The Mini Twist / Mini Braid Thread

[Mapleoats]

Hi Ladies. Here's a thread for all of us mini twist and mini braid lovers to share tips, tricks and pics of our mini twists/braids

 

[Mapleoats]

will be back later to share my mini twist details

 

[Napp]

Will come back in the summer. I love braids with my real hair only

 

[Napp]

Do not shampoo minibraids! they will dread up. Cowashing is ok though

 

[MzSwift]

Minibraids, and later minitwists, are my jam!! They simplify my life. They keep hair on my head. I have rocked them 80-90% of the time for the past 13 years (since 2010), even when I backslide on my HHJ. My hair feels too short to really enjoy them right now (bc I've been spoiled) but once it reaches BSB/MBL again, I'll be back to my minibraids. I love them! They are my staple, my go-to. I wash, DC, water rinse, cowash, Ayurveda treatments and even neglect my hair in them without any adverse effects! I've rocked them while natural (4b/a), bonelaxed and texlaxed. And with multiple textures on my head bc I stretch my relaxers for 5-8 months. They literally keep hair on my head!! Low manipulation is the way to go for my fine strands.

The key is to be VERY gentle at take down and SLOW. lol. I plan a week for my take downs. I don't like to take down often. I prefer to transition them into other styles (typically cornrows or plaits) where I only take down the section I plan to put into the next row/braid at a time. I rock headwraps, scarves or wigs to hide my partially transitioned style. But typically, I rock them for MONTHS at a time, refreshing them every 3-4 weeks starting in the front row. Takes me 3-4 days to refresh and then I'm good for another 3-4 weeks. It takes me a long time bc I only use my fingers when dealing with my hair. I only use combs or brushes when I straighten my hair once a year or the rat tail part of the comb when I want a straight part (which is rare). lol It would probably go faster if I were to use a comb but I'm trying to keep hair on my head. lol

When my hair was natural, I could only do braids bc microtwists would unravel on my hair. The same w bonelaxed but it's not as big a deal bc the hair is straight so it I don't get the tangles/ssks. But I'm normally texlaxed and I've gotten lazy so I only braid for a couple of rotations and then I twist the rest of the way. Especially when my hair is longer.

I mostly have photos of mine in bonelaxed and texlaxed hair bc that's when I could enjoy the length of them. But I used them for 4 years to grow my natural hair from 3" to WL. That was with me rocking them about 80% of the time. And they have taken me to WL twice now (as a texlaxed head). I started using them bc I don't have the hair type that cooperates with WNGs on loose hair without lots of damage. And my hair/scalp loves water! So they became my way to wet my hair daily and sometimes twice a day (if I was going out that night).

I have been rocking cornrows mostly this year bc I feel bald. I've seen great progress doing that but when it grows back out, I'm going back to my trusty mini braids/twists. LOVE THEM!! I have goals for my mini braids to be WL- WHIP length.

OK on to the pix! ** sorry to anyone who has been on the board a long time, you're probably tired of seeing these same pix. Lol

This is the only photo I could find on natural hair.


When my hair was bonelaxed, I preferred micro sized braids.
(I was pregnant in these pix, sorry)




Texlaxed, braided/twisted







These are from this past year. They are shorter and I'm just not a fan

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

I love mini braids! That's the only way I was able to stretch my relaxer for an entire year, even with 5-6 inches of new growth. I did wash and condition them, (more in the summer time) but your mileage may vary. Some people can get away with washing, and some cannot. I also think that it depends on a few factors: water quality, the health and texture of your hair, the health of your body, product ingredients(you may be sensitive to different products than other people are), the weather, and probably something I'm missing lol

 

[snoop]

I'm in all different sized twists about 95-98% of the time. I don't really know how to style my hair and haven't figured out how to manage it, otherwise. It's been my go to ever since my hair was long enough to install them, after I started my HHJ.

Right now, I'm wearing my hair in mini twists with the hopes to keep them in until the end of November/beginning of December.



I haven't used a comb (and definitely not a brush) in my hair for about 3 years. I've always just used my fingers to create my parts. I think that doing this spares me the humiliation of my inability to part straight.

I used to moisturize and seal then twist my hair, but now I will do my hair routine in the shower, then twist my hair, then moisturize and seal AFTER everything is done. In this case it took me a few days to get my hair done, but my hair is at a stage where it won't get crunchy immediately after washing it. I do use water to spray each section before detangling and twisting.

Like @MzSwift , I do everything with the twists in: water rinse, ayurvedic treatments, scalp exfoliation, moisturize, oil, massages, trim, etc. I find that mini twists are easier to wash in than mini braids and they're also easier to moisturize.

ETA: I also love to layer styles onto my twists and so when my twists start to get frizzy I'll braid them, twist them, or thread them so that the frizz is less obvious. It's also an excellent way to retain even more moisture.

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

@snoop I lovvve those twists! They're so beautiful

I'm with you on the comb-free tip. Partly because I'm lazy, and partly because I realized combs were snacking on my hair like tortilla chips.

