A Step by Step Tutorial to Twist Your Natural Hair : It’s a thing of the past where men could not experiment with their hair and go in for trendier and funkier hairstyles. Imagine having to sport a particular hairstyle for years and years together.
Especially for African men, hair styling is quite important due to the texture of their hair. If you are African, you know how you had to keep your hair either really short or go in for cuts that totally disrupted your look just for the sake of looking neat. Well, not anymore.
At present there are many styles you can go in for, even with longer hair and look neat, simple and classy and hair twists is one of these styles.
What are hair twists?
Hair twists, as mentioned above are a style that African men can go in for due to the texture of their hair. You can achieve the style by dividing your hair into several sections, twisting those strands of hair separately and then twisting two of those twisted strands together around each other.
The best part of twisting the hair is, you can go in for it with your natural as well as refined hair and also go in for different hairstyles while combining them with twists.
Some twisted hairstyles you can go in for are:-
- Afro- twist (Mid Length)
- Hair twist – Spiked
- Twisted hair and a Mohawk
- Long hair twists
- Afro- twist (Short)
How to Twist Natural Hair For Men
You can use the following steps to twist your hair. It does not take a lot of time and requires very little technique, the hair length does not matter and the things you will need are as basic as can be, that is, a comb, a hair gel and a hair spray. So, let’s get started.
STEP 1: Prepare to twist: Before starting the twisting process, wash your hair and let them air-dry almost completely with just a little moisture remaining. You can go in for twists even when your hair is damper than mentioned, however, you will be able to see better results if you twist your hair when they very little moisture in them.
STEP 2: Prepare your hair: Divide your hair into sections. You can decide the width of the sections as long as you can keep them as uniform as possible. Finger comb every section and ensure there are no knots and use hair gel or special gel for hair twists to have a better hold.
STEP 3: Divide each section into two parts: Here also, ensure that the division is equal since if the hair is not equal, by the time you reach down you might not have hair on the side of one division to complete the twisting.
STEP 4: Start twisting: This process is quite simple, once you are done making sections and dividing them, you can start twisting them around each other. If you are a fresher, hand over hand movement will be your best friend, but with time you will be able to twist by just using your fingers.
STEP 5: Continue Downwards: Once you start twisting a section, you will have to work your way downwards while styling it in the same direction. The process can also differ depending whether you are right handed or left handed. For shorter hair, the process can be done downwards as well as upwards. If you want the twists to be falling near the face, twist forwards and if otherwise, twist backwards. It is not needed that every section is twisted in the same direction.
STEP 6: Keep even tension: Keeping the tension even is very important. This is the deciding factor. This decides whether the twists will hold or look uneven or unravel. You might have to do undo until you get the result you are looking for.
STEP 7: Work the ends: you will have to continue twisting the hair until the very end. You cannot just leave them be mid way. You might need a special hair twisting gel to hold your hair especially if you have dry hair. Once at the end, using your two fingers, hold the ends together firmly and release the pressure gradually, the twist will become a little loose but will settle on its own.
STEP 8: Curled Ends: Whether your hair was damp or almost dry and on the tension you applied while twisting your hair, you twists could be puffy or skinny. A reason twisting holds well with wavy or curly hair is also because the ends will be able to hold their own. Straight hair will require a holding agent of sorts as there is nothing for them to “hold” on to.
STEP 9: You are done: the above is the entire process of twisting your hair. However, care has to be given hair at all times and it will be best if you undid the twists with one or two weeks. The next part of the article deals with maintaining your twisted hair.
How to Maintain Twisted Hair
If you went to a salon for twisting your hair or did it yourself at home, the process does not end here. It is best if you undo the twists within a week or two, but if you are able to give it proper care and have done it in a proper method, you can leave them be for a few more weeks. Use the following tips to help keep the twists intact and also to keep your twisted hair healthy. You can use the following tips before and after for a better-twisted hair look.
- Before twisting your hair always remember though it is your prerogative, that the smaller the twists the longer they will last. This is because thinner twists are able to hold themselves better than thicker twists.
- Always dampen your hair, and try using some sort of hair product so as to ensure easy access and better holding. Soft hair makes it easier to do the twists, thus, if you have dry hair a conditioner or something on those lines becomes essential. Though try not using products which make the hair oily or slippery.
- Once you are done twisting your hair and still feel some dampness, wait for it to be completely dry before going to sleep. Use a satin pillow case or scarf while sleeping as it will help in not causing frizziness. Also, to secure your hair you can also go in for hair clips, beads or bands. You might not require them at all if the twists are done perfectly but if you need some loose strands to hold their place these accessories could help with that.
- Every night before going to sleep apply a little hair oil and butter on the scalp to keep giving it nutrition. Styles such as twisting and braiding pull the hair a little which is not good in case you have week hair. Thus, giving nutrients to the roots becomes necessary to keep them healthy and strong.
- Twisted hair will not require you to wash your hair as much as you will normally have to do. However, you can use shampoo and essential oils on the scalp to keep the hair strong and avoid dandruff.