protective styles or low manipulation styles

[IMFOCSD]

Hello everyone!

I have been on a protective styling craze for about a year and i am to the point where i wanna enjoy my hair more but i also want to continue retaining my length.

I am currently right in between CBL & APL and i am texlaxed minus about the last inch of hair.

Are there any other ladies who retains great lengths wearing low mani styles or do you swear by protective styles or do you wear your hair daily with no problems retaining length?

Would you mind stating your starting and current length, hair type, if your natural or relaxed and do you PS, low mani, or wear your hair daily.

Thanks so much

 

[IMFOCSD]

Thanks for voting

 

[Evolving78]

i wear low mani styles. i was in a protective style for a year. my hair needed to be free. i don't have any issues with retention. i've been wearing my hair out for six months now. the only issue i had was knots and tangles with shrunken hair. now i wear twist outs.

 

[SmileyNY]

hmmm.... Is this scientific? I'm 3 things on the poll

ETA: I'm BSL & Texlaxed. I protective style 50% of the time and W&G the other half.

 

[bride91501]

I wear protective styles 99% of the time. My retention has been near 100% since I started my HHJ, and I attribute much of that to my PSs. With the knowledge I've gained on the board over the last year, I'm pretty sure I could retain at least around 75% of what I grew if I wore my hair out more, but I'm on a growing mission so that's just not gonna happen right now lol.

Anyway, my hair, especially my ends, tend to get much drier when my hair is loose, so much so that I've had to M&S up to 2-3x per day. I could get away with skipping a day of M&S when I'm in my PSs- huge difference. PS definitely work best for me, at least at this point in my journey.

ETA: I'm a natural 4b, and am in between SL & APL (about 1" away).

HTH

 

[IMFOCSD]

Thanks for the responses ladies!

i must say that protective styling is great for retaining length but I'm so bored with it lol.

I am gonna alternate between PS and low mani while doing more PSing until i reach full apl.

 

[pookaloo83]

I alternate. But I mostly wear my hair out.

 

[prospurr4]

I'm texlaxed, type 4b. I started at NL, and now I'm about an inch for WL, after transitioning from relaxed-straight. I wear buns/updos/ponies for about the first 3 weeks post touchup. After week 3 to touchup time (week 7 or 8; I don't stretch ), I wear spiral sets, which I redo every week.

When I was around your length, I was careful to not let my ends drag along my collars or clothing. In fact, I still watch what my ends are rubbing against when I wear shrunken styles like spiral sets and twistouts.

I should reach full WL this year, and my final goal of HL, sometime next year. My retention could have been better (maybe ) if I wore protective styles 100% of the time, but I prefer enjoying my hair every step of my HHJ.

 

[CurlsBazillion]

My starting length was EL in june 10' right after bc and now I'm a little past CBL.
I chose natural (4a) and low manipulation. I do consider how i do my hair as a ps because I do where half wigs over it but its not a full on ps since I co wash daily now. I've been noticing since I stopped doing so much to my hair like cornrows and 2 strand twists I've retained more last month. I detangle during the co wash process so once I finish i m&S then 80% of the time I do pic1(something like a french roll? IDK) and i do pic2 when i feel like braiding...

 

[lolascurls]

My starting length was just past SL in July 2008 and now I'm WL!
I'm a protective styler and I'm transitioning to natural.
I currently have single braids with extensions in (tailbone length) but I usually bun, kinky twist or updo! PSing really helps me but recently I've been baggying at night!

 

[IMFOCSD]

Thanks so much for responding ladies
I think i will continue PSing but i am going to try and figure out a regimen that will allow me to retain length while wearing my hair out more often.

I usually relax and wear my hair straight/ down for about 2-3 weeks and then wig it on out for the next 10 weeks.

 

[Napp]

i am no longer protective styling. i have been wearing my hair loose exclusively for the last few weeks and have been retaining length just as well as when i was protective styling 24/7

 

[IMFOCSD]

@ napp that's very encouraging...i need to stop bn so uptight about my hair lol.

 

[Missi]

bumping for more responses......i'm texlax trying to come up with low manipulation styles. I always wash my hair in pigtails and airdry in pigtails....I place my banana clip where the scrunci indents are....i think cause i put my hair too tight in pigtails and banana clips....it breaks my hair off....i other options.

 

[AlliCat]

Would you mind stating your starting and current length, hair type, if your natural or relaxed and do you PS, low mani, or wear your hair daily.

Current length is BSL
Hair type 4a/b
Relaxed
Mostly a combo of low manipulation and protective styles out of habit

 

[SuchaLady]

Great info in here ladies and great question OP. Me and my hair are both tired of buns. I think my hair will be in spirals for the remainder of the year. There is no combing, brushing, manipulation, etc once the curls are in so I am sure if I can retain length doing all of that to put my hair in a freaking bun I can retain length from a rod set.

