Twist turning into Dreads and a tangled mess

[My Friend]

I see all the beautiful twists here on the board and want to revisit twisting my hair. The last time I twisted it (wet) by the next day it seemed as tho they had twisted themselves around each other for dear life Some were also in a matted state of confusion.

Any suggestions? What did I do wrong?

 

[diadall]

Maybe you need a different moisturizer?

 

[Foxglove]

You may have to twist on dry stretched hair and use spritzes for moisture. Your hair may be the type you have to avoid getting the twists completely wet

 

[My Friend]

My hair will twist and wrap around a scrunchie/ponytail holder when wet

 

[IrrationalThoughts]

yeah, i cannot wet my hair in twists cuz they always tangle. I also cannot leave them in for more than a week. My sheds always cause a mischief.

 

[-PYT]

You may need to try the rope twisting method which keeps hairs separated within each twist. You can wet/wash with no fear of tangles. Black onyx has a vid on YouTube explaining it

 

[DarkJoy]

i can have the same issue. for me, moisture makes my twists look like matted tarantulas. but generally i dont wear twists, but do twist outs. more specifically, flat twist outs.

these things help with my tangled mess:

combing. finger combing/detangling is not enough because the strands are as coiled as a Slinky smash in on itself. Literally.

dry/stretched hair is best.

heavy sealant generally holds things in place and weighs down the strands so they don't do their smashed slinky thing.

creamy moisturizers/leave-ins are not friends of my twists. they make the slinky strands happen.

that's it! hth

 

[MyCoilsGoBoing]

That is exactly the reason why i don't wear twists. My hair strands love each other and will mat together immediately. I admire twists from afar b/c I don't want to deal with the drama on my head.

 

[kinkycurlygurl]

Yeah, I can't wear mini twist for too long. I kept some in for 5 weeks and dreds were forming. Try larger scale twists on dry, detangled hair.

 

[faithVA]

You said they were starting to matt the next day. That sounds more like a technique issue. You may want to share your regi. I will just share what I would do.

1. Regular cleansing regi, with a DC
2. Remove all shed hairs whether you do that with finger detangling or with a comb
3. Plop your hair at least to 30% dry
4. Be aware of what you are twisting with. My hair likes gel but not butters. Some are the other way. They like oils and butters but not gel.
5. Twist the base tight/firmly
6. I have used the rope method, twirl and twist and regular twist, it doesn't make a difference for me in the long run. But you should try the twirl and twist
7. Wear a scarf until your hair is dry to lay your twist down flat.

Even with all of that, I am like many of the other ladies, I can't wet my twists. Over a period of days my shed hairs will go crazy and my hair will start to matt and tangle especially at the root.

 

[Ronnieaj]

For me the biggest thing is making sure I've got all shed hairs removed. I use either a detangling brush (yes, I said it) or a fine-toothed comb to remove them. Else I'm in serious trouble, and due to my carpal tunnel, I can't retwist my hair more often than every 2-3 weeks. I find that if I need them to stay in for 3 weeks, then the rope twist method is the way to do.

 

[faithVA]

For me the biggest thing is making sure I've got all shed hairs removed. I use either a detangling brush (yes, I said it) or a fine-toothed comb to remove them. Else I'm in serious trouble, and due to my carpal tunnel, I can't retwist my hair more often than every 2-3 weeks. I find that if I need them to stay in for 3 weeks, then the rope twist method is the way to do.

Ronnieaj, which detangling brush do you use? I know you mentioned it in another thread but I can't remember what you said. tia

 

[Je Ne Sais Quoi]

Maybe you need a different moisturizer?

Or more than what you use currently. I have to use a ton of moisturizer and oil to keep my hair conditioned and soft

 

[Je Ne Sais Quoi]

Get a den man if you don't have one. It's a beautiful thing to use at least once a month

 

[Ronnieaj]

faithVA, I use the Mason Pearson detangling brush.

 

[darlingdiva]

I agree with everyone who said to remove the shed hairs and make sure your hair is detangled well. Keeping shed hair in and not detangling well can result in the situation you described.
I have also found faithVA's tip helpful when it comes to removing shed hair. I have been keeping my twists in for longer periods of time, so I make sure to remove the shed hair with my fingers when I have to touch up my twists.