The hair tips, advice and recommendations given on this blog are given based on the experiences of the authors. These tips may not work for everyone and every hair type and it is important to acknowledge this since we are neither hair specialists nor trichologists.
Also many pictures on this blog belong to the authors but there are others that we do not have ownership for and thus we do not claim ownership of the ones that do not belong to us.
We posted some tips on twists and how to preserve twists here. Today we have some pictures that show some styling options for twists. Plus check out the Black Women Natural Hairstyles Blog. There is a wealth of beautiful pictures of cool hairstyles on there. Book mark it! There are also videos on YouTube on how to style your twists. Use accessories once in a while and see how it spices up your hairstyle. Put your twists in an up-do or bun or twist your twists into bigger twists! I always say: be creative! Enjoy.
Twists are rolled and tucked into elastic head band
Twists are wrapped into large Bantu knots and sewn together
Long twists held at the back with accessory. Gives illusion of a short Bob cut
French braid done at the back and in the front
Wear your twists down
Top picture: Small sized twists worn down. Bottom picture: Then twists braided at the back as an alternative style
Big twists put into big Bantu knots then pinned together. This style was accessorized and worn by the Chief Bridesmaid at a wedding
Left Picture: Twists put into big braids and then let out to give a wavy look. Not a twist out. Right Picture: Roller set twists
When was the last time you cleaned your hair tools: your combs, brushes etc? Yeah, I can see some of you walking away to clean your stuff instead of answering the question! That's okay too. :>)
I suggest that you use your hair wash days to clean your combs, brushes, hair rollers and other tools you use frequently. Use some shampoo mixed with warm water to clean combs and brushes. I use an old sterilized toothbrush to clean between the comb teeth and brush bristles. Then I rinse in warm water and dry with a clean towel or let it air dry consider adding some disinfectant / sanitizers, like Tea tree oil or good old Vinegar, to your water and shampoo solution.
I suggest you wash your satin bonnets, hair nets, hair scarves, and pillowcases weekly. Getting them clean and getting rid of accumulated hair debris and sweat which the naked eye cannot see is important. This means you should have more than 1 of each item. Also consider replacing some of these items too. Some of us (like me) have had our pillowcases for ages! *I will head to the market after this post to buy some new satin fabric for new pillowcases*
How about things like bobby pins, other hair ornaments like head and hair bands and pins? Most head and hair bands, scrunchies, decorative hair scarves etc can be washed and should be. Some hair ornaments on the other hand might go bad (i.e. rust) if you put them in water. Try using a clean cloth with just a little Eucalyptus or Tea tree oil to wipe them down and remove dirt. Not sure how alcohol will work on these items so I say use alcohol with caution.
Things do not seem so tedious when you get into the habit of doing them. Also share your own cleaning tips and secrets, we would love to learn from you.
Yesterday's post had some basic info on twists. You can read the post here. We got a question as a result of that post. The question is: How do you preserve a twist-out?
The technique and product you use to do your initial twists for the twist-out will play a big role in how long you can preserve your twist-out. I say, the better defined your twist-out is at the beginning the longer you will most likely be able to preserve it. Additionally, the amount of moisture you expose your twist-out to will also determine how long you can preserve it. If you expose your hair, when it is in the twist-out style, to lots of moisture you will not be able to preserve it for long.
I searched YouTube and found some techniques used to preserve twists. You may have to try each technique to see what works for your hair texture, hair length and your routine. One may take longer than the others and each technique will give you slightly different looking twist-outs. So try them out to find which you like best. Remember, the more you practice the faster and better you'll become which means less time spent on your hair. Do not get frustrated the first few times, keep at it and you'll become a pro.
1) The Scrunchie Method (Video by Naptural85): You put your hair into a big bun (or several buns) for the night. Best on longer hair and will stretch out your hair the next morning. Seems to be the least time consuming. May not preserve your twist-out for too long before you have to re-twist.
