Can you wash two-strand twists on natural hair?
- Thread starter DKO
- Start date
DrC
Well-Known Member
came across this from @Thiends to keep your twist entact while washing:
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/ha...513133-using-egg-yolks-esp-twist-wearers.html
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/ha...513133-using-egg-yolks-esp-twist-wearers.html
You can. I don't like to because of the shrinkage. 4b here. I blow out my hair before twisting it. If I wash it, it won't be able to go into a bun because of my wild shrinkage. For those that do, especially 4bs, how do you relengthen the twists after you wash them. I was thinking bantu knots...
keepithealthy
Well-Known Member
I did it once and I did not like the results it made my hair fuzzy and it shrank up. So it's not for me.
PistolWhip
New Member
I have tried it unsuccessfully.
Nonie
Well-Known Member
I do it all the time. In fact, it's the main way I wash my hair if I'm not wearing braid extensions. Love how washing then drip drying makes the twists hang down straight. Love how the shrinkage gives my twists weight so that my fine hair actually can have movement and return to place after the wind blows. 
I love how neat the ends become after a wash: instead of fraying out and looking wild, they curl up and form a neat end:
Some twists might unravel but most do not. After I wash, my hair is so easy to separate that I actually look forward to those that unravel so I have an excuse to play in my hair--coz I undo it, finger-comb and redo it. Freshly done twists always look so skinny and ugly to me (as seen to the right):
Old twists puff up and look full and just prettier to me (These are 8 washes later):
Besides the fact that twists on my stretched hair look so skinny and wonky and therefore ugly to me, there's also the fact that I don't like how they hang. I find the shrunken look has better shape and I'm comfortable wearing it out. I think if they were hanging a little lower, I'd have to wear them up all the time. Shrunken, I'm happy to leave them down.
The next photo is of my twists in 2004 on straightened hair (a little more than 2 years before my BC). I had no idea what to do with them. I tried putting rollers on the ends to give them a bob shape, but I still couldn't decide if that looked better with them being so spacey when left loose, or whether smoothing them down and pinning them flat was better. They had no movement as they were so light so just looked silly to me:
After I washed them, I was in love with them. Not just that they took a shape of sorts but they also became bouncy and alive:
Not only did I love that^^ look and the fact that they didn't look so "malnourished", but close-up the ends were so cuuuute! No longer fraying out and just looking wild:
Here's a more recent look of the way they hang shrunken--a look I love and hope I can hold onto for a long time. If they were not shrunken, they'd be hanging longer but lazily, having less of an overall "shape" and rubbing on my clothes--not to mention that now that I'm using S Curl on ends, I'd have product all over my shoulders
Below is a pic of my twists drip-drying after a wash--this is when I'm happiest in my hair-growing journey and most in love with my hair. Wash day is such a breeze. No detangling, no fuss, and that heavenly massage! Just shampoo (scalp massage), rinse, condition (or DC) applying relaxer style only on hair not scalp and squeezing to encourage conditioner penetration, rinse, ACV rinse dunk (scalp massage), finito!:
Riverrock asked about stretching them. As I stated, I really don't care to stretch them, but braiding them while damp and letting them dry in the braids does stretch them a bit.
In 2006, my hair was about as long as it was in 2004 and this is what a braid-out looked like:
And here's a recent photo showing a braidout on the back:
Also when twists are damp, they're easier to put into a style, so I always style my twists after a wash as they stretch easily. Of course you do have to be careful not to stretch them to the point of breakage since hair is weak when wet, but the coils are more flexible when wet than when dry so if I put my twists in a style, I usually keep them in that style until I wash them again so I can work on them when wet. I suppose if length is important to you, you could try banding to stretch them.
I also want to mention that twists will hold better if they are small since they are close to the size of the coils so that the bends sort of are in sync with the strand structure. So by wetting my hair after twisting, I allow the ends to form into coils that can be pressed together for a good "seal" until I want to undo them. I think doing twists on straight hair makes them not hold as well since they don't have the curves that help with the hold. I'm talking about 4B hair here.
I love how neat the ends become after a wash: instead of fraying out and looking wild, they curl up and form a neat end:
Some twists might unravel but most do not. After I wash, my hair is so easy to separate that I actually look forward to those that unravel so I have an excuse to play in my hair--coz I undo it, finger-comb and redo it. Freshly done twists always look so skinny and ugly to me (as seen to the right):
Old twists puff up and look full and just prettier to me (These are 8 washes later):
Besides the fact that twists on my stretched hair look so skinny and wonky and therefore ugly to me, there's also the fact that I don't like how they hang. I find the shrunken look has better shape and I'm comfortable wearing it out. I think if they were hanging a little lower, I'd have to wear them up all the time. Shrunken, I'm happy to leave them down.
The next photo is of my twists in 2004 on straightened hair (a little more than 2 years before my BC). I had no idea what to do with them. I tried putting rollers on the ends to give them a bob shape, but I still couldn't decide if that looked better with them being so spacey when left loose, or whether smoothing them down and pinning them flat was better. They had no movement as they were so light so just looked silly to me:
After I washed them, I was in love with them. Not just that they took a shape of sorts but they also became bouncy and alive:
Not only did I love that^^ look and the fact that they didn't look so "malnourished", but close-up the ends were so cuuuute! No longer fraying out and just looking wild:
Here's a more recent look of the way they hang shrunken--a look I love and hope I can hold onto for a long time. If they were not shrunken, they'd be hanging longer but lazily, having less of an overall "shape" and rubbing on my clothes--not to mention that now that I'm using S Curl on ends, I'd have product all over my shoulders
Below is a pic of my twists drip-drying after a wash--this is when I'm happiest in my hair-growing journey and most in love with my hair. Wash day is such a breeze. No detangling, no fuss, and that heavenly massage! Just shampoo (scalp massage), rinse, condition (or DC) applying relaxer style only on hair not scalp and squeezing to encourage conditioner penetration, rinse, ACV rinse dunk (scalp massage), finito!:
Riverrock asked about stretching them. As I stated, I really don't care to stretch them, but braiding them while damp and letting them dry in the braids does stretch them a bit.
