I have worn my hair natural for the past 9 years. For those of you who may not know “going natural” for the Black woman means to wear your hair using no chemical straightening process aka “relaxer”. A lot of women refuse to go natural because of the time that they believe it takes to maintain. I am here to tell you that as working wife and mother I often did not have the time to do a lot of fancy braided or twisted styles, nor did I have the patience or skill. So I have always mostly rocked wash n go’s because I could never find a nice/fun style that was quick & easy. At last I have finally found a way to achieve the PERFECT TWIST OUT!! It does not matter where I go I am always asked, Is that a twist out? How? Here is a pic of my favorite twist out style.
I am always happy to explain that it’s really simple. My technique is as easy as doing these three steps:
For Wet Hair:
1. Wash (or Cowash)/Detangle
I rarely use shampoo to wash my hair but when I do I use Curls Unleashed Sulfate Free Lavish N Lather Shampoo. I mostly “co wash” my hair. To “Co Wash” is to use a conditioner in place of shampoo to cleanse the hair. This method of cleansing works for me and I do it once a week. My favorite conditioners to use for co washing are: Koils By Nature Ultra Moisturizing CocoAloe Deep Conditioner and Jessicurl Deep Conditioning Treatment Both of these conditioners are very thick, have great slip and are also wonderful for use as detanglers.
To detangle my hair, I saturate my wet hair with one of the conditioners previously mentioned. I then section my hair as I go, carefully finger detangling each section. Afterwards I rinse with tepid water.
2. Apply Leave In conditioner
My fav leave in conditioners at this time are as follows: Kinky Curly Knot Today, Koils By Nature Moisturizing SheaLoe Leave In and Jane Carter Incredible Curls. Applying a leave in is really great for retaining moisture and preventing dryness. I apply a generous amount.
3. Twist hair into big plaits
After the leave in is applied, I section my hair into 6 plaits and create large 2 strand twists for each as I go. Afterwards, I let my hair air dry with the twists.
On Dry Hair
1. Finger detangle
To finger detangle is simply to gently separate the dry hair with your fingers. Not combing through but just separating into sections as big or as little as you want them to be for twisting.
2: Apply a Leave In (lightly) along with a little oil or butter
On dry hair you would apply a small amount of your favorite leave in conditioner to your separated hair. Just enough to moisten but not to totally saturate. The same applies to your favorite butter or oil (my preference is Sistah Buttah). Adding a tiny bit to each section seals in the new moisture that you are adding and also adds shine and definition later.
3. Twist hair into big plaits
In both instances (Wet vs Dry hair) once the twisted plaits have COMPLETELY dried you would separate each twist with oiled fingers once, twice or three times depending on your desired outcome. Remember that the more you manipulate the hair the more frizzy or poofy it becomes. To achieve your perfect twist out depends on what you want.
Realizing that everyone’s hair is not the same texture, length, color, etc sometimes it’s better to have an actual tutorial. Additionally, it’s good to have a video if you are not well versed in the “natural hair” lingo (i.e.: “Wash N Go”, “Twist Out”, “Detangle”, etc) A video is always a good way to show and allow folks to learn at their own pace. So, here is my video tutorial that shows how I create MY Perfect Twist Out style.
The Twist out is a great and versatile style that is easy to do.
Disclaimer: what works for my hair may not work for yours. You should always find what techniques work best for the look that you want to achieve.
For those of you that are new “naturals” don’t be afraid to play with your hair and experiment! It’s the only way to truly understand YOUR hair.
What is your favorite natural hair style or technique?
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