I did not have a TWA stage since I transitioned without cutting my length off but if I could do it all over again, I think I would spend some time loving and nurturing my TWA.
I wasn’t too crazy about the idea of having short hair and just wanted to get past that stage so I totally missed it, I didn’t even make an effort to enjoy it – *smacks self in head*.
The internet is literally bursting with styles with women actually celebrating having short hair, and if you are struggling with your own TWA and simply don’t know how to wear or feminize your look, it helps to watch a couple videos with women who have your texture to get a little inspiration.
4 Simple TWA Tips:
1. Moisturize and seal often – This can mean everyday or every other day depending on how you style your hair. Use water, water based products, aloe vera juice* to add moisture to your hair. While your hair is really short, there’s nothing wrong with getting it wet in the shower every morning if you want to!
2. Pay attention to your scalp – Scalp health is always important but when you have a TWA making sure your scalp is super healthy is extremely important because you have less hair to protect it. Keep your scalp clean, clarify if you have to and massage your head with your favorite oil often to keep your blood flowing.
3. Protect your hair at night – Don’t think that just because your hair is short you can avoid protecting it as much as you should, sleeping with a satin scarf is always recommended but you can also opt for a satin pillow case as an alternative. Either way protect those ends in the beginning will only be beneficial as your hair grows longer.
4. Have fun with styling– Do accessorize, do wear parts, do play with products and do play with color (responsibly). Have as much fun as you can with your TWA because that phase ends pretty fast!
Below are video demonstrations of 3 easy ways to style your TWA. First off here is 20pearlsNcurls showing us how to do finger coils:
Next TellmeBeauty shows us how she achieves her fluffy twist out:
And finally MissKenK does a gorgeous perm rod set on her TWA:
TWA?
The Real Person!
Teeny Weeny Afro
Teeny Weeny Afro – A term for when you cut all of your relaxed hair off and starting from scratch with your natural hair
Oh okay thanx.
Love the finger coils
love the perm rod set!!!!!!!
Hw is d finger coils done?jus started my natural hair journey & my hair is almost that length… shorter though
Chic
@Rutendo, Teeny Wennie Afro
Tiffany Wright yea I was fina say thts my fav too
Aight,”B.G.R.-Black Girls Rock”……
The first style with healthy hair using no perms only needs bees wax, a rat tail comb … wash and condition hair… comb with a dentangling product…. use rat tail comb to make small parts, put some bees wax on the hair and with a comb comb through it to the ends, then turn the comb as if curling the hair and continue until you reach the end. Repeat this process with each step until the entire head is done…. you can use conditioning sprays to keep the hair moisturized, to keep hair from locking make sure you wash your hair at least within 2 weeks. .. I got all kinds of cosmetology dvd’s and techniques on doing various styles from bantu’s, sengles twist, kinky twist, corn row, french braids, tree braids, sew in’s , hair coloring, cutting[razor, block, twist, blunt cuts etc] nails and makeup stuff. Remember if you straighten your hair or blow dry it you are no longer natural
Ok 2 things I watched this video being done and she used her fingers and she only used a comb to part her hair and I would like to know if u straighten ur hair or blow dry it if ur not natural what are you?? I’m not being smart I just want to know I would think if u relax it hair ur no longer natural?
I do not perm, straighten nor do I blow dry my hair. I am all natural. Natural hair looks better once you learn how to properly care for it. Most with coiled hair need to learn the trick to great growth is to keep your hair hydrated, this was a wonderful tip I got from an instructor when I use to attend but didn’t finish a course a Vogue Charmaine Beauty Academy ….. I get plenty of compliments on my hair, Pressed hair is better than permed hair but really both are bad for black hair.. Natural is always sexy!
The Real Person!
It’s a perm rod set (like a roller set with perm rods) No chemicals were used.
