When your natural hair is healthy, you have to flaunt it. You can style it with a headband or any other hair accessory to show the world its thickness and length. But rather than flaunt your hair without doing anything on it, why not wear the protective natural hairstyles?
These natural hairstyles aren’t just there to make you look more beautiful. They protect your hair from breakage, bad weather and other environmental elements that can harm your hair.
To ensure your natural hair stays in good shape always, we wrote this article to show you the hairstyles that protect natural hair.
Protective Natural Hairstyles for Black Women
![lady in protective natural hairstyle](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/859b475c-9e61-43fa-8f9e-45e35086e7fa.jpg?resize=736%2C749&ssl=1)
The pride of every woman is a healthy hair. And if you aren’t on low cut, you’d most definitely want you hair to grow without any hair malady. These hairdos can help you achieve that. Furthermore, you can install them with or without hair extensions. Check them out:
1. Cornrows
![lady wearing all-back cornrows with statement earrings](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/all-back-cornrows.jpg?resize=682%2C1024&ssl=1)
These hairstyles are classic. With your natural hair you can achieve any cornrows hairstyle be it updo or all-back. To achieve cornrows, you braid the hair very close to the scalp in an underhand, upward motion to create a continuous, raised row straight lines.
![back view of cornrows hairstyle](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/cornrows-back-view.jpg?resize=710%2C792&ssl=1)
This style is easy to install, affordable, versatile and suitable for both genders.
2. Twists
![smiling lady rocking big twists](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/big-twists.jpg?resize=736%2C920&ssl=1)
This one is also easy to achieve and at the same time easy to loosen. It involves wrapping two strands of hair or extensions around each other for each section. Twists make your hair curly.
![lady wearing tiny twists and taking a selfie](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/tiny-twists.jpg?resize=735%2C860&ssl=1)
3. Bounce Twists
![lady wearing bounce twists hairstyle](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/bounce-twists.jpg?resize=718%2C897&ssl=1)
This is a variation of twists. The difference is that bounce twists are curlier and stretchy with a bouncy appeal.
![lady wearing gold bounce twists](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/gold-bounce-twists.jpg?resize=713%2C867&ssl=1)
4. Bantu Knots
![pretty lady wearing bantu knots](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/bantu-knots.jpg?resize=720%2C896&ssl=1)
To achieve this particular protective natural hairstyle, you section your hair, twist it and wrap it to form a spiraled knot that looks like a stack of tyres. The result is something is a line of pretty little humps around your head.
![lady wearing bantu knots hairstyle](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/bantu-protective-natural-hairstyle.jpg?resize=720%2C898&ssl=1)
5. Dreadlocks
![pretty lady in dreadlocks](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/dreadlocks-hairstyle.jpg?resize=736%2C736&ssl=1)
Does the thought of doing your hair tire you out yet you don’t want to cut it? You may want to give dreadlocks a shot. Dreadlocks are simple and fun natural hairstyles. They save you the stress of manipulation because once you lock your hair, you’ve locked your hair.
![beautiful lady in dreadlocks](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/natural-dreadlocks.jpg?resize=500%2C500&ssl=1)
However, you’ll have to know how to maintain your dreadlocks well to prevent lice, dandruff and other unhealthy elements from living in your hair.
6. Didi
![lady in didi natural hairstle](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/didi-natural-hairstyle.jpg?resize=736%2C736&ssl=1)
This is the inverted form of cornrows. It helps to grow your hair and as well boost its density. To achieve this style, you weave your hair Inside-out.
![lady wearing didi hairstyle](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/didi.jpg?resize=720%2C729&ssl=1)
7. Twaid-out
![twaid hairstyle](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/twaid-hairstyle.jpg?resize=452%2C561&ssl=1)
This is a combination of braids and twists. Here, you braid your hair halfway and twist to the bottom. This coiffure is beautiful. And that’s not all. It also gives off the straight look of braids and curly look of twists.
![lady wearing twaid out hairstyle](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/twaid-out-style.jpg?resize=479%2C640&ssl=1)
8. Natural Box Braids
![little girl wearing box braids](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/box-braids-little-girl.jpg?resize=736%2C981&ssl=1)
This style involves taking three strands of your natural hair and weaving them around one another into square shapes. They are simple to achieve and versatile too.
![guy wearing box braids](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/box-braids.jpg?resize=480%2C640&ssl=1)
9. Cornrows with Twists
![lady wearing cornrows with twists - side view](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/cornrows-with-twists-side-view.jpg?resize=736%2C981&ssl=1)
This is a combination of cornrows and twists. While you braid your hair halfway flat on your scalp, you twist the remaining strands to the tip.
![lady with face mask donning cornrows with twists hairstyle](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/cornrows-with-twists.jpg?resize=736%2C920&ssl=1)
You can part your scalp anyhow you want to create more details while the twists give you curls.
10. Flat Twists
![lady wearing flat twists](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/flat-twists.jpg?resize=736%2C736&ssl=1)
This style is similar to the straight cornrows. However, the difference is that when doing flat Twists, rather than braid your hair flat on your scalp, you twist it.
![lady smiling in flat twists](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/flat-twists-side-view.jpg?resize=597%2C597&ssl=1)
If you opt for these protective natural hairstyles, your hair will grow and be as healthy as you wish. However, don’t just wear any of these natural hairstyles. Ensure you also use the natural hair growth tips to keep your hair in good shape all the time.
![bantu knots](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/cfc939ee-f2df-4bb7-a08e-bbd6bf3b37e3.jpg?resize=440%2C440&ssl=1)
Meanwhile, is there a natural hairstyle we left out on this list? Kindly drop a comment so we can learn too.
![lady in protective natural hair](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/1b9a2141-41dc-4c12-82eb-9baf12d756da.jpg?resize=736%2C980&ssl=1)
![lady wearing natural hairstyles](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/7a6499f9-c3c3-471c-8924-f8f79e84af73.jpg?resize=735%2C835&ssl=1)
![lady wearing protective hairstyle](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/145c3800-9986-4a5d-a2ee-785639bbab1d.jpg?resize=736%2C736&ssl=1)
![lady wearing natural hairstyle](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/275ca91c-8fb3-487b-80ea-e33993f387f2.jpg?resize=736%2C736&ssl=1)
![lady wearing cornrows](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/ad2b931c-c888-4ff4-99db-5322294cb88c.jpg?resize=564%2C564&ssl=1)
![lady wearing protective hairstyle](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/bdff497a-608e-48b9-98c9-80dc20956cf1.jpg?resize=736%2C736&ssl=1)
![beautiful lady in protective natural hairstyle](https://i0.wp.com/sveltemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/dd977ac8-4027-4699-81c2-00dc7dfd4299.jpg?resize=736%2C736&ssl=1)
Bantu knots and Cornrows are my favorite
Your comment regarding maintaining locks would imply that, that style is more prone to those issues. However I think you been misinformed and should reword your advice. As all hairstyles and types need to be maintained to avoid those things mentioned not just locks. Maybe talk about the need for maintenance to keep the hair healthy.
Thank you for the observation. Yes, every hair needs proper maintenance to be healthy. But I specified dreadlocks because it’s more prone to harbour lice.