Time to perfect those cornrows and twists naturals! As we all know, the summer is dwindling to an end, and in place of puffy fros from humidity comes brittle ends from cold fronts. More or less to our benefit, a natural’s lovely tresses are especially sensitive to the change of the seasons. More specifically, in winter, natural hair has a heightened tendency to be dry, brittle, and unfortunately, break off. To combat this, your local natural hair aficionado has put together some tips to help your kinks stay vibrant and healthy.

Protective Styling

Protective styles like box braids or cornrows keep your fragile ends protected. However, you don’t need to go to the shop to do this. Low manipulation styles like twist outs or braid outs will also work just fine. The main goal is to decrease the amount of times one messes with the hairstyle.

Seal Ends

Moisture retention is everything in the fall and winter months. To deter the winter air from sucking the life out of your glorious crown, make it a point to moisturize the ends of your hair with an oil of your choice. Great sealants include castor oil, shea butter, and coconut oil. Warning: Sealants do not moisturize by themselves! Be sure to add water or a water based product to your strands before applying a sealant of your preference!

Deep Condition

The sting of colder air already makes our strands prone to excessive breakage. Why not try deep conditioning to combat this? The conditioner penetrates the hair to prevent and repair dryness in your coils. Your strands will want to thank you once you’ve employed this moisturizing method.

Hot Oil Treatments

Hot oil treatments, like deep conditioners, make sure the hair stays flexible and soft. They are typically done before one shampoos or co-washes. Oils like avocado, castor, coconut, or almond are all great choices to pick from. The steps are simple: get an oil of your choice, heat it to a warm temperature, and gently massage it into your scalp and strands.

Consume More Water

You are what you eat, and your hair is a reflection of what you consume. There may not be much moisture in the atmosphere for your hair, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to get it into your system. Water is the key component in good moisturizing products, so make sure to consume the appropriate amount of H2O daily.

Lastly, do your research, naturals! There are countless resources out there you can use to make sure your crown stays as lovely as you are!