Throughout this year I had been contemplating doing a 6 month protective style challenge. So researched the idea and once I was happy with what the challenge would entail, I was left with just thinking about when to start. To be honest, I was nervous and anxious to start as I hadn't done this before. My biggest fear was "what if I do more damage to my hair than care".
One day I was just going on doing my usual business of checking what my favourite YouTubers were up to, when I realised Jenn_J had started a similar challenge. The link to her YouTube video explaining her 6 month protective style challenge is available
here. So when I noticed Jenn_J started hers on the 1st Nov, I decided that was a good enough sign for me to start mine too. So I took a few days off as I had just flat ironed (straightened) my hair, then got my protective style done on the 5th Nov.
My reasons for this 6 month protective style challenge
- Apparently hair grows the fastest in summer. I live in South Africa and am currently in our summer season so wanted to test this for myself. The only 'flaw' about this method of experimenting is that I haven't never gauged my rate of hair growth during winter. So what will my comparison be against???? Mmmmh, I wouldn't make a good scientist would I? Oh well.
- Since my healthy hair journey started in April/May 2014, I haven't ever done a protective style challenge so I am keen to try one and see how my hair responds.
- I now have a solid reliable hair regimen and know what my hair likes so I can move on to trying long term protective styles in order to focus on length. Before, I felt it would be too much work to figure out the best regimen and products that work for my hair while also figuring out how much farther I can go in protective styles without damaging my hair.
- Curiosity killed the cat: don't you ever just want to try something you have never done before just so you know what the end result is?
What I will do during the 6 month protective style challenge
- Stay in protective styles of between 4 to 6 weeks at a time.
- Get a resting/breathing period in between styles to allow my hair some air. For example if I do a 4 week protective style, after take down I'll rest the hair for about 7 days or less. And if I take down a 6 week protective style I'll rest the hair for about 7 to 10 days.
- The hair will remain in low manipulative hairstyles during the resting period. So my ends will still be tucked away.
- Exercise 3-4 times a week. I believe good blood circulation aids hair follicles in growth.
- Drink lots of water. Water is good for the overall well being but also for your hair, i.e. hydrating from the inside, not just from spritzing the hair externally.
- Eat a healthy balanced diet. Healthy food certainly contributes to your hair's health. As the saying goes, you are what you eat. This doesn't just apply to general body health but to the health of your hair and nails.
- Multivitamin- I initially planned on taking a multivitamin but haven't done so and decided to rather eat healthy.
- Apply castor oil and jojoba oil to my scalp twice a week.
- Apply a daily spritz to my hair - the spritz contains two thirds distiller water ( I boil water in a kettle and let it cool, you can use bottled store bought water if you don't mind the expenditure), and one third castor oil & glycerine.
- Deep condition with protein and moisturising treatments when I take down the hairstyles.
- Determine if I can do hot oil treatments in between protective styles before taking them down. Really need to ensure healthy hair is a priority over the challenge. No point staying in protective styles while letting my hair suffer.
A few ladies have joined the challenge, and hopefully one of them win at the end if the 6 months. Hopefully next time I get more ladies in the challenge, we have about 10 at the moment. But that's a good start. Rome wasn't built in a day. Not too late to join us, 5 more months to go in a week so contact me on instagram to join.
Here's my starting length check and first protective style:
Love - AfroMoriri
