This article is long overdue but it might still be relevant for those living in places with actual seasons. It’s a steady 80 degrees here in Florida. I’ve complied a few tips for caring for mini braids in cooler temperatures. Cold weather can be especially hard on our hair and skin. The drier air has the propensity to make our hair dry and the fabrics we wear can cause mechanical damage. Here are some tips to prevent dryness and breakage when wearing mini braids.

• Use a butter, instead of an oil, to seal your ends. Solids are better able to coat the hair and provide a thicker barrier. 
• Try a petroleum-based grease or pomade on the ends of your braids. The only time I advise using petroleum greases and pomades in for sealing the ends, especially in winter. Like a butter, they coat the hair and can protect it from drying. Make sure you used a very penetrating leave in conditioner because petroleum products provide no nutrients to the hair.
• Switch to a thicker, more penetrating deep conditioner. Some deep conditioners are light and almost whipped in texture. In my opinion, Hairveda’s Sitrinillah deep conditioner is an example of a light deep conditioner. It could work well for the summer and spring months but as it gets cooler you may need something a little thicker like the deep conditioners in the Shea Moisture line.
• Switch to a thicker leave in conditioner. This follows the same logic as using a thicker deep conditioner. A summer leave could be something liquid or viscous like Kinky Curly Knot Today, or even Giovanni Direct. A thicker leave in is more opaque like Shea Moisture Milk. It’s heavier and can provide a better moisture barrier in cooler weather. Just as you might use a light face lotion with a pump in warm weather but a thick cream in a jar in cool weather…thicker is better.
• Deep condition for extended periods of time. This is something I do out of pure laziness but it’s also great for my braids in winter. I leave my deep conditioner in for about a day or so. I do not wear a plastic cap. I allow the conditioner to fully dry in my hair and I don’t put another other products over it (no moisturizing or sealing). I do not advise overnight conditioning with a plastic cap in cooler weather. Leaving my DC in for a day strengthens and moisturizes my hair and it definitely protects it from breakage. If you choose to do this, you might want to do it on a day where you don’t have to go to work or a day when you can throw on a hat because some deep conditioners leave a white ashy cast in the hair. Rinse out when you’re ready and resume your hair regimen as usual.
• Lastly, wear your braids pinned up. Keep your ends away from rough scarves and coat collars by pinning your braids out of the way. If you need some styling ideas, be sure to click on the Styling link for pictures and tutorials of hairstyles with my mini braids.

I hope these tips were useful and not too redundant. These are all things that I’ve done in the past. Some may work for you and others may not. Comment below to let me know what you’ve done to protect your hair in the cooler months.

Jay 🙂