips and over processes my hair as soon as it hits it. While Lye tends to just loosen my natural curl pattern.

I base my scalp well either way which reduces scalp burns and irritation with each product.

i have fine medium density hair, more coarse at crown, and Lye works wayyyyy better for me.

However, I did my first heat training session today and I got my new growth as straight as a touchup...I'll see how it progresses over the week
 
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