Keep Hair Healthy Year Round With a Protective Style

Make the hairstyle the accessory with perfectly spiraled pinwheel braids that resemble baby fascinators, but also keep the hairline from exposure to damage.

There’s literally no one who can’t pull off small-to-medium knotless box braids. The style is also a foundation for so many other looks, too.

If you wear classic box braids often and want to channel a different persona, try the style in a contrasting hair color to your own.

Maintain the look and styling flexibility of loose hair with extra small boho braids that are twisted at the root and free-flowing down the shaft. This is also a choice style if you have shorter hair and want to experiment with longer hair looks.

Fulani-style braids pair cornrows in the front, twisted down on the scalp in a curved or straight back pattern, and gathered in a free-flowing cascade down the back.

Wunmi Mosaku mixed textures with braids that wrap around the front like a headband, anchoring a crimped bouffant at the back.

Chase Infiniti twisted her natural curls into fine, jet-black box braids, which she then had gathered into a slightly undone top knot.

Andra Day went for a monochromatic look with blonde-highlighted braids that perfectly complement her caramel skin.

Although locs are a protective style on their own, Halle Bailey is the queen of showing just how versatile they are. Here, she blended her locs with additional hair to create braids at the crown and textured length in the back.

Leave room for bangs or face-framing pieces by adding shorter hairs in the front that are braided at the base to protect those delicate strands.

Cornrow styles don’t always have to end with inches-on-inches. Opt for a sleek, shoulder-length lob like Tyla does here.

Keep the look of your natural texture while your own hair is tucked inside by weaving one long braid out of finer individual braids.

Medium and small box braids can be dreadful to take out. Keep the task simple while also channeling ’90s vibes with just a few chunky plaits.

Let your hair be the canvas for a statement braided design like this winding cornrowed heart.

Accent your protective style with beads, barrettes, or clips.

If you already have shorter hair and want a braided style that doesn’t flow down the back, try a chin-length braided bob. The style looks good in thick or thin braid form.

You can never go wrong with one of the most classic protective styles of all time: the straight back cornrow.

The defined texture, extra curly ends, and reddish blonde color are a redux on a throwback braid style that manages to feel timeless.