Protective Styles for Cold Weather

Which protective style offers you the best winter retention?

  • Total voters
    63
  • Poll closed .
esi.adokowa

esi.adokowa

New Member
I live in Timberlea, which is a tiny city in Nova Scotia, Canada.

I usually wear my hair in braids throughout the winter, as it gets too cold here for me to expose my hair too much during the colder months.

I do my braids myself, and it's quite a bit of work to put them in and take them down. I think that a wig, or even a full head weave would be a lot less work, but i don't know if my hair would be as well protected.

So to all you ladies on here who have experience with cold weather and protective styling, what do you think?
Do you see better winter retention with a wig, with a weave, or with braids?
Or are there other styles that will protect my hair during the winter?

Thanks in advance!
 
I think Buns, Twist updos, Braids and Genie locs are the best styles in the winter for me. However, I am getting a buzz cut soon so I can't protective style my hair because I wont have any lol. What I plan to do is wear plenty of hats. I like the easy route so i think braids are ideal over weave and wigs.
 
I chose other. I do buns in the winter. Braids are too harsh on my roots and hairline so I stay away from them. I do buns out of convenience really as far as washing, deep conditioning and general everyday styling goes. The one thing I plan to start doing this winter is wearing a silk band in the front so my hairline isn't exposed to the cold winter air. As for the rest of my head, my hood is lined with a satiny material so it doesn't tug on my hair or dry it out which is great.
 
The ones you listed seemed about equal to me, it depends on what you prefer.

But what about hats? Do whatever style you want but just where a hat? Add a satin lining and you should be good.

(Headwraps are great too).
 
I like wigs because they provide warmth. I think my hair does best with twists. I can clean, condition and add moisture 2x a week.
 
I like wigs and you can wear your hair anyway you want under the wig, in fact I just finished doing 2 strand twists, will put on my wig on first thing in the morning before work; can't wait for this winter, my hair was so dry last winter but I'm ready with my steamer and lots of moisturizing co-washes and DCs.
 
I do buns in the winter, and they work really well for me. I baggy overnight, and then seal my hair in the morning with a heavy oil or butter. I liked castor oil, sunflower butter, and avocado butter. And when I bunned, I just made sure to tuck the ends all the way in, so that they weren't exposed to the air at all. I had to dust and stuff, but for the most part, I was able to retain.

But if I could, I would definitely wear wigs. I don't do them because I don't want to pay for a good one and I don't like wearing fake hair. But if I didn't have those hangups, I'd totally love to wear wigs.
1. They keep your head warm.
2. You can DC or baggy underneath them, so your hair is never dry.
3. You can cornrow your hair underneath and not have to manipulate your hair at all.
4. You always have a ready-made style.
5. Best of all, all your hair is completely hidden and safe from the cold.

As long as you can fasten them to your head without messing up your hairline or nape, then I definitely say that wigs are the ultimate protective style for the winter. :yep:
 
I do think it is about personal preference. Last winter I did lots of braids, and they were great for my retention. I decided to do something different this summer and got a sew-in, and it matted horribly (BoBraz) despite my daily cowashing. I also think it broke off my edges. There went my plan for the winter, since I was planning on weaving it up all winter. Then again, lots of people have success with that and wigs, something I never was able to deal with for longer than maybe 2-3 weeks. As an aside to that, the 2-3 weeks I DID use wigs was in the winter, and I loved the ease of slapping them and a cute hat on and going to class.

This winter I will be going on a "straighten once a month and wear it till the wheels fall off" regimen, so I can't help with what exactly you should do, other than to say your choices are all about equal. HOWEVER, if it means anything, I'd roll with braids again. You're familiar with how to care for your hair in them already.
 
I'm going to be doing some hardcore bunning for my PS this winter, and proper bunning with the ends completely hidden.
 
i vote wigs cause you can get to your hair and scalp as needed without fear of residiue or build-up. just moisturize and seal as needed put on a wig cap and go, then wash/condish and rebraid hair as needed.
 
lilsparkle825 said:
I do think it is about personal preference. Last winter I did lots of braids, and they were great for my retention. I decided to do something different this summer and got a sew-in, and it matted horribly (BoBraz) despite my daily cowashing. I also think it broke off my edges. There went my plan for the winter, since I was planning on weaving it up all winter. Then again, lots of people have success with that and wigs, something I never was able to deal with for longer than maybe 2-3 weeks. As an aside to that, the 2-3 weeks I DID use wigs was in the winter, and I loved the ease of slapping them and a cute hat on and going to class.

This winter I will be going on a "straighten once a month and wear it till the wheels fall off" regimen, so I can't help with what exactly you should do, other than to say your choices are all about equal. HOWEVER, if it means anything, I'd roll with braids again. You're familiar with how to care for your hair in them already.
Click to expand...


@ the bolded, it matted because of the daily cowashing.

Back on topic... WIGS baby. All winter long, with a silk/satin scarf underneath :yep:
 
What type/ brand of wigs do you all recommend. I want to wear one for protective styling but I can't seem to find a decent looking one anywhere....
 
I've put braids in since it's getting cold down here already..
I've bought a really nice wig, looking to try that out when i switch between my sets of braids.
 
Last winter I just braided my hair straight back and wore a hat lined with my satin bonnet. I did get good amount of growth but this winter and next year I will be wearing weaves untill I can't stand it anymore.
 
My protective style of choice is always my weaves. I'm not one that is really concerned with getting to my hair all the time, so a 2 week install works for me. Before it goes in though I moisturize and seal with Vatika oil (before I started doing that my hair would come out so dry and chewed up looking :nono: ) and now when I take my weave down my hair is always soft. I've retained a LOT using this method.
 
I am getting a full sew in December 10th.

That date can't come fast enough!
 
I chose other because I'm in twists and I usually do full head baggies with hats or headwraps.
 
I have in pixie braids and I plan to keep them
In for most of the winter. When i don't feel like wearing the braids, I throw on a wig and/or a hat.
 
Great thread - I didn't answer your question because I would like to find out as well. I'm natural and was thinking of wearing crochet braids which is easy to do and less time consuming than braids (I would guess). I love the option of wearing a wig though - I just don't like looking wiggy. When I wore wigs last winter I would wear cornrows straight back, baggy during the day with wig cap over my baggy and the wig on top of it all. My head was so warm and my hair was so moisturized. Not sure if it gave me a lot of retention because I didn't track my growth.
 
I am an avid bunner but since I bc'd back in march of this year, my hair is not long enough to bun so I have braids....
 
I had great success with kinky twists and a full sew in over the winter. My hair had alot of retention. I could co-wash or shampoo my hair in the evening and in the morning it would be dry! I do not walk around w/ a wet head in the winter!
 
I think wigs are the best because they are no tension, unlike braids, and you can easily take care of your hair underneath, unlike full head weaves.
 
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