Natural Hairstyles You Can Wear to Work

If you are transitioning from relaxed to natural, curls and braids are great alternatives. To create this curly look, Watkins-Hartley blew hair out straight (which keeps your roots stretched while creating curl) and parted strands into sections. She then applied a setting foam to each section and wrapped the hair around the roller. Once hair was dried, curls were released and finger-combed into place.

Video: African-American women choosing to go natural >

To vary the look, Watkins-Hartley then smoothed sides back and secured with small combs, leaving the rest out. She finished by pulling hair out at the roots with a pick.

Video: Natural hair from Essence Beauty Editor >

For this updo, part hair in sections and then braid up into the top of the head. Twist and roll the remaining hair in the front and secure into place with hairpins.

The great thing about a fro is that you can decide on the fullness. Or go superconservative and pull it all back. To prep hair for French rolls, Diane Da Costa, owner of Simplee-Beautiful salon in White Plains, New York, blew out hair using a blow-dryer with a comb attachment. Hair was parted on both sides to create the desired pattern and sectioned off at the top. Da Costa rolled and pinned sides back with hairpins until she reached the ends and secured at the nape. To create a pomp, she took the remaining hair and rolled it, also securing it with pins. She finished off the look with a light holding spray.

For this look, Da Costa applied styling mousse throughout hair before parting one-inch-wide and one-inch-long sections of hair and twisting strands around each other with pomade to hold. Once hair was completely dry, using a hooded dryer, Da Costa untwisted and separated hair into four sections and then went in and lifted the roots with a wide-tooth comb to make hair fuller. She finished by separating the twists and stretching hair out to desired volume.

When it comes to styling your locs, you can't go wrong if you keep it simple. Loctitian Donald Woods of Simplee-Beautiful salon started by applying a setting mousse and retwisting throughout. To create curls, he took three individual locs at a time and rolled them on rod rollers. After hair dried, he removed the rods, then finger-combed into place.

For a pulled-back look, Woods flat-twisted both sides of hair back to the crown and secured with hair pins, leaving the middle section to hang freely.

For another option, he created a bang and then pulled both sides back and gathered them into a ponytail. He finished by wrapping the remaining locs around the band securing it with pins to create a bun.