How Many People Do Their Own Twists? Share Your Tips Here

[CaraWalker]

i paid to have twists put in and i really have no interest in doing it again. the amount of work required was not worth what i paid AT ALL. it took her about 2 hours to put in a full head of medium size twists, which is ridiculous.

im sure i could do this on my own once i figure out the technique. plus, i dont like the look of the small sized twists - gives me too many flashbacks to the microbraid era - but i have enjoyed the look of the slightly bigger ones. i would probably like the smaller ones if they were longer though - it seems like most people get them slightly longer than shoulder length and thats not a good look for me.

how do you ensure super neat and equidistant parting?

is there a technique to making sure the length of the twist itself stays uniform?

can you recommend the best how to site or video?

how long does a self install take?

how much do you spend on the hair?

 

[bklynbornNbred]

Two hours? She'd get an extra tip just for that.

There are lots of videos on YouTube. Look for someone that has similar hair type to find best method for you. Naptural85 has a recent video showing twist install technique but her parts are huge & even that took a few days (with breaks).

Depending on how you plan to wear hair don't worry about parting just take time on front, crown and areas you may wear part.

Length of twists depends on way you prep hair. If your hair is shoulder length you may get away with cutting braid in 4 (half then half). If hair is longer then just cut in half. People mess up when they randomly cut hair then place in lopsided or add pieces trying to create length.

Back in the day the shortest I ever self installed was 2 days with breaks. I used to do others heads in 8-10 hours. You can't pay me to do ever again. Last time I got hair done it was $40 on hair and I had half pack leftover.

Unless you don't like look hold on to that stylist.

 

[faithVA]

I agree, 2 hours is an amazing time. The last time I had twist installed it was at least 4 hours and probably longer.

Parting is time consuming. You will have to do a lot of mirror work if you want a salon finish. I don't bother with tyring to get parting perfect because it just takes too long. My install is going to take at least 6 hours and probably more like 8.

I don't buy expensive hair so its probably around $10 to $12 per lack and I buy 2 to 3 packs.

I cut my hair in half because I'm usually only doing shoulder length. I cut the twists to the desired length at the end.

I can't remember the names of those that have yt. I will look it up when I get home.

Why do you think 2 hours is ridiculous? How long did you think it would take?

 

[CaraWalker]

i dont think 2 hours was ridiculous. i think paying someone 150 dollars for 2 hours of work is ridiculous, especially since i also had to pay for the hair.

this is what the twists look like

ive had them in for probably two months when i took this photo. good, but not great. and 80% of the "good" is only because she got them in so quickly. they looked really janky originally and honestly did not suit my face/head until they got a little "broken in" and i was about to wear them down. you can clearly see my hair in lots of the braids (it is dark brownish red compared to the black of the hair). i just dont think the end product was worth that much money.

are you guys using hair that is already braided? or what's up with the cutting hair? i bought several packs of hair that cost 4.99 and she didn't cut it or anything, just twisted it into my hair and twisted the length of the braid. i am thinking the main thing to figure out is how to attach/twist the hair in as an extension, or does it get more complicated than that?

 

[faithVA]

i dont think 2 hours was ridiculous. i think paying someone 150 dollars for 2 hours of work is ridiculous, especially since i also had to pay for the hair.

this is what the twists look like

ive had them in for probably two months when i took this photo. good, but not great. and 80% of the "good" is only because she got them in so quickly. they looked really janky originally and honestly did not suit my face/head until they got a little "broken in" and i was about to wear them down. you can clearly see my hair in lots of the braids (it is dark brownish red compared to the black of the hair). i just dont think the end product was worth that much money.

are you guys using hair that is already braided? or what's up with the cutting hair? i bought several packs of hair that cost 4.99 and she didn't cut it or anything, just twisted it into my hair and twisted the length of the braid. i am thinking the main thing to figure out is how to attach/twist the hair in as an extension, or does it get more complicated than that?

I think I paid 180 and I bought the hair and it took 4 to 6 hours. They were smaller though but its the same type of style.

Hair comes in different lengths so with what you bought she didn't have to cut it. I probably purchased the longest length and it was longer than I wanted to wear my twist.

My hair likes through as well but more so when I do it. I haven't figured out how to blend it without making my twist really small.

