• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • Resource Centers
    • Clinical Trials Resource Center
    • Wellness on the Yard
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Covid Resource Center
  • Find A Doctor
  • BDO TV
Home / Health Conditions / Alopecia / 5 Ways Your “Protective Style” is Damaging Your Hair

5 Ways Your “Protective Style” is Damaging Your Hair

protective styles

Black people have been using protective styles for years to maintain healthy hair. However, not all of these styles are as protective as they seem. When choosing a hairstyle, it helps to know what might damage your hair instead of keeping it healthy. 

5 Ways Protective Styles Can Damage Your Hair

1. They Can Damage Your Edges

Protective styles can cause a lot of tension in your hair – especially when they’ve just been installed.

As a result, you feel a lot of pulling on your edges. Given how delicate that part of your hair can be, protective styles can end up damaging it to the point where some people develop a receding hairline. 

2. They Can Cause Split Ends

While hiding your hair from external damage, some styles use extensions that can cause friction with your natural hair.

You May Also Like
View Our Resources To Better Understand How Clinical Trials May Help Advance Research

Over time, this can result in split ends. Since your hair is inaccessible while styled, you won’t notice the damage until the style is undone. At that point, there might be quite a bit to deal with.

RELATED: Helpful or Harmful? The Truth About “Protective” Hairstyles

3. They Can Cause Knots

Your hair will shed whether or not it’s being combed every day. In fact, it’s estimated that you shed up to 100 strands per day. That number can really grow when your hair is in a protective style for a few weeks.

The shed hair can cause a lot of knotting when it’s time to pull it out. Worse yet, if you don’t detangle your hair properly, you might lose a lot of healthy hair in the process. 

4. They Can Encourage Build-Up

It’s not easy to efficiently wash your hair when you have certain protective styles installed. The buildup of oils from your scalp and any hair products you’ve used can make extensions even heavier and increase the likelihood of damage. Continued build-up can also hurt your scalp. 

You May Also Like
13 Signs You Need to See a Dermatologist

5. They Can Cause Breakage

With the combination of friction and the build-up of products, protective styles can easily cause breakage.

It might not be easy to see the difference between shedding and breakage when undoing your protective style either. You’ll usually notice when

Continue Reading

The Latest In Alopecia

hair care products

8 Ingredients To Avoid When Picking Hair Care Products

When it comes to natural hair treatments, choosing components that are kind to your hair and provide it with essential nutrients is essential. On the other hand, certain components must be avoided at all costs because of the damage and read more about 8 Ingredients To Avoid When Picking Hair Care Products
hair growth treatments

4 Hair Growth Treatments That Actually Work

When it comes to your mane, you want it to look as good as possible. Whether it’s straighter than a pin needle, curlier than fries at the fair or shaved down to the scalp. However, you decide to rock your read more about 4 Hair Growth Treatments That Actually Work
reasons for hair loss

10 Surprising Reasons You’re Losing Your Hair

Hair loss can occur for many reasons, but some are more obvious than others. If you’ve been losing your hair and can’t figure out why it’s happening, these 10 surprising causes could be precisely what you need to look at. read more about 10 Surprising Reasons You’re Losing Your Hair
traction alopecia

Loving My Natural Hair: “I Had to Unlearn What I Was Taught About Black Hair”

Most women feel strongly about their outward appearance, especially when it comes to their hair. Hair is a major part of any woman's identity. For Black women, there’s an even greater significance toward hair. Hair affects how we feel, what read more about Loving My Natural Hair: “I Had to Unlearn What I Was Taught About Black Hair”
alopecia

After An Alopecia Diagnosis, She Took Her Power Back By Shaving Her Head

In 2012, after giving birth to her first child, Gina Knight found herself crying in the shower as she held the hair that was once attached to her head in her hands. This wasn't the first time she had experienced read more about After An Alopecia Diagnosis, She Took Her Power Back By Shaving Her Head
alopecia

FDA Approves First Pill to Treat Severe Alopecia

For many of us, our hair is our pride and glory, so experiencing hair loss can bring us great grief. Alopecia is a disease that affects Blacks more than white or Asian Americans. If you are one of the people read more about FDA Approves First Pill to Treat Severe Alopecia

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

  • Lionel Richie Shares His Top 3 ‘Anti-Aging Secrets’Lionel Richie Shares His Top 3 ‘Anti-Aging Secrets’
  • Angela Bassett 7-Year Journey to Parenthood: Enjoy the JourneyAngela Bassett 7-Year Journey to Parenthood: Enjoy the Journey
  • ‘COVID Toes’ Might Be a Sign You Had the Disease'COVID Toes' Might Be a Sign You Had the Disease
  • YouTuber and Relationship ‘Expert’ Kevin Samuels Cause of Death RevealedYouTuber and Relationship 'Expert' Kevin Samuels Cause of Death Revealed
  • Football Legend & Coach Deion Sanders Has Toes AmputatedFootball Legend & Coach Deion Sanders Has Toes Amputated

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

Learn More About

  • Hepatitis C
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle Cell
  • Mental Health
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2023, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.