Here's what you really need to know about the products you need to care for your synthetic hair.

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We’re two thirds into the first quarter of 2017 and that fitness plan on your vision board has gone from a generic goal to a regular routine. The only problem? How you’re going to hold that plank pose AND protect your hair! Many women sacrifice cultivating healthy habits for keeping their curls on fleek, but years of prepping protective styles have taught us that you won't have to choose between the two if you follow these steps. 

Invest in a Quality Shield

If you’ve ever had your silk scarf slide off while you were living the #squatlife then you know protective accessories like Slap Caps are a great investment. The sweat induced frizz that comes with intense cardio sessions is no match for these satin lined caps. Thanks to their ability to stretch they can accommodate even the largest curls. Plus they come in a variety of cute colors to match all that those luxe athleisure looks you’ve been rewarding yourself with. Monica of Mo Knows Hair is rocking hers below. 

Keep It Fresh

Having the right products on hand can make freshening up post-workout fros a breeze. Sweating it out in hot yoga? This Mimosa Hair Honey Clarifying Scalp Treatment from Carol’s Daughter can easily slip between even the most binding protective style to soothe and cleanse the scalp. Headed straight to the grocery store from Soulcycle? Lucid Bliss’ hair refresher eliminates any and all odors from both human and synthetic hair so you can leave behind the scent of the weird girl who’s always leaning too close to your station. Snooze button got you in danger of missing your 6am yoga class? Cut down on your prep time with a great low cost dry shampoos like Garnier Fructis’ Volume Extend Instant Bodifier which is only $6!  

Choose Wisely

Protective styling is about what works for YOU. Nobody knows your schedule and needs better than you do and the best fitness and beauty routines are the ones that you’re going to stick to. Experiment with crotchet braids, twists, faux-locks, and other styles until you find the one that suits you and your routine the best. Like protective style goddess badgirlriri says you gotta live your life. 

 

 

Countless childhood hours spent wincing under scorching hot combs on balmy Easter Sundays have conditioned generations of black women to come to the same conclusion- a special occasion demands straight hair.

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4 Times Rihanna was Protective Style Goals

When she’s not bringing home random puppies and helping her niece make executive decisions Rihanna is a massive pop star who rocks whatever she wants. She incorporates protective options without sacrificing style by including curly hair and bantu knots. Want to know how you can get the look? We’ve rounded up four times she was protective style goals below. 

When She Turned the Red Carpet into a Bodega Run 

While media outlets clueless about black culture tried to dub it a “bejeweled faux bob” brown girls immediately recognized Rihanna’s look at the 2013 American Music Awards for what it was- a doobie.  We know this protective wrap style is nothing new and Essence’s Julee Wilson set the record straight for the Huffington Post when she broke this bold beauty choice down and forever ingrained the “doobie” into the lexicon of mainstream culture. 

When She Was a Goth Barbie in Givenchy 

The Barbadian pop princess arrived at the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Awards in a black lace number from the ‘it” designer of the moment and jet black bantu knots. She finished the look by draping herself in long cross bearing necklaces. 

When She Was Unbothered Courtside 

We all know Miss Fenty is unapologetic about her vices and she showed no signs of shame as she sipped a beer courtside at an NBA game. Her ombre curly weave was the perfect complement for her carefree attitude. Get the look by snagging our 20" Large Curl from McKenzie Collection in colors Brown Suga and Sunburst and seperate the curls using a gel oil hair; we love the one from Bumble and Bumble.

When She Was a Lady in Red 

Many have tried on the faux lock trend for size but no one has been able to pull it off quite like Rihanna (other than Dr. Kari who came up with the infamous goddess faux loc method). A master of the effortless slay she counterbalanced a simple red silk slip dress with oversized faux locs as she stepped out in the New York streets. She kept the accessories to a minimum because-- a great hair style speaks for itself. 

We can’t wait to see how Rihanna brings the heat to the 59th Annual Grammy Awards where “Anti” is nominated in eight separate categories!

 

Since starting Latched and Hooked beauty, we've been on a crusade to spread the word about our intentions on creating a brand that's geared to designing chemically free, synthetic hair extensions for black women (and note we do not make any apologies for creating hair extensionas for a particular group of women). 

Our CEO Tiffini Gatlin, reached out to lifestyle blogger and mom of 2, Mimi of Unlikely Martha after noticing her occassional mentions of wanting to create a different hairstyle for herself, but was undecided and defiantely wasn't considering protective styling. 

Tiffini set out to not only change her mind about protective styling using the crochet method, but wanted to educate Mimi on how this low manipulation hair style would free up so much of her time in the mornings as well as reimagine her entire sleep routine. 

Six weeks later, Mimi is not only still rocking her Zoe Bohemian crochet twists, but she's sharing her personal experience with our product and several ways she's been rocking her twists. 

To read Unlikey Martha's full review check our her review here.