Two-strand twists with my natural hair only

[ebaby]

I have never twisted my whole head. I want to start wearing twists as a protective style. What do you use to get your twists to stay? Do you twist on dry hair or wet hair? Any tips and advice are appreciated in advance.

 

[nlamr2013]

Are you natural? If you're natural the twist should stay on their own unless you have a super silky texture. If they won't stay try some beeswax or pomade to help them stay.
I usually do mine on dry hair than immediately wash to make it shrinky.

21 months natural and loving it!

 

[faithVA]

If you are natural and depending on the texture of your hair you don't need to add anything to get your hair to stay. You may want to add a leave-in/moisturizer just for moisture.

My hair doesn't stretch no matter what I do so I twist on wet hair. Its a waste of time for me to air dry and stretch it out because when I put the twist in they are going to shrink down to the same length I'm just lucky that way

What I put on my twists depends on whether I plan to wear a twists out or not. I wear mini twists a lot and I will apply a moisturizer and then follow it with a stying creme or gel. It just depends on what I have.

If I plan to wear a twist out, I need something with a lot of hold so I use a firm gel.

It sounds like you have done some twists so if they look good to you, just give yourself plenty of time to do your whole head. If I am experimenting, I usually do my hair on Friday night or Saturday morning. That way if its a fail I still have Sunday to recover.

Get a good movie and twist away.

 

[nikolite]

I twist on damp hair, after I've washed but usually sat around with a t-shirt wrapped around my head for like an hour. I wouldn't twist on dry hair because the hair is not as pliable and I like to seal in moisture as I twist.

A two-hour movie should make it easy.

If you have any type of curl to your hair (even if they are 3A curls) twists should stay. But using some sort of butter (like shea) would make them hold longer.

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

I usually just use a good butter, or something moisturizing to twist. If you do it on wet hair, remember that it will shrink up more than if you do it on dry hair. If you do it on dry hair, try to stretch the hair out some before it dries if you are prone to tangles...I have to band my hair before twisting on dry hair. With dry hair I also have to wet the ends really well to get them to curl or use a lot of product and then twirl it on my finger.

 

[Nonie]

I have never twisted my whole head. I want to start wearing twists as a protective style. What do you use to get your twists to stay?

Nothing. I twist on bare, clean, braid-stretched hair.

Do you twist on dry hair or wet hair?

I twist on dry hair that airdried in braids.

Any tips and advice is appreciated in advance.

Twist like this and you will have long lasting twists that don't tangle no matter how many washes you put your hair through. Once you get the hang of twisting like that, it becomes second nature to do. (Notice that I twirl both strands anticlockwise then wrap them around each other clockwise. It's important that the twirl for both be in the same direction. You'll find doing it this make the strand just wrap around each other naturally the way you were going to wind them, which makes the process go faster.) If you don't believe about how convenient twisting like this is, ask Nix08)

I prefer to twist on dry then get hair wet so ends shrink up and form cute cylindrical shapes that IMO look better than the frayed, wide ends one gets when they finish twisting. I also like how when they are wet, they hang straight, so I let them drip-dry so they can be neater looking.

 

[Transformer]

I twist on wet/damp hair using a twisting butter...but I also use the hair dryer to dry them.

 

[ebaby]

I am natural with 4a hair. THanks for all the tips, I will keep trying!!!

 

[silenttullip]

I twist on wet
Best advice I could give change up where your parts are so you won't have permanent parts
Moisturize & Seal
Don't make them too small
If your hair tangles easily DO NOT remove from the root like some people are able to
start at the bottom
Unless you twist really well don't wash with them in if they'll only be in a little while

 

[Nix08]

I co sign everything that Nonie said. It has changed the hair experience for my 3 year old dd...I swear it's just amazing

Nothing. I twist on bare, clean, braid-stretched hair.

I twist on dry hair that airdried in braids.


Twist like this and you will have long lasting twists that don't tangle no matter how many washes you put your hair through. Once you get the hang of twisting like that, it becomes second nature to do. (Notice that I twirl both strands anticlockwise then wrap them around each other clockwise. It's important that the twirl for both be in the same direction. You'll find doing it this make the strand just wrap around each other naturally the way you were going to wind them, which makes the process go faster.) If you don't believe about how convenient twisting like this is, ask @Nix08)

I prefer to twist on dry then get hair wet so ends shrink up and form cute cylindrical shapes that IMO look better than the frayed, wide ends one gets when they finish twisting. I also like how when they are wet, they hang straight, so I let them drip-dry so they can be neater looking.

