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Travel maintenance extends to nails, outfits, and shoes, but perhaps the most important and difficult upkeep belongs to hair—especially when it comes to protective styles.
As the phrase goes, “beauty is pain,” but the word "pain" should really be switched to "time-consuming" when it comes to protective styling. Styles such as box braids can take well over five hours at any given time depending on the length, size, and volume of hair you have. “I plan my hairstyles on a quarterly basis,” says travel writer Simone Harvin, a strategy that perhaps more travelers should consider adopting.
Time-consuming protective styles do come with benefits: Namely, protecting hair strands, and helping to foster growth and retain length. These styles can help those who are transitioning their hair from relaxed to natural by combatting the awkward hair stage, as well as those who want to experiment with different styles or hair colors without having to fully commit.
Protective styling offers a lot of ease and versatility, especially when travel is involved. The amount of supplies for natural hair care significantly dwindles once you’ve returned from your hair appointment, leaving you with a lighter suitcase.
To help out travelers in need of some hair inspiration, I asked six travel writers for their go-to protective styles, and what products they're packing to help hair last—and included a favorite style of my own.
Mini twists
“I suffer from an autoimmune disease that causes me to suffer from dry skin on different parts of my body, including my scalp, so having a protective style that allows me to have access to my scalp is a necessity. I often opt for two-strand twists because they are lightweight and last me a long time. With my routine now, mine can last up to three weeks before I feel like I need to take them down. The major ingredient to the longevity of twists is moisture.” —Shayna Conde
Wigs
“I have limited mobility in my shoulders which makes managing my natural curls on a daily basis difficult and very time-consuming with the amount of breaks I need to take. So on vacation, I like the convenience of braided styles or popping on a wig so I can be up and ready to explore the day without worrying about my hair. Learn from me, holding spray is good, but not quite strong enough for bungee jumping. Otherwise, I'll pop on a cute hat or beanie for style and ease.” —Kay Kingsman
Goddess braids
“I usually gravitate toward goddess braids over traditional box braids because they have a more bohemian look to them that really embodies how I feel on vacations. I’ve dealt with quite a bit of heat damage and breakage at the ends of my hair, so I opt for styles that will completely cover my hair strands but also keep my braids from looking dry. The thing about goddess braids that require a bit more maintenance is the crochet pieces, but I use a mousse and sheen to keep them from frizzing up.” —Johnaé De Felicis
Sew-in
“I suffer from seborrheic dermatitis, which makes my scalp very dry, and I’m allergic to synthetic hair, so I’m very particular about what supplies I’m picking up for protective styles because I don’t want to irritate my scalp. I’ve recently started going back to traditional sew-ins because of the ease and the space it allows me to moisturize my scalp daily. Although it’s meant for your face, I travel with the Evian facial spray and use it on my scalp to spritz in between my braids. I also run rosemary oil from Mielle and tea tree oil from Shea Moisture through my hair to reduce flakiness.” —Tiffani Denham
Quick weave
“People often think of quick weaves as the short 27-piece sets that we buy from the beauty supply stores and while they still do make them like that, they also have longer pieces that can be installed as shoulder length bobs or longer. A straightener or curling wand can make or break your quick weave. A common misconception about straighteners and curling wands is that you have to get top-of-the-line, recognizable names—that’s not true, it’s all in the plating and you can find very affordable options at your local beauty supply.” —S.H.
Knotless box braids
“If I have my hair braided then I will keep that style in for four to seven weeks before getting a touch-up or a completely new style. Since I could have two to five work trips during any given month, this means that the braids will usually span across multiple trips. I am always looking for the most convenient option. As someone who is on the road for over 300 days a year, self-employed, and constantly attending events, I don't have a lot of time to spend doing my hair at this point in my life. This means that I am looking for a convenient and dependable style. Since I am constantly on the go, I aim to limit styling time in every area of my life—minimal hairstyles, light makeup, and light packing.” —Ciara Johnson
Crochet braids
“It lost its standing in protective styles that are often publicized, but crochet braids deserve a spot on our list. Crochet braids are versatile and truly allow for numerous hairstyles in one. You might buy Marley crochet twists and halfway in between unravel them—now you have a voluminous twist out. You can crochet in faux locs. Depending on the type of hair you get you can straighten them. To me, it blends all the different options of sew-ins and wigs into one where you don’t have to have any hair out or worry about lace being detectable.” —Paris Wilson