Sent from my DROID2 using DROID2

 

[IMFOCSD]

O yeah, curls! I think i am at a length where rollersets will look nice. I have a caruso steam set but i need more medium rollers.

 

[DesignerCurls]

I protective style (buns, twist, twist pinup, etc) during the week and low manipulation (twist or braid out or wash n go) on the weekend. This way I am mostly PSing but still get to enjoy my hair out as it grows. I am in the no heat challenge so that helps me too!

I'm natural (3 & 4 something)
Protective style and low manipulation

 

[EbonyCPrincess]

Are there any other ladies who retains great lengths wearing low mani styles or do you swear by protective styles or do you wear your hair daily with no problems retaining length?

Would you mind stating your starting and current length, hair type, if your natural or relaxed and do you PS, low mani, or wear your hair daily.

Thanks so much

For most of my HHJ I have been a low mani, hair out styler and I grow the average 0.5" per month. My retention is slightly less than that when wearing low mani "hair out" styles, but I do retain just fine.

When I protective style, I retain all my growth...and I'm currently on a PS'ing kick. But I just go with however I feel, if I'm growing and retaining even if its not at an incredible speed - I'm okay with that if I'm enjoying my hair. I'm 4b relaxed, started at CL/NL and now grazing BSL.

 

[TLC1020]

Relaxed ...

Protective stying works best for my hair... I have to totally leave it alone.. When I protective style I usually bun 7 days a week .. So I basically cut out all the manipulation.. except on wash day....

 

[IMFOCSD]

For most of my HHJ I have been a low mani, hair out styler and I grow the average 0.5" per month. My retention is slightly less than that when wearing low mani "hair out" styles, but I do retain just fine.

When I protective style, I retain all my growth...and I'm currently on a PS'ing kick. But I just go with however I feel, if I'm growing and retaining even if its not at an incredible speed - I'm okay with that if I'm enjoying my hair. I'm 4b relaxed, started at CL/NL and now grazing BSL.

Your post is def a good way to look at this whole retaining length thing lol

 

[EllePixie]

I'm natural and wear my hair out almost everyday - however, I consider wash and gos to be low manipulation. I have not had any issues retaining length - my back is APL and my sides are a bit longer than CBL (my BC was even all over so my hair falls at different places on my body). When my hair touches my shoulders curly and dry, I will most likely do more buns b/c I do not like my hair rubbing on my clothes.

 

[shermeezy]

Do you spiral set you own hair? How long does it take? What size rollers do you use?

Great info in here ladies and great question OP. Me and my hair are both tired of buns. I think my hair will be in spirals for the remainder of the year. There is no combing, brushing, manipulation, etc once the curls are in so I am sure if I can retain length doing all of that to put my hair in a freaking bun I can retain length from a rod set.

Sent from my DROID2 using DROID2

 

[Meritamen]

Like you I did protective styles for a year. I grew out my relaxer, big chopped, and continued to grow out my hair all while keeping my hair cornrowed and under wigs for a year. I made it to shoulder length in that amount of time but now I want a change.
Are two strand twists a low-maintenance style or protective style, because that is what I'm going to do for the summer?
I have only worn my hair loose a handful of times in the past year. It takes more effort to keep my hair moisturized (especially the ends) so I prefer to have my hair braided or twisted and not totally free in the elements.

 

[SuchaLady]

shermaine_08I have never spiral set my own hair as of now but my mother used to on my hair weekly and it is basically foul proof. I will be using the medium to jumbo perm rods. And it will probably take 30 minutes. No specific parts needed, no clips to fight with, much more laxed than traditional rollersetting. And the great thing about spirals is if you don't like the way they come out you can easily style them with clips, pins, bows, etc.

Do you spiral set you own hair? How long does it take? What size rollers do you use?

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[LiveLoveLife]

Like you I did protective styles for a year. I grew out my relaxer, big chopped, and continued to grow out my hair all while keeping my hair cornrowed and under wigs for a year. I made it to shoulder length in that amount of time but now I want a change.
Are two strand twists a low-maintenance style or protective style, because that is what I'm going to do for the summer?
I have only worn my hair loose a handful of times in the past year. It takes more effort to keep my hair moisturized (especially the ends) so I prefer to have my hair braided or twisted and not totally free in the elements.

I would definitely say two strand twists are protective & low manipulation, especially if you wear your hair up to protect your ends. I did two strand twists the entire summer once and got amazing retention, but I couldn't do that for longer than a few months due to getting very bored with my hair. low manipulation has been great for me, but I'm at the point now where I'd rather just enjoy my hair and not keep it bunned up or twisted all the time.

 

[lilyofthenile]

I low manip for wearing out, pro-styles for under wig, braids or weaves.