5 Black TikTok Influencers Share Their Summer Hair Routine

During the summer, curls thrive and protective styles shine. When the warmer weather hits, it's always fun to experiment with styles like braids, twist-outs, or faux locs. And when it comes to styling and maintaining natural hair, many of us have turned to TikTok for tips. The buzzy social media platform is home to an endless amount of Black hair content, with #protectivestyles and #naturalhairstyles collectively amassing over one billion views. 

While we can always scroll through the app to get our inspiration fix, we decided to chat directly with five popular natural hair influencers (many of whom have gone viral on TikTok several times). Ahead, they filled us in on their hair care routine, must-have products, and favorite protective styles for summer. 

Nicole Fulton 

Nicole Fulton, also known as The Hair Closet, is a licensed cosmetologist who has amassed over 660K on TikTok. "Hair has always been in my life, so the fact that I can share [this passion] and have opportunities like this is cool," Fulton says. She's been creating hair care content since 2015 and is a huge advocate for using your hair ​​porosity to build a hair care routine.

Hair Type

4B and low porosity

Go-To Summer Protective Style

A wig or perm rod set

Wash Day Routine

"My routine includes a hair mask or pre-poo treatment, shampooing twice to ensure all build-up is removed, and deep conditioning once."

What She Loves Most About Her Hair

"I love having the ability to be versatile and being able to shapeshift my fro."

Her Advice to New Naturals

"You can determine what products work for you by knowing your hair's porosity. This will save you from spending time searching aisles and help keep money in your pocket. For instance, if you have low porosity hair, you should avoid moisturizing shampoos as they add an additional layer of emollients that further seal the cuticle."

Micah St. Louis 

19-year-old Micah St. Louis is known for her creative styles and has accumulated over 30K followers. St. Louis has worn her hair natural her entire life, and her goal is to encourage others to embrace their curls. "This is what I want to do, and this is why I’m here," she says. "I want to help people fall in love with their hair and let them know there are easier ways to do it." 

Hair Type

3C/4A

Go-To Summer Protective Style

Box braids or butterfly locs

Her Wash Day Routine

"I maintain my healthy hair by co-washing, moisturizing, applying a leave-in conditioner, and then a gel to style on wash days."

What She Loves Most About Her Hair

"I love everything about my natural hair because it allows me to express myself creatively. I can do anything to my hair whether the style was 'made' for my hair type or not."

Her Advice to New Naturals

"Be kind to yourself and your hair. Maintaining your natural hair will involve trial and error until you find the best routine. In our curly hair community, it's the time and effort that usually deters some people from starting or continuing their natural hair journey. But, viewing caring for your curls as a form of self-care will set you up for success on your natural hair journey."

Berlecia Charlemagne 

Berlecia Charlemagne describes herself as a "simple natural." She big chopped almost three years ago and started documenting her natural hair journey online. "My hair grew significantly within a year, and people kept asking me, 'What do you do?" she says. To answer all inquiring minds, she took to social media and now has 42K people paying attention to her haircare content.

Hair Type

4A

Go-To Summer Protective Style

Box braids, passion twists, and curly clip-ins

Her Wash Day Routine

"My wash day routine includes parting my hair into 4-6 sections, tangle teasing, shampooing, and deep conditioning under a hooded dryer."

What She Loves Most About Her Hair

"I love to embrace the flexibility that comes with having natural hair. It's exciting. One day I can have a silk press, and the next day, my hair is in a gravity-defying afro. It is a privilege to have a crown like this."

Her Advice to New Naturals

"Enjoy the journey—whether your hair is short or long. Experiment with hairstyles, and don't be afraid to rock them. Also, keep your routines as simple as possible and focus on health over length."

Jenna Longville 

In May 2018, Jenna Longville decided to start transitioning her permed hair and cut off her straight ends. Longville started documenting her hair routine casually and then began to take it seriously. "In December, I decided to see what will happen if I post more consistently on TikTok, and it grew from there," she says. She now shares her healthy hair journey with 26K people.  

Hair Type

4A and low porosity

Go-To Summer Protective Style

Flat twists

Her Wash Day Routine

"My wash day routine entails shampooing, conditioning, applying a leave-in, and then sealing with sweet almond oil."

What She Loves Most About Her Hair

"I can wear my hair shorter, bigger, or longer depending on what I'm feeling at the time. I also love playing around with different styles and having a completely different look from one week to the next."

Her Advice to New Naturals

"Be patient! Hair growth, learning how to style your hair, and figuring out what products work for you will take time."

Anastasia Perrault 

Like many naturals, Anastasia Perrault began perming her hair at a young age. During her sophomore year of college, she decided to transition, and now her fro is full and healthy. Perrault is known on TikTok for her comedic natural hair content, with her follower count currently clocking in at 93K. "I was making one video after another, and they were doing pretty well," she says. "I did a funny skit about natural hair, and it blew up. Since then, I started documenting my hair growth, the products I was using, and tips."

Hair Type

3C/4A and low porosity

Go-To Summer Protective Style

Passion twists

Her Wash Day Routine

"I start by detangling my hair with conditioner, rinsing, and applying shampoo. After rinsing again, I'll use a deep conditioner or hair mask. To finish, I'll apply a leave-in conditioner and style. I recommend using a refreshing spray to preserve moisture and a solid gel to lock in styles against the humidity."

What She Loves Most About Her Hair

"I love how my natural hair can inspire other women to wear their natural hair out and embrace it no matter what other people might think."

Her Advice to New Naturals

"Focus on what works for your hair and not what everyone else is doing. Try to figure out your hair type and porosity early on because this will allow you to find the best products for your hair."