The ever-elusive question when it comes to your hair would be what hairstyle works best for you? You have probably read a number of articles and tried equally a number of various styles suggested by your hairstylist, but nothing seems to work for you. Hair is a big deal for women and it in every sense defines who you are. How you feel can be uplifted by how your hair looks, which in overall defines your image.

So how exactly would you know which hairstyle works best for you? Here are 5 tips to help every woman find her signature black hairstyle.

1. It Makes Your Hair Grow

Yes, we all want whichever hairstyle we choose to ultimately result in hair growth. Doesn’t matter whether it’s dreadlocks that we settle for or a perm, one of the reasons why we settle for any hairstyle is its perceived ability to stimulate hair growth. Are there really hairstyles that aid in hair growth? Yes there are and one of them might just be your signature hairstyle.

• Cornrows

Cornrows are among the oldest and popular hairstyles chosen by most women at one point or another. Cornrows are a form of protective hairstyle, which simply means that they protect the ends of your hair from the unnecessary hustle of combing and this ultimately promotes hair growth. With every combing, straightening, brushing and curling the hair tends to break. When the hair is secured in cornrows it gets a much-deserved break from these processes meaning that it suffers from less breakage. It is important to note that while your hair is in cornrows it continues growing at the pace it normally does, but with less breakage it’s length is preserved and in the long run the result is hair growth.

Cornrows might not be everyone’s ideal signature hairstyle, but it is a good choice particularly for naturalistas as a go-to protective styling choice. There are equally a number of different styling options when it comes to cornrows allowing you to switch things up as often as you want.

As we all know, cornrows are the foundations of a number of other hairstyles including the highly popular hair extensions. Just like with any other hairstyle, it is important to make sure that your cornrows are not done too tightly to avoid pulling at the roots of the hair. This is the worst kind of preventable damage you could subject your hair to; having cornrows done too tightly pulls at the hair roots and in the long run this leads to hair loss.

• Braids

Braids are also a good option for a signature ‘hair growth stimulating’ style. However, just like with cornrows, it is important that they are not done too tightly to avoid pulling at the roots of the hair.

There are equally a number of variations of styling choices when it comes to braids, allowing you to switch things up. Braids are a good option for anyone who wants a relatively long-lasting hairstyle that comes with minimal maintenance requirements.

• Dreadlocks

Dreadlocks could be considered as a permanent protective style and it also is considered as a hair growth stimulating styling choice. A number of women have on natural locks, and a number are opting for temporary locks that still serve the same purpose in stimulating hair growth.

We have seen women with locks braid them up, weave them and style them in an interesting number of ways. You can be sure that you won’t be tied down to one styling choice as usually perceived if you do decide that locks should be your signature hairstyle.

2. Enhances Your Hair’s Health

Ever looked at your hair and thought ‘wow, it really does tie into my whole look?’ Well if you haven’t then you are probably still looking for your signature hairstyle and it also could mean that you have less than healthy hair. Healthy hair means hair that is naturally well moisturized, isn’t shedding and generally exudes a natural shine. Hair can go through stress and lose it’s shine and start shedding depending on the hairstyle you choose to wear.

Generally, most protective hairstyles help in keeping the hair healthy. This is because they limit the amount of times the hair is ‘tampered’ with through styling. Keeping your hair healthy requires much more than a good hairstyle. It requires regularly moisturizing and cleaning as well. Therefore, a style that allows you to easily clean and moisturize your hair particularly if you’ve suffered from hair issues would be an ideal hairstyle to adapt.

• Short Hair

The good old nip could be just what you need to start a fresh and regenerate your hair. It has never been an outright choice for most women, but it is among the list of trending hairstyles currently. Short hair can be fun and there are a large number of styling choices that you could settle for.

• Natural Hair

Keeping your hair natural is the easiest way to keep it healthy. Not to say that it means ditching healthy hair practices such as moisturizing and cleaning, but it helps to minimize hair damage. Relaxers, perms and chemical based hair colors all have adverse effects on your hair. Breakage is a common problem that comes with altering your hair from its natural state. If healthy hair is of utmost importance to you then by all means keep it natural as part of your signature look.

3. It Makes You Feel Good

Yes, part of the reason why anyone would settle for any hairstyle is the added value of how it makes them feel. Ever gone to a salon and sat through hours to get it braided or styled into just about any hairstyle only to undo it the next day or just when you get home? Most probably the answer is yes and the reason why you ended up undoing your hair is because you just didn’t like how it make you look, which in turn didn’t make you feel good. A good hairstyle will make you feel good and finding that hairstyle that makes you feel good translates to finding your signature hairstyle.

• Long or Short

How does wearing your hair long or short make you feel? Stick with the length that makes you feel good and that will end up being your signature hairstyle.

• Straight or Curly

Do you prefer your hair straight or in a curly look? Different people prefer different things and it is the same when it comes to your hair. Choose the temperament that makes you feel good for likewise that signature look.

4. It Speaks Out Your Personality

What does the hairstyle you have on say about you? Does it say you are sporty, daring or demure? You many not realize it but most of us choose hairstyles because they reflect our personalities. Haircuts and color are what often speak out about the wearer’s personality.

Mohawks have for the longest time been associated with being ‘daring’ as well as asymmetrical haircuts. There have been variations to these hairstyles considered to be more demure for instance styling braids into a Mohawk. Recently, a number of women have daringly braved blue and purple hair hues. Blondes were often considered to be fun and more outgoing, while brunettes were thought to be more serious and focused. Obviously these are simply the society’s perception, but they go to show that your hairstyle choice does speak volumes about your perceived personality.

5. You can Afford It

This is an obvious reason to settle for a hairstyle as your signature look. Does it require regular maintenance and how much are we talking about in terms of the amount of money that you will be spending on your hair?

The natural trend is currently all the rage, because it basically means that you are not altering your hair with chemicals and leaving it in its complete natural state. However, what most women who initially go for this trend do not understand is that natural hair still does require a lot of maintenance. Transitioning from chemical hair to natural hair is a ‘problem phase’ for a number of women. Most women will find themselves choosing to have their hair texturized as a way of being able to manage their natural hair. Since it is a sensitive stage and going all about it wrongly could lead to breakage, regular visits to the hairstylist are still required and they could end up being costly. However, the upside of settling for the natural hair trend is that you can easily perform maintenance requirements at home using items that are readily available within your house.

There are women who have taught themselves how to do their own cornrows, braids and weaves at home. The bottom line is that whichever hairstyle you settle for as a signature look should be affordable to you in terms of maintenance.

All in all choose a signature hairstyle that works for your needs, speaks out your personality, promotes hair growth and does not compromise on your hair’s natural health.