Protective Styling: Mini Twists And Mini Braids Tutorial And Care

Mini Twist Care

Mini twists are a particular favorite with natural ladies not least because they are beautiful and can be styled in numerous ways but they are also very easy to take down and provided that you care for them right, length retention is outstanding!

I will tell you the truth, I have had only one experience of mini twists myself and it wasn’t a great one. I made the fatal mistake of washing them as I would my mini braids and that caused unbelievable tangling and knots when taking them down.

As a result, I generally don’t recommend washing mini twists weekly as you would any other protective style. As with my recent protective styling post on Havana twists, I suggest that boosting your moisturization routine using pure water or braid sprays while keeping your scalp clean using an astringent like witch hazel, is a better tactic.

I have seen ladies like Naptural85 have success with washing and deep conditioning* mini twists so it would seem that success rely’s mainly on how your own hair behaves while in twists.

From my observations I have found that if your hair tends to form pretty defined clumps and all your hair’s tends to curl in the same direction, then you may not have any problems after washing and deep conditioning* your mini twists. If on the other hand you have the type of hair that loves to create frizz or ‘halo hair’ after a while whether it clumps or not, then washing the twists may do more harm than good.

If you genuinely don’t know how your hair behaves then I would suggest that you try washing just a small section of your mini twists without rubbing too much and see how your hair responds after it dries.

If your parts remain relatively neat and tidy with no intermingling of the strands between twists then carry on and wash all of them. If on the other hand you find that there is some tangling, just leave it and redo those twists as it’s not worth the trouble!

Always install mini twist of freshly washed and deep conditioned (preferably with a protein conditioner) hair before you install them. Do not leave the mini twists in for more than 8 weeks otherwise some serious matting may ensue. Here’s an excellent tutorial by KinkyKurlyQueen on how to install mini twists:

Mini Braid Care

Mini braids differ from mini twists in the fact that you can take care of them pretty much the same way you would with your own loose hair sans the combs and brushes.

I have personally installed mini braids at least once a year in the last 3 years of my hair journey and I absolutely love them! I have generally found that I can do most anything with this easy style, from rollersetting, to curly do’s and even pretty updo’s. I have also been known to do henna’s while in mini braids (and no, I rinse thoroughly so I never get any bits stuck in my hair)!

Washing and conditioning them weekly is easy as pie and because there are no synthetic extensions* to think of, I find that I am also able to use a little oil on the ends of my hair to seal without the risk of causing build up.

Did I mention that they allow your hair to grow like a weed? Well they do! In among all the styles that you try with these little braids, your hair will remain well looked after all the while avoiding the combing and styling manipulation that so often causes more breakage than your growth can keep up with.

Mini braids are also an excellent style for swimming and beach vacations. Along with all the standard protection that you give you hair while swimming (suitable shampoo & pre-conditioning your hair), mini braids allow you to let your natural hair hang loose without worrying too much about having to retwist or rebraid it every evening. A vacation for both you and your hair! What’s not to like?

As with twists, install them on freshly washed and deep conditioned hair. You may want to use a protein conditioner before installing to strengthen your strands before they endure the manipulation of braiding. Also do not leave the mini braids in for more than 8 weeks otherwise you risk matting and breakage during take down of the style.

Here’s a really good tutorial from jazzybee445 on how to install mini braids: