You may have sworn off mini twists but every so often you see someone else wearing the style and suddenly you want them again. In truth, mini twists can be a great low manipulation style if you treat your hair appropriately when putting them in and taking them out.
In my case, I was itching for a style change up and instead of that bleach blonde color I was eyeing I figured I would try something new-ish and less strand altering!
Here are some of my tips for healthy mini twists:
1. Stretch the hair prior to twisting either by doing a blow out or banding. Stretching will help to reduce tangles and snags during the twisting session. Stretching also helps with parting to ensure that the lines are straight on your head when twisting. This helps to avoid borrowing hair from different sections because parts are not defined.
2. Shampoo the hair even in twists. There are various methods that can be used when shampooing twists to ensure that they are not disturbed, such as putting a stocking cap over your hair to shampoo. I like to wash my hair in twists as normal, but adding the product to my palm and smoothing it through in a downward motion. Remember to rinse throughly!
3. Deep conditioning* is also possible with mini twists – Combine water and Aloe Vera Juice* in a spray bottle, and spray all over the hair for moisture. Add your conditioner of choice or pure oil (I use coconut oil*) ensuring that every section is coated thoroughly. Sit under a steamer* if you have one or just cover with a plastic cap for an hour or two. Rinse as normal, (I like to leave a little product in after my rinse especially if I use just oil.)
4. Styling – This is my favorite part! – Mini Twists styles are so versatile because you have a ton of options especially with hang time from having the hair stretched. Twists offer texture which makes the look of the style different from what your hair would typically look like without them.
There are some seriously creative styling techniques used by some of the ladies on YouTube and like me you will have fun trying them out. Accessorize your twists for variety (perm rod styling also helps to mix things up).
Here are some styles that I have done with my mini twists.
5. Halo Hair – this might not be typical of everyone else but I experience a lot of halo hair when I twist, (random hairs just finding themselves out of the twists). Ensure that halo hairs do not get snagged or wrap around twists which can lead to breakage. If halo hair is excessive it might be time to remove the twists!
6. Night Time Routine – Moisturize twists at night with your favorite leave in conditioner* and seal with oil.
Watch this wonderful tutorial on how to achieve mini twists on natural hair:
With these tips you should enjoy having mini twists while keeping your hair healthy!
Helpful but stretching seems so tedious