"Nwele" Threading to stretch hair w/o heat

[choconillaprincess]

has anyone heard of or tried this? definitely going to give this a try this weekend!

http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/hairstyles/stretching-natural-hair-with-african-threading

 

[winona]

I first saw this on CN.com and BBB. It looks very interesting and effective. I wonder if I can get some else to do this to my hair this summer.

 

[Papoose]

My grandfather told me about thus when I was a child. Never tried it though...

 

[Ivonnovi]

I've done this with my sisterlocks. The process is fun. I used some pretty thick yarn instead of thread. Even added a curler at the end. The results were elongated, stretched and interesting.

BTW I am in love with her hair colors. I might go for that this weekend.

 

[yuhlovevybz]

I do this but I use long goody bands. Works fine but I don't like the tension it puts on my roots.

 

[LoveCraze]

I've seen The Damn Salon demo this before. I really like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG2Kn2GznMY&feature=youtu.be vid though and the corkscrew look you can get with the weaver thread. I bet it looks awesome when done on wet hair and then taken down when dry. Might need to try it out when I get some time.

 

[aquajoyice]

That looks really cool.

 

[Keen]

I'm not natural so forgive me if I'm not getting it. I'm trying to understand this so I can pass it on to my sisters.

So basically the "Nwele" method give you more stretch than the rubber band method?

 

[Chaosbutterfly]

Yeah, it's really common in Nigeria. My mom used to do it to me when I was a kid, and my aunts still do it to their daughters.

The only thing is that most of the time, the thread is worn for a while as an actual style, which was not so fun growing up, because the kids on the playground would have a field day with it.

 

[g.lo]

Nwele means hair in Swahili. this is a very common practice in Africa, and they use the thread to do all sort of design! my mum used to do this on us when we were little, and i hated it (because i looked as if i had antenna). Indeed it does strech the hair!

 

[Phaer]

It is amazing what one learns on this site. I definitely want to try this. I don't mind wearing the hair (with black threads) as a daily style when my hair gets a little longer.

 

[danniegirl]

i have threading on my list of styles i want to try i actually want to try it with the marley hair after watching a few videos i really do like the definition i just dont like how small and tight they look.

 

[lilyofthenile]

I've seen Girlsloveyourcurls do this for her daughters and it has kept me really interested in trying it for myself.

 

[Poutchi]

Back home where I am from we have something very similar but with plastic thread, it is black and u use it to make those exact same things, but it is for hair styling as well and when you do 1 or 2 weeks with the style you enjoy stretched hair for 1 or 2 days before you wash it off
I made sure i stocked up on those plastic threads cuz i am now natural and was thinking about it as a way to stretch my hair without heat when i take these braids out

 

[temfash]

Yeah, it's really common in Nigeria. My mom used to do it to me when I was a kid, and my aunts still do it to their daughters.

The only thing is that most of the time, the thread is worn for a while as an actual style, which was not so fun growing up, because the kids on the playground would have a field day with it.

Tell me about I was called spider legs many a time............the memories

 

[Nonie]

Yeah, we've talked about this before and I keep meaning to do it but laziness be calling me e'ryday all day long. I used to get this done in Kenya and my hair would look like it'd been straightened when I took the thread out.

Here's the thread where we discussed this at length: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=71800

ETA "Nywele" the Swahili word for hair has a Y in it but yeah, I suspect Nwele is from the word.

 

[Nonie]

@temfash and @Chaosbutterfly I never had any negativity sporting it. I actually loved to get my hair "plaited with thread" as we called it. Did you guys ever have your hair done with the shiny raffia (sp?) manila paper? I loved that too. Mostly adults got this done but it never stopped elementary school going Nonie from wanting that done to her. You couldn't tell me nuffin when I was rocking the do. If we that shiny ribbon was used, then they'd use a knitting needle to coil it so that you'd have a pretty finish to the cornrows. This image sorta shows the coils I'm talmbout:

 

[Krystle~Hime]

yes it's very common in every african country. it's not only a stretching method, it's also an hairstyle.

 

[Uniqzoe]

Yeah, it's really common in Nigeria. My mom used to do it to me when I was a kid, and my aunts still do it to their daughters.

The only thing is that most of the time, the thread is worn for a while as an actual style, which was not so fun growing up, because the kids on the playground would have a field day with it.

Yes, my friend from Cameroon does this to her daughters hair. I think its cute but the girls probably don't like it so much as I'm sure their classmates probably think it look funny.

I've thought about doing it but too lazy. I just use elastics to stretch it.

 

[Khaiya]

Use it for stretching all the time, it works great!

 

[NYDee]

You can use weave thread to do it.

 

[Nonie]

This video shows closer to the threading I grew up seeing. There was no spacing as you see with banding. No corkscrew shape but the whole hair was covered mummy-style using black crotchet thread or rafia paper thread.

 

[Lute]

Would anyone know where to get that plastic thread?

 

[alive]

Nwele means hair in Swahili. this is a very common practice in Africa, and they use the thread to do all sort of design! my mum used to do this on us when we were little, and i hated it (because i looked as if i had antenna). Indeed it does strech the hair!

I was trying hard not to laugh but @ antenna lol that is hilarious!

 

[Adonia1987]

I do this.. I am from a West African Country and my mother used to thread my hair and I would keep it for two weeks, then take them out, wash and redo them. I still use this method when I want to stretch my hair, it works better that using elastic bands.

 

[JudithO]

I just did this like two weeks ago I recorded a video too.... See link below...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLDrvVKp_A8

 

[Austro-Afrikana]

I do it from time to time. I usually do it on my mum's hair.

 

[temfash]

@temfash and @Chaosbutterfly I never had any negativity sporting it. I actually loved to get my hair "plaited with thread" as we called it. Did you guys ever have your hair done with the shiny raffia (sp?) manila paper? I loved that too. Mostly adults got this done but it never stopped elementary school going Nonie from wanting that done to her. You couldn't tell me nuffin when I was rocking the do. If we that shiny ribbon was used, then they'd use a knitting needle to coil it so that you'd have a pretty finish to the cornrows. This image sorta shows the coils I'm talmbout:

No, I don't think raffia is used for hair threading in Nigeria its mainly done with black cotton thread or rubber/plastic fibre. That hairstyle looks very regal.

 

[SkySurfer]

My mum did this for me when i was little , she still does it on herself.
I always do it after washing my hair to stretch to updos

 

[miss cosmic]

i'm lazy to twist so i usually 'plait with thread' as we call it after washing. this is worn as a style in many parts of southern africa, especially by school-kids. can be done by adults too (i do it) although it is often associated with kids because it's cheap since it doesn't require any skill, so no need to visit a salon. the thread plaits i've seen down here are nowhere near as elaborate as those further north though.

ETA "Nywele" the Swahili word for hair has a Y in it but yeah, I suspect Nwele is from the word.

:blowkiss:
just for interest's sake - the northern ndebele word for hair is spelt exactly like that, without the y.