We’re two thirds into the first quarter of 2017 and that fitness plan on your vision board has gone from a generic goal to a regular routine. The only problem? How you’re going to hold that plank pose AND protect your hair! Many women sacrifice cultivating healthy habits for keeping their curls on fleek, but years of prepping protective styles have taught us that you won't have to choose between the two if you follow these steps. 

Invest in a Quality Shield

If you’ve ever had your silk scarf slide off while you were living the #squatlife then you know protective accessories like Slap Caps are a great investment. The sweat induced frizz that comes with intense cardio sessions is no match for these satin lined caps. Thanks to their ability to stretch they can accommodate even the largest curls. Plus they come in a variety of cute colors to match all that those luxe athleisure looks you’ve been rewarding yourself with. Monica of Mo Knows Hair is rocking hers below. 

Keep It Fresh

Having the right products on hand can make freshening up post-workout fros a breeze. Sweating it out in hot yoga? This Mimosa Hair Honey Clarifying Scalp Treatment from Carol’s Daughter can easily slip between even the most binding protective style to soothe and cleanse the scalp. Headed straight to the grocery store from Soulcycle? Lucid Bliss’ hair refresher eliminates any and all odors from both human and synthetic hair so you can leave behind the scent of the weird girl who’s always leaning too close to your station. Snooze button got you in danger of missing your 6am yoga class? Cut down on your prep time with a great low cost dry shampoos like Garnier Fructis’ Volume Extend Instant Bodifier which is only $6!  

Choose Wisely

Protective styling is about what works for YOU. Nobody knows your schedule and needs better than you do and the best fitness and beauty routines are the ones that you’re going to stick to. Experiment with crotchet braids, twists, faux-locks, and other styles until you find the one that suits you and your routine the best. Like protective style goddess badgirlriri says you gotta live your life. 

 

 

Protective styling is a must no matter what the season. Humidity, dryness, and constant tension all affect the hair in ways that require it to be given a bit of a rest. But while it’s a must for hair health sometimes it can seem like a drag when it comes to styling diversity. We’ve rounded up five digital influencers who are killing it on social media to provide you with plenty of protective styling inspiration.

@DelightfulAce

Delightful Ace’s fun hairstyles and flawless makeup come second only to her wildly inspirational Instagram shorts. The senior makeup artist provides direct tutorials and no-holds-barred reviews of hair and beauty products including extensions that suit protective styling. She is always switching up her style and giving her followers a glimpse of the latest items she’s checking out.

@babyshopa

She gives us hope that we don't have to lose ourselves personally after having babies. After bringing light to her own struggle with postpartum hair loss, this beauty not only educated us on how previlant this epidemic is, but she made having the conversation with our girlfriends cool and damn near relatable. We began to think about how helpful low manipulation protective styles are and she showed thousands of people how to regain your confidence by using our chemical free, pre-curled and looped hair. 

@SimplyCyn

Simply Cyn is known for creating some of the most striking images on Instagram but underneath all of that stylish stoicism are some truly great style suggestions. Looking for a way to style your braids or twists for an upcoming occasion? Check out how she put her own spin on a braided bun here.

@jd_winters

We coined her the "Rod Set Queen" last year when we saw how seemingly perfect her rods sets are. We instantly knew that our 20" Medium Curl would be the perfect protective style for her. She gives the perfect balance of creating low manipulation protective styles with her own hair and ups the ante ever so often when playing around with textured extensions that blend to perfection. 

@CurlsandCouture

Not only does this digital influencer and co-founder of BlackGirlFly command flexi-rods with a simple flick of the wrist, she can pull off a smartly styled Heidi braid. Her natural tresses are envied by nearly ninety thousand followers but when she needs to give them a rest she opts for crochet, fishtail braids or an artfully twisted wrap.

@slaycaityslay

If you're looking for the 411 on any of our synthetic hair products, this queen can give you the scoop. From rocking our saucy two toned ginger curls, to proving our hair really has staying power by rocking our Twist Out Curl for 10 weeks strong, this beauty truely has slaying power!

@LoveBrownSugar

As a business owner who is also the mother of an adorable three year old this blogger turned beauty entrepreneur doesn’t have as much time as she used to for primping. Like Mimi of Unlikely Martha, she turns to her stylist for quick choices that are easily maintained including oversized crochet box braids and big fluffy curls.

