LOW MANIPULATION STYLING: Old Posts Revisited
Last updated on July 24th, 2020 at 06:24 pm
Low manipulation styling is nothing new. How you do it and all the ways you can prep and handle your hair will vary by person though.
Since I’m not about reinventing wheels, I like to share my personal experiences in an event to help others. What works for me may not work for you but when it comes to lessening the amount of handling you do, your hair can only benefit.
I’ve written a few posts on the subject of low manipulation styling but before you check them out, let’s take a look at low manipulation hair styling in a bit more detail.
What is Low Manipulation Hairstyling?
The simplest definition of low manipulation styling is creating hairstyles that either do not require you to handle your hair for extended periods of time or only require you to handle your hair very little.
Basically, you set your hairstyle and once complete, you should have little to do to maintain it. You should be able to just shake and go after removing your night time protective cap/scarf (if you wear one). At the most, you should be able to do a quick fluff and go.
For a style to be low manipulation, you may need to handle your hair a bit to create the style (example: loose two strand twists) but then you should be able to rock that style for days on end without having to comb or brush your hair to maintain it.
Why Low Manipulation Styling?
Maybe you like to play in your hair. I certainly do.
You may like to change up your styles on a regular basis and that’s OK if you are satisfied with the current state of your hair is in (length and health). If you’re not happy with it, low manipulation hair styling can help cut down on hair breakage and hair loss.
Your hair is a finely woven fabric made up of many components:
- Keratin (protein)
- Cuticle
- Cortex
- Medulla
- Chemical bonds
- Pigment and more
See more on the Structure of Hair here.
So, it makes sense that if you want to preserve your hair for as long as possible (leading to length retention), you’ll want to handle it less often. That’s where low manipulation hairstyling comes in handy.
Now, let’s take a look at a few of the previously written posts about low manipulation styling here on Fine Natural Hair and Faith:
3 Low Manipulation Protective Styles for Fine Hair – This is pretty self explanatory. Click that link and you’ll find three hairstyles that are not only low manipulation but also protective. This is a big deal for fine strands.
Low Manipulation Hair Regimen to Promote Growth – If you’re struggling with developing a hair regimen that helps you preserve your fine hair, then this post gives you a good solid hair regimen that uses low manipulation as a basis for when its time to style.
How Over-manipulation of Natural Hair Causes Breakage – While this article isn’t necessarily about low manipulation styling, it helps explain the ins and outs of why you’d want to stop manipulating your hair so much in the first place.
Subscribe to Fine Natural Hair and Faith for more tips on maintaining length for fine strands with low manipulation hair styling.