 

[snoop]

@snoop I lovvve those twists! They're so beautiful

I'm with you on the comb-free tip. Partly because I'm lazy, and partly because I realized combs were snacking on my hair like tortilla chips.

Thank you and thank you! I own combs that I love, but they just rip through my hair...no matter the size. I think part of the problem is me, but still.

I should also mention that I do rope twists since that's how my hands naturally work. I can't get the hang of regular twisting.

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

I can do rope twist, and regular twist, I just can't do flat twists. My brain short circuits and always turns it into a braid lol

 

[snoop]

I can do rope twist, and regular twist, I just can't do flat twists. My brain short circuits and always turns it into a braid lol

Me too! I can flat twist my twisted hair, but not my loose hair. Don't ask...

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

Putting these twists in is taking as long as putting these braids in

 

[Mapleoats]

Y'all. I have had the most busy week and have NOT had any time to check the forums since I made this post. Came in here expecting to to blow dust and cobwebs off this thread but there's life in here and pictures!! We love pictures!!

lol I am so excited. Let me read through these messages real quick.

 

[Mapleoats]

@MzSwift oh my you and your hair are just gorgeous!!! Thank you for sharing cus I ain't seen these pics before

You have such nice volume on your mini braids. I tried mini braids a couple years ago but they felt really scalpy on me. Maybe I didn't do them small enough.

thanks for the tip on the take down/transition! I've had my mini (micro-ish?)twists in for 3 weeks now and Ive been thinking of taking them down but it's giving me slight anxiety. I think intuitively I've been transitioning them to slightly larger mini twists because I'll take down a couple in the back and then twist them into one lol.

I am really hoping that mini twists will be the style to get me to wl and beyond.

 

[Mapleoats]

@snoop I am such a fan of your twists and your hair in general! A lot of my recent hair eureka moments (clay, and now twists as a longer term style) have been inspired by you! Lemme give you your flowers .

how do you do your rope twists? They look so full and springy, idk how to twist like that lol.

 

[snoop]

@MzSwift oh my you and your hair are just gorgeous!!! Thank you for sharing cus I ain't seen these pics before

You have such nice volume on your mini braids. I tried mini braids a couple years ago but they felt really scalpy on me. Maybe I didn't do them small enough.

thanks for the tip on the take down/transition! I've had my mini (micro-ish?)twists in for 3 weeks now and Ive been thinking of taking them down but it's giving me slight anxiety. I think intuitively I've been transitioning them to slightly larger mini twists because I'll take down a couple in the back and then twist them into one lol.

I am really hoping that mini twists will be the style to get me to wl and beyond.

I did this for years! Start with mini, wash them, then combine them to make medium-sized twists. Wash them, then combine them to make jumbo twists.
Then I'd wash them and split them to make medium...wash...split to make mini. Then do the whole process over.

 

[snoop]

@snoop I am such a fan of your twists and your hair in general! A lot of my recent hair eureka moments (clay, and now twists as a longer term style) have been inspired by you! Lemme give you your flowers .

how do you do your rope twists? They look so full and springy, idk how to twist like that lol.

Thank you! I love getting flowers.


This is the method that I use

 

[Mapleoats]

I've rediscovered mini twists recently and fallen in love .

I first tried mini twists and mini braids back in 2020 but the length wasn't there for me at the time and I never revisited them (mini braids left, mini twists right)

View attachment 492293View attachment 492295

(Side note, I was buggin back in 2020 to not do these again! The bob look is cute especially on the twists)

I decided to try them again since my hair is longer now and I wanted to see if they could be a viable long to medium term protective style for me, that didn't involve adding extra hair.

I posted these pics on the grow it long thread but I am gonna add them here as well



I love them! So much versatility. I do mine on my natural blown out hair for the most length. It's amazing how much product my hair soaks up when it's blown out.

 

[snoop]

I love your hair and the way that the twists hang!!!

Are you into hair typing? What is your type? I only ask because I'm trying to figure out how you can get such a great stretch after blow drying and moisturizing. I don't blow mine out and they shrink AS I'm twisting.

 

[Mapleoats]

I don't why the images of the 2020 styles didn't load properly, trying again

I didn't like the length back then but now I think it's cute. Go figure lol.

 

[Mapleoats]

I love your hair and the way that the twists hang!!!

Are you into hair typing? What is your type? I only ask because I'm trying to figure out how you can get such a great stretch after blow drying and moisturizing. I don't blow mine out and they shrink AS I'm twisting.

Thank you! What an honour coming from you . I would say I'm a 4a/4b type? I blow out with the revair and I'm super consistent on keeping my hair banded at night to maintain the stretch. I would say my hair has shrunken a bit in the past week and a half since I took these pictures tho

i think the revair is a really great stretching tool once you get the technique down. I get the best and most lasting stretch w the revair because it also seals my cuticles and leaves my strands nice and smoothe

 

[MzSwift]

@Mapleoats

Uh, yeah ma'am, that twisted bob is super cute!!

