When I first started my natural hair journey, I struggled to find hairstyles that I wanted to wear, and that lasted me the entire week. This made my experience with my natural hair very disappointing and stressful. However, I’ve recently been able to find a few styles that work for me! Here are 3 easy and long-lasting hairstyles for coily naturals!
1. The Fluffy Twist Out
I struggled with twist-outs for years… With my coily hair texture, the tutorials online weren’t giving me the results that I wanted. The biggest struggle for me was retaining moisture and longevity. I wanted my style to last as long as possible, but by the end of the week, my strands were so brittle and dry no matter what product I used. Eventually, I realized that the products I use weekly build up on my hair very quickly and that I needed to cleanse my hair once it starts to feel dry so that my strands can retain moisture again. I use Squeaky every two weeks and a moisturizing cleanser every week. I also make sure to deep condition every wash day! My favorite deep conditioner is Heal & Renew by Uncle Funky’s Daughter.
After a wash, I use the Primer and Split End Serum from the Maximum Thermal Protection line to protect my hair before blow-drying! Yes, I blow dry my hair almost every wash day. I find that it’s easier for me to manage and retain moisture. I use the tension method and I keep the blow dryer on a low heat setting. Once my hair is semi-dry, I apply a leave-in conditioner and a thick cream or butter and begin to twist. I twist very tight and my hair tends to stay fluffy and defined until my next wash day without any touch-ups!
2. The Chunky Braids
If you don’t know how to braid I strongly recommend that you learn and practice! It’s truly a life saver to be able to do some quick chunky braids when I need to give my hair a break. This protective style only takes me a few hours to complete and it’s super cute! All you need is a good leave-in conditioner like Midnite Train and a creme such as Extra Butter before doing your braid up. Curly Magic is great for your edges and to smooth out the sections as well. This hairstyle will take practice if you are unfamiliar with braiding but two hours of my day for a hairstyle that will last 2-3 weeks is a good deal to me!
3. The Crochet Braids
I can’t stress enough how much I love crochet braids. I’ve been doing them for years and my hair has grown so much because of it. I typically braid my natural hair straight back using the same products mentioned above to keep it moisturized. Then I install the crochet hair, which only takes me 45 mins to an hour. What I love about this protective style is that I can keep my braids in for WEEKS and reinstall new crochet hair to the same braids. This also makes it easier for me to moisturize my hair while it is in this protective style. Moisture can easily get to my scalp and hydrate my hair. You can even wash your hair while it’s in the cornrows in between installs. It’s a lazy natural’s heaven!
I hope that you try out some of these hairstyles! Styling your natural coily hair does not have to be complicated. All it takes is patience and practice and you will be an expert in no time!
xoxo
Shayla M. (@me.koh)
