8 Colorful Looks To Try When You're Bored With Your Box Braids

Having natural hair is all fun and games until you realize that having natural hair means putting in work. Between the deep conditioning, twisting, finger-coiling, hot-oil treatments, and trims, it takes time and dedication to keep your hair happy and healthy. But sometimes — especially when those freezing winter temps hit — nobody's got time for all that. That's where protective styles, like box braids, come in. They make hitting snooze in the morning feel less sinful and gives you multiple chances to reinvent yourself.

One of the perks of rocking box braids is being able to experiment with different hair colors without making a long-term commitment. Sure, Janet Jackson Poetic Justice braids are cool, but if you want to transform into a multicolored unicorn (or a honey-blonde Beyoncé) without taking dye to your natural coils, you just have to pick up different shades of braiding hair when hitting up the beauty supply store.

Before you make an appointment to get your next winter protective style, we've rounded up some colorful looks to screenshot and take to your stylist, ahead.