At what length do you begin protective styling?

[Hay_jules]

My question is exactly what it says in the title. At what length should I begin keeping my hair in protective styles. Right now I'm just past shoulder length and have bleach damage that is currently behaving very well. About all I can do is french braid my bangs back or do a peacock twist. I used to clip my bangs but I always broke hair, Bobby pins I have to be careful or they pull/break my hair.

So I try to keep it up because if it's up I don't play with it and I don't feel the need to comb it 50,000 times a day. Old habits die hard...I was a compulsive brusher then becane a compulsive comber. But is it really making a difference on the ends while my hair is so short? I feel like my hair has been better recently but I've also given up heat styling so that could have something to do with it.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I don't think there is a specific length. It depends on at what length you're even able to put it up at all, personally for me that was at shoulder. Also, it's really important to try different hair toys. At APL and even shorter, I was able to use spin pins to put my hair up into a lazy wrap bun. Try different toys and try different hair styles and buns. I'm now BSL stretched and I use spin pins, forks and sticks. At your length you could use claw clips and flexi-8s I think.

[Alissalocks]

I think of it more as a way to set better hair habits for one's self for the long haul. I still need to wear mine up more, but settle for braids a lot instead because most wraps and buns escape my slippery, thin hair without massive pins that can cause headaches and scalp sensitivity over a few hours of wear.

If it gets your hair to remain protected, I think any length is good to start. But I myself didn't think about it much until joining LHC, and I was already BSL by then.

[MeAndTheMaz]

Also, don't forget that damage is cumulative. Whatever damage you get today will still be there years down the road (except for whatever you trim off over time). So, if you can avoid the damage today, that will be that much less that you have to deal with in the future. And hopefully that much less that you need to trim.

[trolleypup]

You can start anytime...your ends now will continue to be your ends as your hair gets longer, and damage doesn't go away. Alissalocks has the right of it, might as well get those habits in line sooner than later.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I began as soon as I joined the LHC, my hair was a little past my shoulders. I figured, better to protect it earlier rather than later.... because of the above reasons.

[Anje]

Longest I think you should go before you start is the point where you start leaning on your hair in chairs or on the couch. That depends a bit on the person, but it's usually somewhere a bit south of APL. I see SO many people with excessive damage starting right at that point, and it's usually too short to stay forward of the shoulders well if you try to move it out of the way.

Shorter than that, I think it's somewhat up to you and what you observe with your hair. Until now, my hair had never been at a length I couldn't ponytail, and it pretty much always was gathered back. Others like wearing their hair down more. I do think it's good to get used to seeing yourself with your hair back as well as down. :)

[hayheadsbird]

At just past shoulder you could use French or Dutch braids as well.
I only started deliberately using protective styles after joining here at almost APL, but from past experience from about that length putting it up in some from tended to be the most practical anyway.

[hanne jensen]

I began protective updos when my hair was shoulder length. I also began braiding my hair for sleeping at shoulder length. I only had 1 bump on the left and 2 bumps on the right, but I could do it. My tassel was longer than the braid. However, I did learn to do a single braid behind my back without having too much hair to work with.

It's never too early to start and will save your hair in the long run. Protective styling and treating my hair gently has gotten me to almost hip where before LHC I never got past a long APL. (Thanks, LHC!)

[lapushka]

Measure your ponytail circumference (I notice you don't have these stats underneath your avatar). That is the best way to tell when you'll be able to do buns mostly. There's a classification system: i, ii, iii (thickness of the ponytail). If you measure, measure below or above the elastic (no calculating the elastic in - kinda common sense). If your hair is ii, you will be able to do buns sooner than when your hair is iii. I'm iii and hip is the length at which I can start to do buns (LWB, lazy wrap bun).

So start measuring.

Braiding can be done at any length, you proved that part. ;) And of course you can always do half-ups. Better than nothing.

[Hay_jules]

Rebeccalaurenxx, I lost my spin pins in my last move, I've been meaning to pick up some new ones. I had to Google the flexi 8 thing but I think I could totally wear one, I see a lot of potential with that. I usually use a claw clip when I put my hair up...and I vary where I put it to minimize stress in one spot.

Alissalocks, MeAndTheMaz, trolleypup, Sarahlabrynth, really good points about establishing the good habits early on. I do hope to let these ends go long with very minimal trimming so it makes sense to start protecting them as son as they're long enough to protect.

Anje, I hadn't thought about that. We have a high back couch...I feel like it's already not far from rubbing. In general I've always been a hair down and straightened person...but ponytails all summer long. I'm still getting used to the texture and don't like it down much right now.

hayheadsbird, my Dutch braids are a little rusty but I managed one yesterday...I braided my bangs into a faux hawk. I definitely need more practice.

Janney jensen, I hadn't thought about trying to braid my hair for sleep yet...or even just a normal braid. I'll have to try and see how many bumps I can get. It's very inspiring that you've managed to get to hip, I've never passed BSL before.

lapushka, I only have my phone...editing my profile hasn't been the easiest to do with just a phone. My ponytail is a ii...and at the small end of it. I can already put my hair into a very small, simple bun. Also ftr, I'm F/M. My ex criticized half ups so I avoided them for a long time but I'm starting to come back around. I realize my canopy is much dryer than the underneath of my hair so I imagine half ups will at least protect that part.

[lithostoic]

I chopped to collarbone soon after joining, and from there I started wearing my hair in tiny braids asap.

[Arctic]

As soon as I could manage them, I couldn't wait to have my hair up (I love doing my hair!).

[hanne jensen]

Hay_jules, I have very fine delicate hair which is why I wear it up most of the time. I'm 57 years old and have wanted knee length hair all my life. I could never grow my hair longer than a longish APL. It would be so damaged that it just broke off so I'd chop back to a pixie. This happened all my life until I found LHC. I was 49 before I learned how to take care of my hair. Protective updos and night braids have saved me from a lot of damage. If the LHC had existed as a magazine in the 1970's I'd be maintaining floor length hair now.

[Anshul585]

I started wearing protective hairstyles at shoulder length. Now I'm BSL.

[Mimha]

Measure your ponytail circumference (I notice you don't have these stats underneath your avatar). That is the best way to tell when you'll be able to do buns mostly. There's a classification system: i, ii, iii (thickness of the ponytail). If you measure, measure below or above the elastic (no calculating the elastic in - kinda common sense). If your hair is ii, you will be able to do buns sooner than when your hair is iii. I'm iii and hip is the length at which I can start to do buns (LWB, lazy wrap bun).

So start measuring.

Braiding can be done at any length, you proved that part. ;) And of course you can always do half-ups. Better than nothing.

You can bun at a shorter length, even with thick hair, if you choose a bun that requires your hair to be parted in two smaller strands (or more), that are easier to loop. I'm not very familiar with those, unfortunately, but you can check the bun thread. :wink:

[lapushka]

lapushka, I only have my phone...editing my profile hasn't been the easiest to do with just a phone. My ponytail is a ii...and at the small end of it. I can already put my hair into a very small, simple bun. Also ftr, I'm F/M. My ex criticized half ups so I avoided them for a long time but I'm starting to come back around. I realize my canopy is much dryer than the underneath of my hair so I imagine half ups will at least protect that part.

I was just wondering. :) Half-ups can be very versatile, especially at your length. And yay for a tiny bun! :D

[ipickee]

I started as soon as I possibly could. Beanies when it was super short and tiny, tiny buns when it got long enough :)

[Ophidian]

My favorite protective style for months now has been double french braids secured at the ends with silicone bands. Then I cross the ends in the back secure them with a single octopus clip (like a claw clip but a little shorter and rounder) or two small claw clips. I try to get each tassel tucked under the opposite braid to make it look neater and to protect the ends. It ends up looking like a coronet braid. Sometimes I will tuck the ends the same way into a silk scarf folded into a wide band and tied in the front, or a wide headband.

If I have to work early the next day I braid at night and wrap them with a silk scarf, and then pin it up in the morning. If I'm feeling super lazy I can leave the braids in again overnight and do the same thing the next morning though they stop looking quite as neat by then.

I was able to do these braids surprisingly early. I've been growing out from a long pixie since this spring and I could manage double braids when the front layers reached about cheekbone length and the back was mid-neck.

I also tend to damp-braid this way because it keeps the post-wash poof under control and gives nice waves if you're into that sort of thing.

Good luck and have fun with it! There's a lot you can do to keep shorter hair protected and yourself entertained through the growing-out phases.

[VersLaLumière]

Even though I think it could start at any length long enough to ponytail, APL is the point that I start to have to pay attention and protect my hair more if I want to minimize damage.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

Glad I could help.
Flexi-8s didn't work personally for me as my hair is uncontrollable, it's not super thick but it would just pop out of the flexi. If my hair was shorter it would work better. But you could probably fit a small.

[Agnieszka]

I have shoulder length hair and I wear protective styles everyday. I just can't stand hair on my face and have to have it up. I wear it down only to special occasions. I use hair clips for peacock twists and soft scrunchie for the night.

[Entangled]

When it was long enough to style fairly easily. When I could make buns without making them super tightly and I didn't have to use a gazillion bobby pins to hold in wisps. I think the first bun I learned was a split variation of Spidermom's bun, since I couldn't for the life of my figure out written LWB instructions.

[Saproxylic]

I think I started wearing my hair back and up around shoulder. In the beginning it was octopus or other claw clips for the back and I either bobby pinned my fringe that I was growing out back and make a pouf at the front, or if I was lazy, I just gathred all the fringe hair, braided it in one back going braid and pinned the end of the braid. Then I learned to french braid.

This reminds me, I really miss the pouf! I think I should do it more often again next summer (I probably could manage on second/third day hair)

[Hay_jules]

I think I started wearing my hair back and up around shoulder. In the beginning it was octopus or other claw clips for the back and I either bobby pinned my fringe that I was growing out back and make a pouf at the front, or if I was lazy, I just gathred all the fringe hair, braided it in one back going braid and pinned the end of the braid. Then I learned to french braid.

This reminds me, I really miss the pouf! I think I should do it more often again next summer (I probably could manage on second/third day hair)

This is exactly what I do with my bangs most days...either a pouf or a simple braid that lies on top of my part. I'm not sure how I feel about myself with no bangs but for now I'm growing them out.

[Saldana]

I began putting my hair in protective styles right around BSL, because that's when it started to rub the backs of chairs. It's now closing in on 33"...moving towards hip length, and maybe....maybe....someday knee length. I'd say, with protective updos, as soon as you have enough length, start protecting it, if the goal is to get hair as long as possible.