2) The Banding Method (Video by Prettypr0f0und): You put your hair in sections and wrap bands around each section. Similar to the scrunchie method. I recommend using "ouchless" bands not rubber bands because rubber bands can snag hair. Also consider putting some oil on the bands you will be using. This method is also less time consuming on longer hair. Good for shorter hair since you have to put hair in sections. A variation is to use thread if you do not have bands. Will also give you some stretch the next day.
3)The Re-twisting Method (Video by Nikkimae2003): You re-twist your hair but in bigger twists. I think this is more time consuming especially if you have shorter hair. Plus, I prefer being able to preserve my twist-out without having to re-twist no matter how big the new twists are. A variation is putting the sections into big loose braids. Making the braids tight might give you a braid-out the next morning. Ooops! The re-twisting may not stretch out your hair the next day.
I hope this helps. If any of you have your own method of preserving your twist-out, different from what we have shown here, please do share it with us.
Twists are one of the most popular protective hairstyles natural haired women do. The idea of protective styling is to reduce the amount of manipulation of the hair which should lead to reduced hair damage and reduced hair loss and consequently healthy hair and length retention.
Getting to the point where your twists look "decent" takes time and lots of practice. Twisting one's own hair is a skill which has to be developed. I have reached the point where I aim to have twists that are satisfactory to me. I used to try to get my twists to look like another person's and that just got me frustrated. Of course there are videos on YouTube that will show you how twists are done. Do some searching and you will find lots of them.
"Not so micro twists" done on natural hair (no extensions used)
Twists can be done on wet, or damp, or dry hair. The results will differ depending on the state of your hair when you do it.
There are 2 strand and 3 strand twists. I am not sure how common the 3 strand twists are but there are videos on YouTube that will show you how it is done. I have not tried it yet on my hair.
You also have flat twists. These are twists done flat on the scalp. I describe them as corn-row twists. So the same way you do corn-rows is how you do flat twists but with 2 strands instead of 3.
There are many ways to style twists after they are done. Up-dos, buns, side swept styles etc. Accessories also add some extra touch to your twists. Let your imagination and creativity run wild!
Braided and pinned at the back
Bangs at the front
You can use products when doing your twists. Your choice of product will depend on how you want your twists to feel and look after they are done. Do you want hold and shine? Or do you want hold and definition when you do your twist-out?
And of course, you can take out your twists and have a twist-out style which could last for a few more days depending on how you "preserve" the twist-out.
I had heard and read of women who said they have different hair textures. From reading I learned that some women have different hair textures on their heads and also hair textures can change in women because of various things like stress, pregnancy, age, and menstrual cycles (sounds like it is a hormonal thing). I did not think I was one of them. So I never really paid attention.
One day after washing my hair, I noticed that some parts of my hair are pretty straight. At first, I thought it was just dryness so I went into attack mode on those parts. I paid special attention to them when conditioning and moisturizing and oiling. Yet, no change. Then while I was getting my hair done, the Hair Stylist commented that I had three different textures! I was still trying to deal with two! According to her, my back hair is made up of looser coils, my side hair is straighter and the rest of my hair is cottony. I thought my whole hair texture was cottony! To be honest, this revelation bothered me because I wondered if I had to go and buy 3 different products for my three different textures. Moreover, how does one use one product, like shampoo, for one part of the head and another product for another part of the head???
See the left side of the picture with my straight hair.
After much unnecessary stress, I decided to continue with my normal hair regime. My hair was healthy, not breaking and I was not experiencing unusual hair loss so I really had no issues. I continue to observe how my hair responds to products and techniques. When something stops working, I change it: no drama required. I apply the basic hair principles we have all learned (moisturize, condition, seal, wrap with satin or silk, eat well etc) and I can see results. So my conclusion is this: pay attention to how your hair responds to the techniques and products you are using: when things don't work, change them (not your hair *wink*).
