Growing your hair out is an act of love. The longer it gets the more delicate it is and the more care you have to take with it. Eventually it gets long enough that you’re running the risk of damage and breakage from seat belts and purse straps. To protect the investment you’ve put into your beautiful hair, you can learn some protective hairstyles that show off your hair’s beauty and length while looking spectacular.

Protective hairstyles keep your ends tucked in so they aren’t exposed to the elements or everyday wear and tear. Braided up-dos are a great choice. You can do a simple long braid wrapped around your head in a variation on a milkmaid style (or actually do milkmaid braids if your hair is not quite that long yet).

You can learn to do a crown braid, which takes a little bit of practice. One style that looks complicated but is actually simple to do is called a braided Chinese bun (it can also be done without braiding once you’ve learned the basic technique).

Take good care of your epic long hair by keeping it in protective styles most of the time. When you do let it down you’ll stun the room with how healthy, thick, and gorgeous it is!