 

[mzteaze]

I twist on damp hair. I retain length, I attach small flexirods to the ends until they dry.

 

[MizzBrit]

i twist on dry,plait-stretched hair...i tend to use she butter and ecogel on the ends

 

[hareluvah]

I co sign everything that @Nonie said. It has changed the hair experience for my 3 year old dd...I swear it's just amazing

Twisting like that looks like it would take 4-eva! How long does it take and how long can you keep them in for? Does it give it more hang or is it less tangled when you take them down? sorry for all of the questions I've just never seen twists done like that before.

 

[NappyNelle]

Wash & Deep condition as normal
While damp, apply hair butter / coconut oil in sections
Braid sections to air dry and stretch strands
Twist on dry hair the next day

 

[Nonie]

Twisting like that looks like it would take 4-eva! How long does it take and how long can you keep them in for? Does it give it more hang or is it less tangled when you take them down? sorry for all of the questions I've just never seen twists done like that before.

hareluvah The one time I timed myself, coz someone asked, it took me almost an hour to do these twists and when I counted the twists, they were 119.

The other link gives you an idea of how I do them. I'm usually watching TV so I get through them pretty fast w/o even realizing it.

I keep the twists in forever because I just redo one at a time as needed (I have been in twists since August 2010...and just redo one at a time as I feel like it--usually while watching TV). The pic below shows twists I'd worn for 4 weeks without redoing. They'd also been washed 8 times and they still held on:

The pic I posted above shows how they hang. Here are more pics below of the twists at various lengths and as I said I wash them and let them dripdry so that gives them the straight, downward hanging shape.

This is a braidout on twists:

I never have tangles--detangling isn't a word you will find in my regimen. This video show you how easy it is to undo twists done this way and how there are not tangles to deal with: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jff-Uqfb_SA

 

[Nix08]

hareluvah again I co sign Nonie's post #15. I do these on dd and it doesn't take very long at all...and I literally got the lesson from @Nonie about a month ago (so I'm no pro). As she taught me I don't have to do them all in one sitting (especially w/ a little one) but they wash very well, take down easy and are still detangled once you take them down. I showed a girlfriend how to do them and she did it on her dd that night and also found it easier than she had imagined and didn't take her as long as she expected. Per Nike - Just do it...you won' t be disappointed

 

[darlingdiva]

I twist on wet & dry hair. Sometimes, I blow dry on cool (as I did tonight).

The products that I use vary by season.

Fall/Winter
Jane Carter Solution Hair Nourishing Cream
Barry Fletcher's Twist Like This Herbal Putty
Curl Prep's Sweet Buttah
Ori Organics Moisture Balancing Buttercream

Summer/Spring
Pomades; right now it's between Oyin Burnt Sugar Pomade & Opal Hue Honey Love Pomade

I agree with all of the suggestions about watching movies. They make the time go by faster.

If you want to stretch your twists, you can band them.

 

[preciouslove0x]

I twist on damp hair with some conditioner left from the wash prior to. Because of my texture/density/etc etc I don't have problems with them not staying. They stay put for weeks on end and my hair doesn't tangle from two strand twists.

 

[Jetblackhair]

Nonie, I need you to do my twists! That's some fancy hand work you got going there.

 

[CurlsBazillion]

I twist on damp moisturized hair and I use avocado butter to keep them neat and together. Gel works also but I love avocado butter for neat braids and twist and a little bit goes a long way.

 

[itsjusthair88]

Nonie I thought this was the onlyway to do twists? What other way is there to twist?

Oh for me, twist on air-dried air that's been stretched with moisturizing butter and eco styler on the ends as I finger-twirl them...although this is the first time I've done it LOL

 

[Nonie]

@Nonie I thought this was the only way to do twists? What other way is there to twist?

Oh for me, twist on air-dried air that's been stretched with moisturizing butter and eco styler on the ends as I finger-twirl them...although this is the first time I've done it LOL

itsjusthair88, I'm so glad to hear you say that because that's the only way I learned to twist. It's the same way my grandmother used to turn sisal into twine that she then used to weave baskets and I first learned the technique from her then would see stylists doing it too. In fact, when you got extension braids, my hairdresser would not use just fingers but she's start with finger and then finish off rolling them on her thigh the way Grandma used to do her sisal. It goes fast that way.

