Protective hairstyles are a great way to keep natural hair healthy and provide you with so many options to change up your look. Box braids are a classic go-to — there are endless ways to style them.

When someone with sharp-looking box braids walks into a room, it’s hard to not stop and admire the endlessly cool hairstyle. While it’s a classic, braided extensions can be tough to master on your own ...

Protective hair styling is a black girl’s best friend during summer. The extreme heat can be a hassle and to deal with and humidity doesn’t make it any better. While there are a handful of protective ...

Using a few packs of the best braiding hair in your next style can not only enhance your overall look, but is also a tried-and-true way to protect hair from being damaged by the elements, excess heat, ...

Crochet braids are a protective hairstyle that involves looping hair extensions through your natural cornrowed hair using a crochet needle or pin. This technique is less damaging to the scalp compared ...

We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we love. Promise. Today’s style on The Braid Up is giving major volume and glamour, and I’m oh-so-very here for it. If ...

Braids have been my go-to protective style for most of my life, making me no stranger to the ins and outs of braiding hair. Generally, the best braiding hair is lightweight, doesn’t tangle easily and ...

Every few months or so, I can always count on a new hair or beauty trend to take over my Instagram feed for an indefinite period of time. At one point it was faux locs, then crochet braids, and now I ...

Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Good or bad, everyone remembers their first trip to the braiding salon. You ...