I was simply making a statement that if you blow dry or perm that your no longer natural, I am not stating that any perms were used… but judging by the texture of the hair a chop may have occurred but there still seems to be some remnants of relaxer left because it”s not all natural. I can see that it’s not. The texture of the hair apprears to be in transition from what was relaxed to growing into a natural
“Natural” hair is hair that has not been “chemically” altered. Even if your blow dry your natural hair it’s still natural. Just thought I would throw my two cents in. 🙂
Once you apply heat to the hair be it by blow dryer or by a pressing comb, just like a relaxer you have changed the structure of the hair therefore it is no longer natural. Ever notice how the hair is never the same after virgin hair has been hot pressed or blow dried? It is no longer natural contrary to what you may have been mislead to believe. The only way for it to reform back is for you to completely cut it all off at it’s roots and start all over again. It’s much easier to take care of natural hair than permed – blow dried or pressed hair… Natural black hair care is becoming a lost art
You seem to be talking about heat-damaged hair as if done right NATURAL hair reverts back to it’s original texture once washed. Aslong as it’s not permanently chemically changed it is natural. But I’m not that millitant. The whole point of going natural for me is to enjoy the versatility my hair gives me. I’ve only got a twa and have never had more fun ‘playing’ with my hair than I’ve had in the last 6 months! I havn’t used heat yet but will when I have a (overdue) trim and will still call myself natural regardless what the natural nazis say. My friend uses heat more regularly but still less than once a month and her hair reverts back to it’s super coily bouncy beautiful self when she’s done playing. I didn’t stop subscribing to one set of ‘rules’ that only straight hair is socially accepted as being well-groomed to now have people say you HAVE to leave your hair the way it comes out of your scull to be natural! So twist outs? Coils? heck, dreads? not as they come out your scalp and depending on the various levels of ‘natural nazi’ I’ve now seen variously accepted as natural. But your name does warn you’re judgemental…
um, i dont understand your reasoning. I straighten my natural hair, and when I wash, it is an afro again. so, im no longer natural with my afro?? lol
You can straightened or blow dry your hair, when you wash it it reverts back to a fro – yes that is true, but it does not revert back to the natural texture it was when your hair was virgin to heat or relaxer, in facts when it reverts it is thicker, courser and the texture is not the same. Ladies you are free to debate until your blue in the face, I have done a variety of textures throughout the years and I speak the truth.. You put heat to it any kind of heat you have changed the texture of the hair, it is no longer virgin natural it is altered. Any licensed cosmetologist who payed attention in class with a great instructor will tell ya exactly what I am telling you.. I know it’s hard for some people to accept a simple truth when they prefer to accept a lie instead.
Honestly, no one’s hair can be a virgin to heat, because even in the hot sun, your hair is altered by the heat waves and the rays from the sun
we are not talking about heat from the sun, that is not enough heat to dramatically alter your hair but a straightening comb or blow dryer is. If you desire to be technical about it ha ha wetting your hair with water or using shampoo alters your hair temporarily ha ha.. So what point did you make with the sun comment? Just curious..
The point I’m making ma’am is that it doesnt really matter if you put heat on your head as long as it’s not chemicals, its NATURAL, and if you want to be technical, yes the sun can dramatically alter your hair. Ever heard of “Sun kissed” where the sun lightens your hair? So how could it change your hair color , but not the pattern ? Smh please jump out that small bubble of yours all that your truth and my truth bs lmao obviously you don’t have a clue or a grip ma’am, and that’s said with all due respect of course
Try being natural – take off your weave, remove your make up – cut off all that you relaxed or pressed and like yourself.. Now that’s some real truth for ya. I left the conversations a while ago because i was done. Now chew on that…
I’ve been wearing finger coils for about 1 month & love it, on Saturday I tryed the perm rods & the response I got was wonderful everyone love it, the curls came out so nice, I think I do the perm rods more often & its less time consuming!
I want my hair to grow long like my mother my mother die from cancer and her hair never came out or fall out. Her hair is very Natural.
I like the Finger Coils. I have dreads,
Sharp
If it grows out from the scalp in its natural texture regardless of heat usage you are still natural! How can you say that by using heat that you are no longer natural? Typical of Militant Naturals… Everyone’s journey is different. Once the hair texture has undergone a CHEMICAL change then the hair strand is considered altered permanently. Anything else preached is just Self righteousness (Natural Nazism) isnt going to get you into Heaven!! Ijs~Coming from a Natural Cosmetology Student
this is not about a journey, one would have a great debate if your stating what has never been touched by heat that grows from the roots is natural that would be the truth so long as no heat touches it. There is no such thing as pressed hair, blow dried hair or permed hair being natural – the only thing natural pertaining to all if it is it’s new growth, new growth as all will noticed is not the same texture. Most black folks perm, blow dry or straighten their hair because they don’t like the hassle of dealing with styling their natural or they don’t like the look. Permed hair after 2 weeks looks raggedy as do some weaves, many wind up doing the chop or hiding behind weaves because that crap is taking their hair out – those in denial will hide behind a hairstyle they think is cute and will spend a fortune on fakeness instead of maintaining their natural which is less expensive to do and natural actually looks better than all of this junk that many are doing to destroy their hair although many accept and think that the destruction is cute NOT!. You all are entitled to your opinion but I am stating a fact, heat changes the texture of the hair and a natural fro becomes an even courser more nappier texture after heat has been applied. Take a cosmetology class you will learn more about the structure of hair, nails, skin, muscles, bones, diseases.. etc when you take anatomy and physiology
Thanks Carol. I love them all. Prefer the fluffy twist out.