I suspect a lot of people just wrap two sections of hair around each other without twirling them first. Then I have also seen others twirl them in opposite directions before wrapping them around each other in one of the two directions, and they call that "sister twists" or somep'n. Twirling them in opposite directions just seems like more work than it's worth. I don't know what good there is in doing that. I do know doing it my way makes the twists hold very well because that way of twirling makes the twist form almost on its own.

 

[Jewell]

I do my 2-strand twists using Shea Moisture Curl-Enhancing Smoothie, a little Eco Styler Clear Gel for extra hold. They are done on damp, freshly washed hair. Takes about 45 mins for me to flat-twist the front half and individual twist the back half in 2-strand twists. They last 1 month, and after that I can rock a twist-out for another wk or so.

I part the front neatly with at rat-tail comb, but for the individuals in back, I part rows with my fingers and the sections also w. my fingers so that the parts don't become permanent and it doesn't look so "neat." It still looks neat by finger sectioning, but it looks more natural. (I have the twists in my fotki).

This style I get LOTS of compliments on, and I love it b/c my hair doesn't tangle while in the twists, I don't get SSKs, and they help me to retain length. I also don't get breakage from rubberbands at the base of my flat twists. I make sure to saturate my hair with curl cream for moisture and seal with serum or an oil.

I sit under the hooded dryer for 40 mins after the twists are styled so that they are dry when I tie my hair down. I tie the front up with a regular satin scarf, and put a satin bonnet over the back to hold any hanging hair in.

**One day when I have more time, I will use the technique Nonie suggested of twisting each strand (2) for the twists counterclockwise, then bringing them together by twisting clockwise. That would make mine frizz less I believe...and if they can last through washes then that is definitely a plus!

 

[itsjusthair88]

@Nonie Never realized people don't do that, hmm...well, you learn something new everyday and Jewell I don't think it will take any more time to do the "pre-twist" method, the motion is so quick, I didn't even realize I was doing it differently than anyone else...

 

[DDTexlaxed]

I got the best twists and twist out definition by using ORS loc n twist gel on damp hair. I had my first successful twist out with this product. It's amazing and cheap! I felt like I finally did something right!

 

[jerseygurl]

@Nonie it seems though your twists are actually anticlockwise cos I twist clockwise and it looks different. Unfortunately I cannot show pics cos I don't have any on camera right now

 

[Nonie]

@Nonie it seems though your twists are actually anticlockwise cos I twist clockwise and it looks different. Unfortunately I cannot show pics cos I don't have any on camera right now

jerseygurl, it should not make a difference whether you twirl anticlockwise first and then wrap them clockwise or twirl clockwise first and wrap anticlockwise. As long as the wrapping is done opposite to the twirling, you should get a similar twist.

I just undid a twist to check and I clearly twist in the directions I said above; the arrows in the images below show the direction I do the individual twirls and then the direction I do the wrapping of the twirled strands:

​

 

[jerseygurl]

@jerseygurl, it should not make a difference whether you twirl anticlockwise first and then wrap them clockwise or twirl clockwise first and wrap anticlockwise. As long as the wrapping is done opposite to the twirling, you should get a similar twist.

I just undid a twist to check and I clearly twist in the directions I said above; the arrows in the images below show the direction I do the individual twirls and then the direction I do the wrapping of the twirled strands:

​

Thanks a lot that visual helped. That's actually how I twist. I thought maybe I was doing something wrong cos my twists do hold

 

[Nonie]

Thanks a lot that visual helped. That's actually how I twist. I thought maybe I was doing something wrong cos my twists do hold

jerseygurl, really? Are you twisting them firmly till they form rods that just start wrapping around each other? Als notice that I hold them close to the point where they wrap and that I am smoothing the hair as I twists. That way I ensure I tuck all the hairs in the twists. The twists should feel more rigid--like you can't squeeze them like the twists one gets w/o first twirling.

 

[ebaby]

Does the twirl make the hair hold better at the roots? I have yet to start my twists still kinda confused about the twist and twirl...am I twirling each section while I twist?