The Do’s & Don’ts for a Successful, Healthy Child’s Protective Hairstyle

February 15 2022

If you’re wondering what to do with your child’s natural hair in the winter, protective hairstyles can be a great option for your little ones. Not only can they make your mornings less stressful and get you out of the house quicker, but they can also help keep your hair healthy and looking your best.

Here are some do’s and don’ts to ensure your child’s protective hairstyle is something that benefits both of you and is a fun way to mix things up when it comes to protecting winter hair in a fun, trendy style.

Things to Do:

Prep their hair before you style. Make sure that your child’s hair is cleansed and moisturized before putting it into a protective style. Shampoo with Be Amazing Shampoo, then condition with Be Strong Leave-In Conditioner to nourish your hair. Ensure that there are no tangles before starting and if needed, add our Be Amazing Detangler Spray for that stubborn hair.

Use product when you style. How much product you will need depends on their hair texture, hair type, and which protective style you’ll be doing. At Just 4 Girls, you can find the right hair care product to keep them healthy, minimize build-up within the twists and braids, and ensure their hair remains moisture-rich.

Come into Just 4 Girls Salon for help. Finding and completing a protective style can be challenging, especially if you have a wiggle-worm for a child. If you don’t want to tackle a protective style yourself, you don’t have to! Our expert stylists are ready and trained in working with children so that their hair will look great while they have a great time in the salon. You want your kids to love their hair and look forward to styling it, so do what works best for you.

Do continue to shampoo and condition. Daily care with a protective hairstyle is fast and easy. Just style the edges and smooth the frizzy areas with Be Smooth Edge Control. Simply using our leave-in conditioner or the LOC method every other day will keep the hair healthy and nourished for the duration of the hairstyle. Braids only need to be cleaned about every two weeks for any sweat, grime, or dirt buildup; focusing on the scalp. Rinse thoroughly and wrap their hair in a microfiber towel and then gently pat dry. It’s a good idea to shampoo and condition in the morning so they aren’t going to bed with wet hair.

Takedown the style carefully. Rushing the takedown of their protective style can damage their hair because, although you’ve been conditioning and applying oil, some of the inner areas can be dry. You want their hair to be soaking wet as you remove the protective style. If you don’t want to deal with a takedown, our stylists at Just 4 Girls Salon can easily do it, deeply condition their hair after, and ensure it’s in its best healthy state after. They can even give you and your child tips for keeping it healthy in between protective styles.

Things NOT to Do:

Don’t forget to make it fun. If your child is old enough, let them get involved in the process. Browse hairstyles, let them show you what they like, and even allow them to pick out some hair accessories to wear with their style. When they have fun with the process and feel a part of it, sitting still may come a little easier.

Don’t style too tight. We know that it’s tempting to make the twists or braids tight so that they last as long as possible, but if their hair is styled too tight it can be uncomfortable for them, it can damage their hair follicles causing breakage, and it can even give them a headache! Some breakage may not be immediately noticeable until takedown so if you are ever unsure, we’d love to help your child!

Don’t neglect to wrap their hair. It’s important to wrap their hair while they sleep to keep their hairstyle looking its best. A headwrap, a silk scarf, or a sleep bonnet will work best. You might want to even invest in a silk pillowcase to ensure that if the headwrap slips off, they won’t be rubbing against a harsh fabric that can cause frizz, breakage, or start to undo the protective hairstyle. Also, use a fun shower cap while they are bathing to protect their hair during a shower or bath.

Don’t leave the style in for too long. Kids are active, they move around when they sleep causing their hair wrap to slip, and being careful with their hair typically isn’t top of mind. This means that the protective style may only last 3 to 4 weeks before matting starts. Regularly check to see how healthy the hair looks. The most important thing is keeping their natural hair healthy.

Take a break before repeating the same protective style. Yes, you can go from one style to the next – especially if you have our stylists at Just 4 Girls help! However, using the same style back-to-back can cause breakage. For example, if you style their hair with braids, the new protective hairstyle needs to be parted and braided in different areas or else damage will occur. The same is true for daily non-protective styling as well! It’s just better for their hair to not be too repetitive and give their hair a “break”.

Our professional staff at Just 4 Girls Salon is here to help and we look forward to working with you and your child! Call or visit one of our two convenient locations today at 568 Fayetteville Rd SE in Atlanta (678) 927-0554 or 1295 W Spring St STE 101 (inside Smyrna Market Village) (678) 391-4622 or book for any location online!

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The Do’s & Don’ts for a Successful, Healthy Child’s Protective Hairstyle

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