Beauties, sometimes your hair needs a break from the twisting, relaxing, and styling. Enter protective styling. This “rest” period for your hair can promote growth while allowing you to switch up your look and keep it fun. Hairstylist and makeup artist Rosalyn LaFone showed us how to do a middle-part closure, loose-wave weave and gave us some tips and pointers to ensure a weave that will have you looking flawless.
1. Before you even attach your protective style, make sure you give your real hair some TLC, because it will be left untouched for a bit. Rosalyn reminds us to, “Clean, condition, and moisturize.” If you don’t have time for a deep condition, use a leave-in conditioner. As a fan of natural products, Rosalyn likes to use honey mixed with Jamaican Castor Oil. “Honey will seal in moisture and the Jamaican Black castor oil is for growth,” she says.
2. When you are creating your braid pattern, ensure they are going down. “This will provide less tension on the hair and keep your edges intact,” Rosalyn advises.
3. After you finish your braid pattern (so the weave can be attached), “you must moisturize your scalp.” Remember, beauties, your hair is going to be there for some time. Give it nutrients and moisturizer so it can thrive.
4. What exactly is a long time? Rosalyn recommends leaving your weave in for no longer than two months — three maximum. She advises, “Even if you keep it in for two months, you should see your hairstylist every two to three weeks so she can wash your weave and tighten your tracks.”
5. If you are installing a protective style, like a weave, and using a closure, Rosalyn teaches #TeamBeautiful to install the closure first. “There is nothing worse than installing all the hair and finding there is no room for the closure,” she says.
6. The work doesn’t stop after the weave is installed: “Treat your weave as if you treat your natural hair. You have to wash your weave, brush it regularly, sleep with a scarf or on a silk pillow,” Rosalyn says. Having a weave doesn’t mean you get to neglect the hair or, more importantly, the scalp underneath.
7. Rosalyn advises us on how to gauge the quality of the hair. “Add water,” she states. According to her, a lot of companies will steam hair to create curls, but once you wet it, the hair gets matted or the curls drop. She recommends Mayvenn, 100 percent virgin hair. This hair can last you up to two years, possibly longer, if you adhere to proper maintenance and care.
Beauties, now you are ready to use these tips and secrets for a successful protective style! Show us using #SoBeautiful or tag us on Instagram @HelloBeautiful.
This post was originally published on HelloBeautiful. Keep up with Rosalyn LaFone on Instagram.
PHOTO CREDIT: Touched By LaFone, Getty
