21 Protective Hairstyles To Tickle Your Fancy!

Protective hairstyles are a great thing and best of all they are incrediably versatile.

Wearing a protective hairstyle is initially thought to mean for when you need to protect your hair hence the name.

Protective hairstyles have come a long way since then. They are not just for those that want to protect their hair from damage. Protective hairstyles are also great if you want a new look.

The possibilities are just endless when it comes to protective styling. Here are some protective styles that are perfect if you want to change things up a little bit.

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21 Truly lovable Protective hairstyles

1. Bob Braids

These look super cute any time of the year. Add a few accessories and you are pretty much good to go.

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A post shared by Estúdio Blessed (@estudioblessed) on Dec 29, 2019 at 3:19pm PST

2. Super long box braids

Long braids are all the rage. If you can handle the weight of the hair you can wear it!

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A post shared by Protective Hairstyles & Tips (@naturalhairstylestz) on Dec 27, 2019 at 12:33pm PST

3. Passion twist braids

These braids are great if you want something slightly different from conventional style braids.

Bonus points to this hairstyle for being quicker to install and take down afterwards.

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4. Twin bun updo

You can get as creative as you want with this hairstyle. As long as your ends are tucked away it counts as a protective hairstyle.

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5. Tuck and roll

This is where you can literally let your creative juices flow. There is no specific way to do a tuck and roll hairstyle it’s all about playing with it to see what works.

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A post shared by Creative Alia (@creativealia) on Jan 3, 2020 at 12:52am PST

6. Faux Locs

Long or short it doesn’t matter. Faux locs can give you the change in look that you are after.

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7. Fulani braids

There are so many different ways you can do Fulani braids but this is a great example. Jazz it up even more with a few metal cuffs like these.

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A post shared by Formally @TouchedByAsia (@minubeautysalon) on Jan 3, 2020 at 12:10am PST

8. Senegalese Twisted Updo

Add a little colour to your Senegalese twists to give you that little extra edge in your look.

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A post shared by ProtectiveStyles (@protectivestyles) on Jun 26, 2014 at 3:27pm PDT

9. Cornrows into a bun

Super easy and quick to install. After doing this hairstyle you can truly give your hair a break as there is no need to do anything else.

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A post shared by BraidsByNeek (@braidsbyneek_) on Dec 12, 2019 at 9:26am PST

10. Long faux side braid

Dramatically change your appearance with this look. Its fairly easy to do yourself and you won’t need to feel the pressure of having to take it down unless you are ready too. Redo it as often or as little as you like.

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A post shared by Janelle Monáe (@janellemonae) on Dec 31, 2019 at 8:10am PST

11. Updo cornrows with flair

We all love the one thick cornrow followed by one thin cornrow look but this style is beautifully done with that gorgeous hair candy to compliment it.

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A post shared by AmandaLee (@lealavishhlooks) on Jan 2, 2020 at 3:33pm PST

12. Knotless box braids

You won’t have to sit down for hours on end with this protective hairstyle. The gaps are a perfect width so that you don’t have to carry too much weight on your head.

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A post shared by World Of Braiding (@worldofbraiding) on Dec 28, 2019 at 7:21pm PST

13. Side-swept cornrows

These cornrows are carefully done to make them just unique enough to catch the eye of passers-by.

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A post shared by Hairstyless (@black_hairstyless) on Jan 3, 2020 at 1:03am PST

14. Cornrows and chunky twists

Chunky twists are a big favourite among many naturals because you can style them in so many different ways. Not only that but when you are done with them they make for a great twist out hairstyle.

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A post shared by Natural Hair Does Care, LLC (@naturalhairdoescare) on Oct 22, 2019 at 7:18pm PDT

15. Afro Puff

You may already have long natural hair but there is nothing wrong with adding a little fake puff to give your own hair a break.

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16. African wrap

If all else fails the trusted wrap will always be there to give you a break. You can get your own headwrap from here

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A post shared by Elinda San (@elindasan) on Apr 16, 2018 at 2:09pm PDT

17. Tuck and roll mohawk

Versatility at its finest. Once you get the hang of doing your own tuck and roll hairstyle there will be no stopping you.

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18. Straight wig

Just because your natural hair is kinky you can still always mix it up from time to time with a straight wig. This is will give your hair the break that you need without suffering any damage from straightening your natural hair.

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A post shared by D A P H N I E | 🎓 B.A, MSW📚 (@creolenaturelle) on Jan 27, 2017 at 6:39am PST

19. Goddess twists

Quick and easy to get done and will give you that fresh-faced look that we all love.

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A post shared by Naturalhairstyles (@natural_thebrand) on Dec 21, 2019 at 9:06am PST

20. Chunky twists

Protective styling doesn’t mean that you always have to have add hair to your own. Style your natural hair with chunky twists for a switched up look.

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A post shared by hair | hip hop | humanity (@chimeedwards) on Nov 18, 2019 at 9:52pm PST

21. Conrow bun

What’s not to love about this hairstyle? Simple to achieve and fairly low maintenance so you can give your hair a break.

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A post shared by Anouschka♡YouTuber♡Hair&Beauty (@anouschkaangel) on Jun 9, 2019 at 12:18pm PDT

Final thoughts on protective hairstyles

Protective hairstyles can give us the much-needed break that we sometimes need especially if you have been prone to straightening your hair a lot.

As much as we all love our natural hair it’s nice to have a different look every now and again.

Which is your favourite?

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