I'm really not sure I understand what styles are supposed to be protecting my hair. I have a bob kind of and my hair is very short in the front and gets longer as it goes back. There's really not a lot I can do with my hair I feel so I just usually wear the same style and wrap it at night. I can't afford to spend $300 every few months for braids so I really don't know what else to do. Are there other styles I'm just missing?

Also, I'm trying to figure out my hair type, first I thought I was 3c, then maybe 4b, now I think maybe 2c. I just can't get it right. Here is what my hair is like

when i was little

in high school (relaxer every 4 weeks)

and in my short style now

Thankyou guys for all your help, I've learned a lot and I'm really excited about learning to take care of my hair the right way. Thanks!

hey girl. i have neck lenght hair (i dont know if people acknowledge that term or not -- but we're gonna use it!!)  protective styles seem to be most helpful as you reach shoulder length hair so if youre still in the neck area don't worry about it too much. i can't do buns, they would look real pitiful with my hair and i'm worried about putting strain on my hair. so when i want to wear a protective style, here's what i do:

(a) part my hair one the sideand and comb my hair back in sections. i start with my back and work my way to the front. with each section, i put on lacio lacio(new favorite product) or salerm21. then i make sure to put some shea butter on the ends. it sounds like it would weight down your hair, but all these products are lightweight and really make it look sleek.

(b) when you get to the front layers, you can either comb them straight down or try to comb them back. i usual comb them down and then push them behind my ears to cover up my edges because they're so broken off. either way will look cute

(c) then i take some shea butter, run it through my hair one final time, gather as much hair as i can at the nape of my neck, flip it up, and gently pin it using a bobby pin or two. sometimes, i'll wear a headband or put a flower pin in my hair to decorate it and keep things interesting.  personally, i think the style is very quick, pretty and does everything a protective style should: it focuses on moisture and protects the ends by keeping them away from clothing that pulls on the hair.

also, ive done the princess leia buns and pin curls as protective styles for shorter hair too. i hope this helps somehow!!

Canopy those styles sound very lovely!

JenJen I'm not exactly sure of your hair texture. Your earliest pic look like pressed hair to me, if I'm wrong let me know.  Anyways, if you can't do a protective style try doing styles with no heat. Trust me you will see improvement.

You can do pin curls, over night rollersets, braid outs and twistouts. YOu can wet your hair and scrunch it and let it air dry as you scrunch. Just experiment...