Lessons in Mini Twists: The Cheat Sheet

So here's the thing: I'm not usually a fan of mini-twists. Rather I should say I am not a fan of putting them in and taking them out, but the duration of wearing mini twists is often a fantastic experience! One night I found myself putting in some of the tiniest twists I've ever done, and while I cursed myself in my head my hands would not stop. About 6 hours later (that includes making and eating dinner; talking on the phone; periodically checking Facebook...) I was very proud of the mini twists in my hair.

My best set of twists lasted over three weeks, but I usually can't keep them in for so long because they get frizzy. I'm amazed at those who keep their twists looking fresh for four weeks or more! What are your experiences with mini twists? Any of you able to reach an entire month?

Here's what I've learned from my mini twist experiences:

1. Twisting on wet hair and using a wet product like gel creates a tighter, longer-lasting twist, but also produces greater shrinkage. Twisting on dry hair using an oil or butter creates softer, less-defined twists that tend to unravel. I find lightly spritzing dry hair and mixing a light oil into gel products produce tight twists that last long and are well defined when unraveled. The twists also retain greater length because they are not saturated with water.
2. The rope twist method (rotating each section clockwise while twisting counter-clockwise or vice versa) creates tighter and longer twists that last longer than regular two strand twists. However the hair can get very tangled if the mini twists are styled often. I use the rope twist method for all of my twists, my hair will unravel otherwise. Tangles used to be a problem for me, but my three step unraveling method has nearly eliminated the problem.
3. Roller sets on mini twists can mimic many straight styles, like bobs and drop curls, but somehow manage to last longer. I wore a roller set mini twist bob to my two hour dance rehearsal and still had curls at the end! I have a theory that its something about the twists and natural curl of the hair, blah blah blah...
4. Trimming your hair while in mini twists is not always such a great idea, especially if a comb wasn't used to make straight and even parts. When I saw scraggly ends I kept trimming them. When I took my hair loose I noticed how uneven it had become because of my "arbitrary" trimming. Besides, those ends didn't look as scraggly when clumped in coils rather than randomly parted mini twists. Ooops!
5. Some natural recipes don't work so well with small twists- like yogurt-based hair conditioners. Even after several rinses I didn't get it all out, but it was a couple of days until I was alerted by a less than pleasurable smell (first noticed by my husband). Yikes!
6. When unraveling mini twists I follow three simple rules: Use lots of lubrication (oil, conditioner, etc.). Follow the coil (in reverse, of course). Be patient. I like using oil on dry hair for unraveling twists. My strands have a tendency to straighten and slip right out of the twists. When I wet my hair it curls tighter and is harder to detangle. When I rush I often create knots, but when I take my time and follow all three steps I can get through my whole head with very few knots!

Style Tutorial: Mini Twist Styles 1

Sometimes I forget that having twists, especially small or mini twists, is just like having loose hair. There is an endless amount of fantastic styles that can be created with twists- most anything that can be done on loose hair and more! If you're new to wearing mini twists, take a look at the styles I've done below for a few ideas. If you're a veteran and would like your photos posted, please share what you've done: Submissions.TheKitchenSalon@gmail.com. Either way, please tell me what you think!

Style 1

Pinned to the side.

Pinned to the side.

Style 2

Double rolls pinned at the top with a pompadour.

Double rolls pinned at the top with a pompadour.

Double rolls pinned at the top with a pompadour.

Style 3

Bun with a bang. (Accessorize with a ribbon!)

Bun with a bang. (Accessorize with a ribbon!)

Style 4

French roll with a side bang.

French roll with a side bang.

French roll with a side bang.

French roll with a side bang.

Style 5

One long roll with front rolls.

One long roll with front rolls.

One long roll with front rolls.

If I said I was "Over" Natural Hair, Would You Believe Me?

This is wonderful autobiographical post written by Sunshine Abuwi of Natural Sunshine and Daily Dose of Sunshine. I have to applaud Sunshine for sharing her personal growth and as always I am in admiration of her honesty and transparency. A step towards umoja indeed!


If I said I was "Over" Natural Hair, Would You Believe Me?
By Sunshine Abuwi

A lot has changed in regards to my relationship with natural hair over the three years I have been natural. In the beginning I was gung ho. I was determined that every woman of African descent on the planet should go natural. I was strongly anti-weave and the mere mention of heat-treating natural hair was enough to make me angry. So much has changed since then.

Lessons on Becoming a Mixtress

This is a fantastic article from The Coil Review on the easy steps anyone can take to making their own hair products at home. It's especially helpful for those with limited time and money for hair care. Anyone can have healthy beauty!

 

Lessons on Becoming a Mixtress

By Tammy Goodson

These days we barely have time to cook family dinner, let alone an extra moment to whip up a hair concoction. The thought of coming up with your own natural hair mixture can be intimidating for some, but with a blender and a few tips, even the novice can become a consummate mixtress. 

Style Tutorial: 4 Versions of 1 Twisted Updo

If you're like me, suffering from HIH (hand in hair) syndrome, then protective styles may be helpful in limiting how often you play in your hair. But I like changing my hair every day, I just don't want to lose hair to breakage or stress my edges every time I change a style. So now I think about versatile protective styles; twisted or braided styles that can change looks without requiring additional parting, combing, brushing, unraveling and re-twitsing/re-braiding.

Below was my first attempt and I loved it. Sadly I didn't record myself doing it, but will try to recreate the style this season. I kept the twists in for 1 week and managed to create 4 distinctive looks by styling the twists. The key was the bang that I created with two sets of smaller twists; one from the hairline up (see version 4, photo 3) and the other from the crown down (see version 1, photo 1). When the style had run its course, I loosened the ends of the twists for the final look.

What do you think? Do you have any additional ideas for versatile protective styles?

Version 1

Version 2

Version 3

Version 4

Style Tutorial: Twist Up & Bump (Quick & Simple Protective Styling)

So I mentioned the other day that it was the start of my protective styling season. Although I don't think its absolutely necessary for all people to use this method t protect their hair during winter or to retain length, I know it works for me. I am afflicted with HIH (Hand-In-Hair) syndrome and this relieves some of the symptoms like wandering hands. Also I tend to wear a lot of hats in the colder months, and protective styles usually assist in hat-friendly hair.

This is the first style of the season, well technically the second. For the past week I've been wearing two cornrows with a side part, I've been dancing a lot so didn't want to get too fancy. Honestly, this style isn't too much more involved either, but here ya go! I call it "Twist Up & Bump."

I made one large flat twist up the center of my head from the nape of my neck to the crown of my head.

Then I pulled the front section of hair over the ends of the flat twist (for added cushion), then tucked and pinned the under the flat twist.

I had to sneak in this shot of my tights too... loving them!!!!