7 Celebrity Protective Hairstyles You’ll Want to Recreate

Protective hairstyles have been around forever. They’re not new, they’re not trendy inventions, and absolutely no celebrity created them in their mansion between Pilates and a press tour. Protective styles are rooted in Black culture and history; they’re hairstyles designed to protect your natural hair by giving it a break from daily manipulation, heat, and styling stress. T

hese styles include braids, twists, locs, sew-ins, and all the things that keep your hair tucked away, moisturised, and happy.

As much as celebrities don’t invent these hairstyles, they definitely help put a spotlight on certain looks. When they’re on tour, on a red carpet, or just doing the school run in oversized sunglasses, they sometimes wear a specific protective style that ends up trending. Suddenly, everyone is at their hairstylist’s chair scrolling through Pinterest like, “Do this one!”

It all makes sense because celebrities are some of the biggest style billboards we have. A look they wear today becomes a mood board staple tomorrow. If you’ve been eyeing a protective style that your fave rocked recently (or even years ago), this list is a great place to start.

Below, we break down some celebrity-backed protective styles together with how they’re done, why they work, and the genuine cultural context behind them.

For her role as Nine Ball in Ocean’s 8, Rihanna played a cool, highly skilled, Caribbean hacker whose calm confidence was only matched by her ability to type faster than most of us can think. While the character was brilliant, the hairstyle was also a cultural moment.

Rihanna’s faux locs weren’t the thin, delicate ones most people were used to seeing. She wore jumbo faux locs that were chunky, bold, boho, and beautifully imperfect. For a short while after filming wrapped, she kept the look, and the internet collectively lost its mind. Everyone suddenly wanted jumbo faux locs, but many people shied away because of the size and weight.

Faux locs are created by:

• Braiding your natural hair or adding braiding hair first.

• Then, wrap marley hair or texture-matched extensions around each braid.

• Sealing the ends (usually with hot water or a burnt seal, depending on the method).

Jumbo faux locs are thicker, meaning fewer locs overall but a fuller, more dramatic effect. 

As iconic as Beyoncé’s Lemonade album is, the hairstyle she wore on the album cover, which is the long, neat, side-swept cornrows, became even more iconic in its own right. They were immediately labelled “lemonade braids” by the public and have remained a worldwide favourite ever since.

Lemonade braids are essentially:

• Neat side-parted cornrows.

• Braided straight back or slightly curved, depending on the style.

• Usually waist-length or longer.

• Often accessorised with beads, cuffs, or added blonde highlights.

They’re protective, they’re sleek, they’re timeless, and thanks to Beyoncé, they will probably never go out of style.

READ ALSO: 10 Bob Hairstyles That Are Totally Instagram-Ready 

Tems has her signature aesthetic, and tucked right at the top of her hair hall of fame is the cornrows-in-front, sew-in-at-the-back combo. It’s simple, stylish, and impressively practical.

The front of the hair is braided into:

• Straight-back cornrows.

• Usually medium to large in size.

• With your natural hair laid neatly.

The back portion of the head is left out or braided flat so a sew-in weave can be attached. This sew-in can be straight, curly, body-wave, or blowout texture, or stitched out completely whenever you feel like you need a refresh.

This hack gives you the best of both worlds with the sleekness and low-maintenance of cornrows, with the styling flexibility of a weave. A ponytail today, big curls tomorrow, Tems stays ready for every camera angle.

While Tyla is well known for her neon wigs (green, pink, and everything loud in between), one of her go-to styles since her We Wanna Party tour in 2025 has been dolly braids.

Dolly braids is a short hairstyle with tiny cornrow plaitings in front, and then a bob sew-in at the back of the head. The bob is usually curled upwards to give the face and give a fluffy, cute, and doll-like look (hence the name). 

R&B legend Mýa has always been ahead of the curve with hair, and one of her standout looks in the protective style department is her side-part island twists. Island twists are a variation of Senegalese twists, but they are

• Installed more loosely. With a softer, more bohemian finish.

• Often blending wavy or curly hair for the ends.

• Giving that “vacation glow” all year round.

Chloe and Halle Bailey are a Grammy-nominated R&B duo and actresses, and while their voices are angelic, their locs have built a fanbase of their own. People are fascinated by how many ways they manage to style them from buns, braids, ponytails, beads, extensions, colours, sculptural updos…the list goes on.

There’s a common misconception that locs are one-dimensional, like a “just wear them down” kind of hairstyle. Chloe and Halle consistently prove otherwise. Their stylists have shown that locs can be braided, curled, dyed, beaded, wrapped, extended, and sculpted into incredibly intricate shapes.

Their commitment to their loc journey, combined with the artistic styling, has inspired many people to either start locs or embrace more styling options.

READ ALSO: The Best Bridal Styles for Natural Hair, Locs and Everything in Between

Fulani braids, rooted in the traditions of the Fulani (Fula) people of West Africa, have existed long before they became mainstream. They are known for their beauty, symmetry, and striking patterns. While the hairstyle has always been popular within the culture, Alicia Keys helped bring worldwide visibility to it through the 2000s and beyond.

Fulani braids typically include:

• A central cornrow braided from front to back.

• Cornrows on the sides are braided towards the face.

• Accessories like beads and cowrie shells.

• A mix of cornrows and free-hanging braids.

Protective hairstyles aren’t about copying celebrities; they’re about finding what works for your hair, your lifestyle, and your patience level (because not everyone is built for a 6-hour braiding session). Celebrities simply help shine a brighter light on styles that already existed long before the red carpets, world tours, and high-budget music videos entered the chat.

Try a look, switch it up, remix it, or keep it classic. The beauty of protective styling is that it’s yours to personalise. And who knows? The next time you step out with a fresh install, you might be the one inspiring someone else’s Pinterest board.