@snoop

OMG, yes! The shrinkage is no joke! When I was natural, my WL hair in minibraids would barely kiss APL, preferring to stay around SL. It's why I texlaxed. And even now, I still get 25-30% shrinkage. I'm still surprised by my true length when I take down one of my braids and do a pull test.
I get more stretch/less shrinkage with braids than twists but I don't have the patience to braid all the way down the length anymore.

 

[snoop]

@MzSwift I've seen your pics before, but never tire of them. Your mini twists and braids are drool worthy! I was examining the pictures of the twaids (twist and braids) and I'm tempted to try them on my hair.

All of this protective styling to gain length only for the style itself to hide it.

How long is your hair now?

 

[MzSwift]

@MzSwift I've seen your pics before, but never tire of them. Your mini twists and braids are drool worthy! I was examining the pictures of the twaids (twist and braids) and I'm tempted to try them on my hair.

All of this protective styling to gain length only for the style itself to hide it.

How long is your hair now?

Aww that means A LOT coming from the lady with the juiciest twists!!

LOL at "twaids" - I love it!! Yeah, my roots unravel too quickly if I just do twists. So I have to start my twists with braids and the style lasts longer that way. I did my mom's hair a few years ago, she's natural and always rocks twist, I started her twists with braids without thinking about it and she loved it so much, she said she was able to keep them in longer than usual. I actually got the tip from a long-haired relaxed lady who rocked her relaxed hair in jumbo twists. I wish I could remember her name bc her hair was sooo pretty.

And yes, yes, YES!!
All of the work it took to grow and retain to WL (and I had NEVER had long hair in my life!) and I couldn't enjoy it! Wearing it loose led to tangles and SSKs and to me that was unnecessary risk/damage. I didn't want to use a lot of heat bc I saw too many ladies experience damage from it. Also, straight hair wouldn't last very long AND having it loose just caused me so much anxiety (friction, exposure to the elements, mechanical damage from styling, etc). So the only way I could safely wear my hair "down" or in WNGs was to rock mini braids. I lived in those and the shrinkage wouldn't let me be great! lol

For me, to texlax made the most sense. Now, I enjoy more of my length AND my braidouts and flat irons last longer. Most importantly, my mini braids show more length. I actually love mini braids/twists - it is my signature style. I feel the most comfortable in mini braids/twists, no matter the state of my hair.

I cut out locs last April, bc I found mini braids to be more reliable and versatile than locs!! And my hair was super short again.
Of course, the style I put my hair into was mini twists. lol And I rocked those for 6 months until I texlaxed... and then immediately installed mini twists. lol



After texlaxing, Oct 2022



I did a very rough length check a few weeks ago (lightly finger-detangled hair) for my anniversary and it pulled down close to BSB.



I haven't done any mini "twaids" yet bc I'm waiting until it grows a little longer. But I hope that I'll be long enough to go back to them next year!

 

[snoop]

@MzSwift your hair is so pretty!

Thanks for sharing your loc/unlock story. I've thought about getting them, but I love that feeling of my hair loose even if it only happens every month or so. Your locs were very pretty, but I get the feeling you like playing with your loose hair, too.

That said, there is so much comfort in wearing twists. I sometimes feel like they're more versatile that my loose texture.

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

Waiting patiently to return to either my braids or twists. Until then, I'm gonna enjoy my straight hair until it gets too cold.

 

[Mapleoats]

Waiting patiently to return to either my braids or twists. Until then, I'm gonna enjoy my straight hair until it gets too cold.

Where do the straight hair pics live? I wanna see 'em

 

[Mapleoats]

I am closing in on the 4 week mark with my twists and I am definitely ready to take down and wash. My hair feels dirty. I don't think I'll have a chance to wash for another few days tho . I might take down this week and wash on sunday night. We'll see.

 

[MzSwift]

I am closing in on the 4 week mark with my twists and I am definitely ready to take down and wash. My hair feels dirty. I don't think I'll have a chance to wash for another few days tho . I might take down this week and wash on sunday night. We'll see.

I went back to read to make sure I didn't miss it.
Why can't you wash your hair in the twists?
In fact, (I'm just now realizing) one of the things I do is clarify/poo wash then do a very moisturizing DC just before I refresh or take down my mini braids/twists. I let my hair dry and then I install/refresh with protein (infusium 23 and a protein cheapie condish).

 

[Mapleoats]

I went back to read to make sure I didn't miss it.
Why can't you wash your hair in the twists?
In fact, (I'm just now realizing) one of the things I do is clarify/poo wash then do a very moisturizing DC just before I refresh or take down my mini braids/twists. I let my hair dry and then I install/refresh with protein (infusium 23 and a protein cheapie condish).

I've never tried tbh. But from many other youtubers and posts on this forum, washing with the twists in has high risk for serious tangling and I'm afraid my hair is gonna Matt up if I wash them.