The hardest thing is starting the twist. You can start them with a braid or with a twist. I start with a twist because its easier for me, has a different look and take down is easier. But on my hair they also slip more. But since I do them myself I can just tighten them when I need them.

 

[CaraWalker]

Two hours? She'd get an extra tip just for that.

There are lots of videos on YouTube. Look for someone that has similar hair type to find best method for you. Naptural85 has a recent video showing twist install technique but her parts are huge & even that took a few days (with breaks).

Depending on how you plan to wear hair don't worry about parting just take time on front, crown and areas you may wear part.

Length of twists depends on way you prep hair. If your hair is shoulder length you may get away with cutting braid in 4 (half then half). If hair is longer then just cut in half. People mess up when they randomly cut hair then place in lopsided or add pieces trying to create length.

Back in the day the shortest I ever self installed was 2 days with breaks. I used to do others heads in 8-10 hours. You can't pay me to do ever again. Last time I got hair done it was $40 on hair and I had half pack leftover.

Unless you don't like look hold on to that stylist.

by the way I can never go to this stylist again. she was literally the most vacuous woman I have ever had the misfortune of being in the presence of and the worst thing was that she never shut up. her energy upset my soul and I cannot deal with that again "lbs"

 

[yaya24]

I can't have synthetic hair on my head. My scalp gets irritated even with ACV rinsing of the hair.
Here is a DIY video she gets up close.
IMO they could've been neater.

 

[okange76]

If I want twists, I use the pre-twisted crochet ones. It takes the same amount of time, but the neatness lasts longer even if you have a lot of growth underneath. Pay $40 - $50 to get your hair corn rowed if you can't do it, and then put in the crochet twists yourself. YouTube has plenty of tutorials. I use 4 packs of hair and each costs $5.99 - $7.99 at my local BSS.

 

[bklynbornNbred]

Too bad. I rather it take a little longer and look good. I know NY has ridiculous prices for everything but $150 isn't bad at all especially if it took 2 hours.

The problem with many twists is attaching. As Faith mentioned you can braid then twist or twist all the way. Once you get that you're on your way.

@yaya24 I pre purchase synthetic hair so I can wash before installing. I dunk and soak until all the crap comes off then one wash with shampoo/conditioner and hang to dry. One light rinse doesn't clean it. I keep doing until water is clear.

 

[CaraWalker]

idk i think i have mild ptsd from long salon encounters. the woman who used to do my sew ins legitimately took over 7 hours every time. so at this point im willing to trade the time for quality, unfortunately. i also figure that since these get fuzzy so quickly ultimately it really doesnt make that much of a difference... id feel differently about braids but i feel like this hair style is meant to look a little homegrown. actually i kind of dont like twists that look too polished, because they dont look natural. i feel like strangers (ie non black women ) think this is actually all my hair ? i have actually had more than one person talk to me about how long it took to grow my hair out

if i learn how to do them myself i'll be able to make it look exactly the way i want eventually. is there a difference between the invisible twist or is that the only way to do it?

 

[PinkSunshine77]

i paid to have twists put in and i really have no interest in doing it again. the amount of work required was not worth what i paid AT ALL. it took her about 2 hours to put in a full head of medium size twists, which is ridiculous.

im sure i could do this on my own once i figure out the technique. plus, i dont like the look of the small sized twists - gives me too many flashbacks to the microbraid era - but i have enjoyed the look of the slightly bigger ones. i would probably like the smaller ones if they were longer though - it seems like most people get them slightly longer than shoulder length and thats not a good look for me.

how do you ensure super neat and equidistant parting?

is there a technique to making sure the length of the twist itself stays uniform?

can you recommend the best how to site or video?

how long does a self install take?

how much do you spend on the hair?

1. My twists don't have to be perfectly neat.

2. I do them while my hair is pretty wet after a wash.

3. I don't worry about them being uniform honestly. I want them the same size, but my goal with twists, is to wear them as a twist out anyway

4. My hair isn't that long, but it's extremely thick. My Twists take 2-3 hours to do every time I do them.

5. I spend no money because I refuse to use artificial hair in my head.

 

[CaraWalker]

I can't have synthetic hair on my head. My scalp gets irritated even with ACV rinsing of the hair.
Here is a DIY video she gets up close.
IMO they could've been neater.

ok that looks pretty easy. once she finally got to it. had to fast forward more than 2/3rds of the video omg idk how people can stand to watch these things.

this is definitely how she twisted my hair, i can tell taking it down. it looks soooo easy, guess i'm going to find out.

ill let yall know how it goes

 

[CaraWalker]

this looks so damn easy. is it really this easy?

also is there another, faster strategy? i can tell that she only did the invisible twists on the ones in the front because taking down the ones in the back was different. i would prefer to roll my hair in this invisible part as little as possible, so i would want to do the bulk of my hair in the other non-rolled in way.