I get so annoyed with these natural FBI agents!!! Honey just worry about your hair and stop trying to downplay the journey or choices of someone else. People like you make me want to stop visiting these pages…
You being annoyed is a personal issue that you need to address with a therapist, I mean why would you be annoyed off of a true statement. And for your information I am natural but I have been on many sides of the fence, I had perms in the past, weaves in the past etc… But before I learned to sport all that fakeness I was well learned in how to take care of my natural hair. Many who press their hair after a while it’s starts looking a mess although people be so hard pressed trying to save their hair with damaged ends, hair unevenly cut, too much gel used to cover bald spots or hold what little bit of hair they have left, Heat and perms were never naturally intended for black females and so many when they remove their weaves – braids etc have so much damaged hair when they take that crap off just like fake nails – yeah! they look cute but the nail bed be full of fungus and infection cause it can’t breathe. If you learn to take care of your natural hair their will be no need to press it, blow dry it or perm it but what do I know right? ha ha Look people you are free to do whatever it is you desire to do to your hair but we both know all that heat is making your hair drier and your buying and putting in all kinds of junk just to maintain a lie. No one is knocking you for that so why are you feeling attacked off a true statement? You add heat or perm your not natural End Of Story!
The Real Person!
I wasn’t going to get involved with this but can I just say that by your definition the only truly natural style would be a shrunken afro. Basically just wash your hair and do absolutely nothing to it. Most things we do to our hair right now change the physical structure of our hair, combing, braiding, twisting, dreads etc. Even conditioning changes the “natural” texture of our hair. Most of us go natural so that we can have increased styling choices and versatility with our hair, not to be caged into yet another box filled with rules and regulations on what we can or can’t do with it. Plenty of women use heat on occasion and have super long gorgeous hair that springs perfectly back when doused with water and in my personal experience, my waist length hair shrinks back up to my shoulders every time it’s wet. It is no drier now than when I big chopped. Whatever you believe is fine and dandy but here at BHI we are about accepting women’s choices to do with their hair as they please without judgment, being preachy about pushing our own agenda on what we think the “right” hair choices are. What is right for you depends on you. End of Story!
That’s your truth…and I’m not feeling attacked because I have long beautiful hair is pressed…relaxer free and naturally mine
No one is attacking anyone, it’s no such thing as your truth and my truth. Actual truth is just that.. It’s a proven fact applying heat to natural hair changes the hair structure, even after it’s wet and reverts back the parts that have experienced heat or relaxer is no longer natural. Natural hair is still natural even when you comb it, twist it or braid it, the difference is well maintained hair is much softer, has a natural wave pattern if you know what your doing…. My hair is a nice length and it is soft and my natural wave pattern shows. I get comments from people all the time about me having good hair.. I don’t have good hair.. I take care of my hair… I don’t press it, don’t perm it, don’t blow dry it and I never use grease…. My hair feels good wet or dry.. I don’t have to have hair treatments or stay in the salon nor buy expensive products to maintain my maine.. It’s amazing how so many sista’s will spend a fortune on unnatural hair care but wont put the effort in taking care of their natural. You can wear your hair in a fro, if you comb your hair and brush is properly you can put it in a ponytail and it doesn’t have to be a pony tail fro either. Again it’s about learning to take care of your hair…. Like the first pic.. your hair can look like that naturally with no perm just beeswax, a comb and twisting the hair with a comb… You can use curl rods [the same ones they use for jerry curls and rod long hair that is natural.. it wont look as straight as the 3rd pic the rod set but it will look nice. I mean picture two and three both heads are not natural both clearly are chemically treated even if a big chop was done. Your chatting with someone who knows about hair and makeup.. Anyways, ya’ll can debate among yourselves.. I said what I had to say.. if you felt attacked that was not my intent but you are the owner of your emotions so seek therapy if your that sensitive about a simple comment that’s an actual Factual one. I know we live in a society that is somewhat more attracted to a few lives rather than face a truth… Oh let me also say this.. if you never permed, blow dryed or straightened your hair but dye it – again your no longer natural. Ok Bye! lol
The Real Person!
Clearly you are not hearing me so it will be a waste of time carrying on with this. We can just agree to disagree.
My nail tech is bomb.com if you got to someone.who knows.what they are doing i do not ger fungus or damage to my nail beds my nails grow long and healthy and are not thin and fragile
First one looks like giant leeches !! arghhh