Since deciding to become natural, I've had my hair in braids or twists which is considered in the natural community as a "protective style". I starting wearing twists because I think they're much easier to do and I experience less breakage around my edges. I braid and twist my own hair and that allows me to save a considerable amount of money.
The way I maintain my twists is to co-wash every week and moisturize daily. To co-wash, I use a spray bottle filled with a conditioner + aloe vera juice. I use a spray bottle because it allows me to distribute the conditioner easier. To moisturizer, I use a spray bottle filled with either a leave in conditioner with aloe vera juice or simply aloe vera juice with castor oil. Most times I do the LOC method which is Liquid Oil Creme. I make a creme out of a creamy leave in or styler such as "Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie" or "Eden's Body Works Peppermint Tea Tree Natural Hair Milk" some Aloe Vera Gel and a little bit of my Shea Butter Mix. I apply it maybe 2 to 3 times a week to prevent product build up. The days in between the LOC Method, I just spray my aloe vera juice and castor oil mix into my hair and seal with my Shea Butter mix.
To prevent breakage, I remove my twists by 4 weeks. My hair matts together pretty easily, so I try to take it out after the 4th week. To remove my twists, I now use a homemade detangler which works great and save a considerable amount of time.
In conclusion, I love twists and think they are easy to maintain. My experience with them however has lead me to believe that leaving them in for more than 4 or 5 weeks promotes breakage. If you read this and you experience breakage with braids or twists, try taking them out at the 4 week mark.
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