 

[Stormy]

I'm wearing twists in my siggy. Back then I was always a
DIYer. It took some time to get that salon look so I went from 8 hrs to 5 and eventually 3 to 3.5. And I got loads of compliments. I did the braid from the root then twist because it looked a lot neater for me.

Fast forward to today I don't use added hair anymore. Even the 3 hours got to be too much, plus the takedown was worse, so I twist my own hair now (twist from root all the way down) and it takes about an hour. Love it!

 

[CaraWalker]

ok i need help

i understand the invisible twist process, but i cannot get it to latch on.

where im getting confused is them saying "twist both strands to the left, then twist the extension braid to the right." i cant seem to get it to hook, and i think this crap about left and right is what is confusing me.

im thinking its more of an over/under thing. i can see how this would be done quickly if only i could figure out how to correctly twist in the extension.

the only tip ive seen that is helpful is to use your index finger and press the extension to your scalp and then twist it in. but then i get confused about directions again and cant figure out the steps to get both strands twisted around the extension and then the extension staying next to your scalp rather than sliding down because youre going the wrong way.

helpppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

 

[irisak]

ok i need help

i understand the invisible twist process, but i cannot get it to latch on.

where im getting confused is them saying "twist both strands to the left, then twist the extension braid to the right." i cant seem to get it to hook, and i think this crap about left and right is what is confusing me.

im thinking its more of an over/under thing. i can see how this would be done quickly if only i could figure out how to correctly twist in the extension.

the only tip ive seen that is helpful is to use your index finger and press the extension to your scalp and then twist it in. but then i get confused about directions again and cant figure out the steps to get both strands twisted around the extension and then the extension staying next to your scalp rather than sliding down because youre going the wrong way.

helpppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

Try this video. She twists the weave and the hair together to start the twist.

 

[CaraWalker]

Try this video. She twists the weave and the hair together to start the twist.

thanks but i watched this one and it did not help. i tried braiding in at the root and that seems to be at least getting it in securely, so i think i'll come back to the invisible twist part when im better at it.

 

[CaraWalker]

hmmm. it looks ok i guess. i made the sections about the same size as they were before, but used half as much hair so the twists are smaller and i like it better. also i used some whipped butter on my hair before twisting them in so they are also softer and besides the fact that i dont really know how to make the twist stay in place securely i think i almost did a better job than the girl who did my hair tbh.

what do i do about the ends? does the hot water thing mean they arent going to unravel?

 

[irisak]

hmmm. it looks ok i guess. i made the sections about the same size as they were before, but used half as much hair so the twists are smaller and i like it better. also i used some whipped butter on my hair before twisting them in so they are also softer and besides the fact that i dont really know how to make the twist stay in place securely i think i almost did a better job than the girl who did my hair tbh.

what do i do about the ends? does the hot water thing mean they arent going to unravel?

Yep. Hot water should seal the ends.

 

[CaraWalker]

ok, great. i havent done it yet because i think i want to reshape some of the strands.

yall said yall werent worried about uniformity of the twists, and as far as parting goes i agree that that wasnt a big deal, but i don't know how to make them all the same size. they plump up when i get to the end instead of staying a straight line. some of them have to be redone because they are noticeably bigger than the others.

i dont mind braiding in the root, honestly i can't even tell the difference from how it looked before, so im ok with that now, my only problem is the size. is there a trick to make the length of the strand stay twisted and not loosen up?

 

[CaraWalker]

hey yall! i did this myself for the free.99! it might be kitchen as hell but ioncare it was FREE!

and it really didnt even take that long. im sure i'll get better with practice. i know it doesnt look pretty and fancy so i aint even asking about that im just glad its in my head and i dont have to worry about my hair again and trying to get my hair in a bun looks even worse so, whatevaaaaaaaaa

i will never pay anyone to do this ever AGAIN!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS