Braids or twist: Which is a better PROTECTIVE STYLE?

[Freespirit02]

I'm thinking about getting my hair done in a long term protective style..lets say 3 months, with extensions. Which is better..twist or braids??

 

[miss stress]

I personally perfer twists but as far as protection goes, I'm pretty sure they r abt the same. But neither one will work for you if its done incorrectly so that should b most important for right now. R you going to a shop or doing them yourself?

 

[Phaer]

I love twists because I find them easier to remove, and my hair does not get as tangled when I remove them.

 

[temfash]

I love twists because I find them easier to remove, and my hair does not get as tangled when I remove them.

I agree the takedown for the twists are so much easier than braids.

 

[Freespirit02]

I'm planning to get them done by someone else. She has never done my hair before..but if figured twist would be a safer bet.

 

[Nonie]

If you're doing it with extensions, I prefer braids. They hold much better and your hair stays stretched straight so that when you undo, you aren't dealing with strands that are curling around each other (if you're 4B especially).

If you're doing it just with your hair, I prefer twists because braids on my 4B hair left in for long w/o extension hair to keep the strands apart, start to lock up. I think extension hair helps to keep my strands in each of the 3 section apart so that it's easy to undo with my fingers.

I don't think I've ever left twists in for 3 months. I am always feeling my hair looking for twists to do. The only record I have for certain is the twists I left in for 4 weeks. I'm not sure why I kept track then. I usually don't pay attention to how much time is lapsing but I do know I am always playing in my hair and once I start redoing one twist, I go to another...and in the course of the week I've redone all and cannot wait for them to get messy again so I can play in my hair.

As far as being protective styles, they do fall short unless you will wear your ends hidden in clever updos. But if you'll leave your hair hanging down, then the style isn't really a protective style but more a low manipulation style.

 

[Phaer]

I think twist or braids with extensions can be protective styles, especially if they are longer than your own hair, because technically your 'ends' aren't being affected ... right? at least I hope so.

 

[tricie]

I agree with Nonie; it seems like twists wouldn't last as long and would have to be redone.

 

[Nasdaq_Diva]

Both are fine as long as you keep the ends tucked

 

[Nonie]

I think twist or braids with extensions can be protective styles, especially if they are longer than your own hair, because technically your 'ends' aren't being affected ... right? at least I hope so.

Phaer I've never had extensions that were not longer than my own hair and I always braid to the ends, but your ends are not really protected because the extension hair isn't covering your hair like insulation so your hair is still exposed to the drying air...and if any part of the extensions are rubbing against your clothes, the parts where your hair is showing get to be rubbed against too, just as they are also exposed to the drying air.

A weave is a better protective style coz your hair is kept buried under other hair so it's got better insulation.

Another true protective style is threading where the hair is completely covered by the thread and hidden from that air.

To me true protection involves having your hair strands completely shielded from the elements.