@missenocha

We've watched this beauty for years go from the cut life to figuring out how to care for her growing natural hair. Now, aside from being the ultimate fashion DIY Queen, you can catch her trying out different protective styles and creating videos on how not to get bored with your box braids after a week.  

@MonroeSteele

Whether she’s serving up street style on the streets of New York City or chomping on Cuban cigars on the beach in Havana Monroe Steele knows how to make a statement. Follow this fashion and lifestyle writer for creatively directed practical style in exotic locations. Use our kinky bulk hair to recreate her goddess locs.

@lolamonaija

If you ever want to know how to rock a wig effortlessly, she's your go-to guru. She can make a $30 beauty supply store wig look like a million bucks! We love scrolling her feed for inspiration on how to coordinate our wigs with our personal style. Ahem--just look at how she styled our Zima Micro Twist Wig!

Who are some of your favorite queens of protective styling? Share them below!

Countless childhood hours spent wincing under scorching hot combs on balmy Easter Sundays have conditioned generations of black women to come to the same conclusion- a special occasion demands straight hair.

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4 Times Rihanna was Protective Style Goals

When she’s not bringing home random puppies and helping her niece make executive decisions Rihanna is a massive pop star who rocks whatever she wants. She incorporates protective options without sacrificing style by including curly hair and bantu knots. Want to know how you can get the look? We’ve rounded up four times she was protective style goals below. 

When She Turned the Red Carpet into a Bodega Run 

While media outlets clueless about black culture tried to dub it a “bejeweled faux bob” brown girls immediately recognized Rihanna’s look at the 2013 American Music Awards for what it was- a doobie.  We know this protective wrap style is nothing new and Essence’s Julee Wilson set the record straight for the Huffington Post when she broke this bold beauty choice down and forever ingrained the “doobie” into the lexicon of mainstream culture. 

When She Was a Goth Barbie in Givenchy 

The Barbadian pop princess arrived at the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Awards in a black lace number from the ‘it” designer of the moment and jet black bantu knots. She finished the look by draping herself in long cross bearing necklaces. 

When She Was Unbothered Courtside 

We all know Miss Fenty is unapologetic about her vices and she showed no signs of shame as she sipped a beer courtside at an NBA game. Her ombre curly weave was the perfect complement for her carefree attitude. Get the look by snagging our 20" Large Curl from McKenzie Collection in colors Brown Suga and Sunburst and seperate the curls using a gel oil hair; we love the one from Bumble and Bumble.

When She Was a Lady in Red 

Many have tried on the faux lock trend for size but no one has been able to pull it off quite like Rihanna (other than Dr. Kari who came up with the infamous goddess faux loc method). A master of the effortless slay she counterbalanced a simple red silk slip dress with oversized faux locs as she stepped out in the New York streets. She kept the accessories to a minimum because-- a great hair style speaks for itself. 

We can’t wait to see how Rihanna brings the heat to the 59th Annual Grammy Awards where “Anti” is nominated in eight separate categories!

 

Since starting Latched and Hooked beauty, we've been on a crusade to spread the word about our intentions on creating a brand that's geared to designing chemically free, synthetic hair extensions for black women (and note we do not make any apologies for creating hair extensionas for a particular group of women). 

Our CEO Tiffini Gatlin, reached out to lifestyle blogger and mom of 2, Mimi of Unlikely Martha after noticing her occassional mentions of wanting to create a different hairstyle for herself, but was undecided and defiantely wasn't considering protective styling. 

Tiffini set out to not only change her mind about protective styling using the crochet method, but wanted to educate Mimi on how this low manipulation hair style would free up so much of her time in the mornings as well as reimagine her entire sleep routine. 

Six weeks later, Mimi is not only still rocking her Zoe Bohemian crochet twists, but she's sharing her personal experience with our product and several ways she's been rocking her twists. 

To read Unlikey Martha's full review check our her review here.

So, I love playing with color in my hair Well, I love playing with hair period. And while I keep my hair in protective styles, I look for new ways to have fun, while keeping my hair all nicely tucked away. Add to that, I LOVE supporting fellow female entrepreneurs who are pursuing their dreams! So when my boo and fellow blogger, Tiffini shared that she started her new hair company, I soooo wanted to give crochet braids a whirl! Latched and Hooked launches in a few weeks and I wanted to support and take a dip in crochet braids!

Read more about Marie's new look on The Curvy Fashionista