In 2006, my hair was about as long as it was in 2004 and this is what a braid-out looked like:
And here's a recent photo showing a braidout on the back:
Also when twists are damp, they're easier to put into a style, so I always style my twists after a wash as they stretch easily. Of course you do have to be careful not to stretch them to the point of breakage since hair is weak when wet, but the coils are more flexible when wet than when dry so if I put my twists in a style, I usually keep them in that style until I wash them again so I can work on them when wet. I suppose if length is important to you, you could try banding to stretch them.
I also want to mention that twists will hold better if they are small since they are close to the size of the coils so that the bends sort of are in sync with the strand structure. So by wetting my hair after twisting, I allow the ends to form into coils that can be pressed together for a good "seal" until I want to undo them. I think doing twists on straight hair makes them not hold as well since they don't have the curves that help with the hold. I'm talking about 4B hair here.
Last edited:
~Sparklingflame~
New Member
Hi Nonie!
OP I washed my hair in twists all the time when Iwas natural. That was the main way that I washed my hair.
OP I washed my hair in twists all the time when Iwas natural. That was the main way that I washed my hair.
ZkittyKurls
New Member
i did it when i had small twists and they looked so nice and refreshed, but i would put product on them aftwerwards for like a week and a half and then they started to lock on me at the roots. so i would only wash them if i knew i was taking them out soon.
Nonie
Well-Known Member
I just recently started using products on my twists--I'm usually a "bare twists" sort of gal. I don't know what product you use, but I use S Curl and it doesn't lock my twists up. I do wash my hair twice a week, so again product doesn't stay long enough on my hair to lock it up. Also I have been applying it only to ends although after baggying it does go all over. Still S Curl is light enough not to lock them up, I find.
ActionActress
New Member
Leeda.the.Paladin
Well-Known Member
I did this a lot when I swimming regularly, which I hope to get back into soon
I make sure to squeeze the conditioner in, don't let the shower stream hit the twists too much, saturate them with water and then squeeze the water out. Then I try not to bother them too much while they dry.
Washed twists ^^^
I make sure to squeeze the conditioner in, don't let the shower stream hit the twists too much, saturate them with water and then squeeze the water out. Then I try not to bother them too much while they dry.
Washed twists ^^^
ajargon02
Well-Known Member
I wash/dc weekly while my twists are in. For me, what has made the difference in shrinkage and reducing tangles is braiding the roots.
1. I wash, condition or dc. Squeeze out excess water, then apply my tweaked kimmaytube leave in.
2. How I apply product to wet hair is also essential for my hair. I will hold my hair in sections, as if I am about to make a ponytail, and smooth the product down the shaft, especially concentrating on my ends. I was taught this method from Chicoro in her book.
SIDE NOTE: If you haven't checked out her book, it was a worthy purchase. As a long term natural, her techniques have made the difference for me as far as how I handle my hair and apply product. I have been pretty much retaining most of my growth, have MAJORLY REDUCED ssk's and breakage!
3. Now although it's not necessary, I like how my twists feel and look with reduced fuzzies at the top, after I do step 2. I will then apply a thin coating of oyin's whipped pudding or shea mixed with coconut oil with the same method as mentioned in step 2.
4. By week 3, I start to re-do individual braided root twists if needed, since I wash/dc on a weekly basis. The shrinkage is minimal since I have the braided root, and it's still very full looking.
5. By week 6, I will then undo all the braided root twists, pre-poo with coconut oil over night after finger detangling, wash, dc either under steamer or hooded dryer ( depending on if I am doing a protein dc = hooded dryer with cap or moisture dc= steamer with no cap ) then once rinsed out, apply the tweaked kimmaytube leave in while hair is damp not dripping, allowed finger detangled hair to air dry in sections, then repeat step 1, while re-twisting stretched hair ie. mist with water, then add the oyin or shea mix, then begin my braided root twists........
I KNOW this is a long response, but this is what has been successfully working for me for the last few months. HTH
Ms Lala
Well-Known Member
I wash my twists. I try not to manipulate them much when washing and allow them to airdry while stretched out. I just did a vid on how I maintain my twists because quite a few people were asking me about it. There's a vid that comes before this where I talk about how I put the twists in.
Twisting Tips Part 2: Maintenance
YouTube - Natural Hair Styles: Two strand twist tips part 2
Twisting Tips Part 2: Maintenance
YouTube - Natural Hair Styles: Two strand twist tips part 2
Pooks
Well-Known Member
Yes, it can work.. In the first place I braid the roots of my twists. Then for wash time, I section my hair into about 5/6, plait it up and wash concentrating on the roots, the same way I do when washing my loose hair. After the wash, I usually stretch the twists with bantu knots.
ETA: Watched this morning MsLala, ITA with everything you said, great vid.
ETA: Watched this morning MsLala, ITA with everything you said, great vid.
motherpopcorn562
New Member
I do then I set the one rollers to control shrinkage. To me it renews my set.
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