I transitioned to natural hair for 5 months. During that time I did wear mini braids. The were slightly larger than what I wear now. And out of concern for my ends unraveling, I wore them in various buns and updos. It is possible to wear mini braids on transitioning or relaxed hair, but there will be challenges. Here are a few tips for braids for those transitioning from relaxed to natural hair.

1. Keep transitioning hair detangled. Hair with textured roots and straight ends is much more prone to tangling and breakage than all-natural hair or all-relaxed hair.
2. Stretch loose hair either with heat or without to create a uniform texture. Something as simple as airdrying transitioning hair in several ponytails will keep the roots stretched and the hair will be much easier to braid.
3. Make larger braids. In most cases, the density of the roots vs the relaxed ends will differ significantly. To avoid the look of wispy, stringy ends, use larger parts and make larger braids so the ends won’t taper into only a few strands.
4. Secure the ends of your mini braids before wetting them. Use hair bands to band the hair or put the mini braids in large twists or braids before washing them. Having secure ends will prevent unravelling caused by water. Make sure to rinse shampoo and conditioner out thoroughly and keep the mini braids secured until fully dry. This will also help prevent frizz.
5. Stretch braids when drying. As with loose transitioning hair, the roots of the braids will shrink. After washing mini braids on transitioning hair, put the braids in ponytails to stretch the roots and create a more uniform look when dry.
6. Use different products or different amounts of products if necessary. If your relaxed hair love protein, but your natural roots do not- add a protein leave in only to the ends of your hair and use a more moisturizing one on the roots. With your hair in mini braids, it will be easier to concentrate product on only the areas that need it.
7. Style mini braids with rollers, bantu knots, braid outs, twist outs, and other textured styles in order to prevent the ends from unraveling. Straight hair does not hold in a braid, but wearing textured styles will help the mini braids last longer.
8. Don’t leave the braids in as long. As stated before, transition hair tends to tangle more than relaxed or natural hair due to the two textures. To avoid a headache when taking out braids, don’t wear them for too long. About 4 weeks is a good amount of time to wear one set of mini braids.
9. Embrace the unraveling when it’s time to undo the braids. If you are on your last week or days of wearing mini braids, let the ends unravel on their own. It will help speed up the take down process.