SPINOFF: Anyone cowashing + twisting their way to WSL?

[oooop2]

Thanks. See, I knew yours would look great. Mine look terrible. You can see my roots and they look very nappy and tight (like my siggy below) but then the twists themselves look smooth. It looks so wrong with the 2 different looking textures. I don't have an exact picture, but this will give you some idea of what I mean:

http://public.fotki.com/mwedzi/2007-hair-1/flattwisttotwist.html

Girl...Check out mine in this pic:

My roots don't look any better...My twist are just a bit more chunky than yours and pic was taken on freshly cowashed hair...

I don't think the twist in the pic look terrible. I think they look like they need a bit more moisture....I would also double the size of the twist that in that picture...

 

[msa]

LOL... I'm sure your twists are cute. Maybe co-washing will plump them up?

I wish. I just don't have enough strands of hair on my head to make my twists come out looking thick. And, my twists don't last past a day. But, I think I'll try the big twists ooop2 posted. I used to do those under my wig and it never occurred to me to try to style them and wear them out. Maybe that will work for me.

 

[loolalooh]

Well, the only conditioner I have right now is the Trader Joe's Nourish Spa Tea Tree Tingle. I don't have all my hair stuff with me because I'm doing a long-term house sitting thing. I was out and I just bought it to try for the first time over the weekend. I don't really like it, but we'll give it a chance. I'm going to put a little castor oil on the hair after cowashing and retwist.

I'm not sure doing the bangs will give me the best indication, though. That part of my hair gets pulled and stretched the most, so it's a little bit looser than the rest. Anyway, I'm still going to do that for several days and see how it goes.

Definitely keep us posted on how it works out for ya!

 

[loolalooh]

great thread

who'z going to start a challenge then?

you ladies are making me want to co-wash right now!!

Thanks. LOL ... I'm too lazy to start another challenge, but if anyone else wants to, be my guest.

 

[loolalooh]

Girl...Check out mine in this pic:

My roots don't look any better...My twist are just a bit more chunky than yours and pic was taken on freshly cowashed hair...

I don't think the twist in the pic look terrible. I think they look like they need a bit more moisture....I would also double the size of the twist that in that picture...

You and Mwedzi are making me want to try big twists too. (I still have these small suckers.) Lovin' both of your hairs!

 

[loolalooh]

I wish. I just don't have enough strands of hair on my head to make my twists come out looking thick. And, my twists don't last past a day. But, I think I'll try the big twists ooop2 posted. I used to do those under my wig and it never occurred to me to try to style them and wear them out. Maybe that will work for me.

Sounds like a plan!

 

[Sammie7]

Thanks. See, I knew yours would look great. Mine look terrible. You can see my roots and they look very nappy and tight (like my siggy below) but then the twists themselves look smooth. It looks so wrong with the 2 different looking textures. I don't have an exact picture, but this will give you some idea of what I mean:

http://public.fotki.com/mwedzi/2007-hair-1/flattwisttotwist.html

Hmmm you know my twists had that same puffy root effect until I just recently figured that I needed to start the actual twisting closer to the scalp. I hope I can explain it well lol . I take the two sections and during the first few stitches of the twist I have the sections parallel to the scalp, so that it's taut without being tight. Then you can do the rest of the twist regularly. Now my twist actually have more movement and "swing" when I turn my head more than before. I suppose it's because the roots are more free and not as tangled. Did that make any sense or am I just rambling again? HTH

ETA: love those chunky twists ooop2!

 

[anon123]

Mwedzi, I just stumbled on this twist out tutorial on youtube. I've heard this Curly Pudding is really expensive but this girl's hair came out so nice. Maybe you can find a product comparable to it and possibly get the same results.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAb2KSLp1tA

Thanks. Actually, I have no problem doing a twist out. My twist outs are great! But they don't seem to count as a protective style. Here we're mostly talking about cowashing frequently with big twists. I actually have that same product. Unfortunately, there's nothing very special about it.

Girl...Check out mine in this pic:

My roots don't look any better...My twist are just a bit more chunky than yours and pic was taken on freshly cowashed hair...

I don't think the twist in the pic look terrible. I think they look like they need a bit more moisture....I would also double the size of the twist that in that picture...

Ah, yes, that looks more familiar. I'm not sure why my hair almost always looks dry, but there's always something on it. Sometimes the flash and exposure to makes it look more or less moist, but that's just the way my hair looks. It even looks like that wet.

I've done it before with bigger twists, but I don't take pictures of it. And if I do, I usually delete them. I just don't feel comfortable with how my hair looks with 15 fat twists in them.

How long does the cowashing, untwisting, detangling, retwisting, untwisting, moisturizing, and retwisting take you each time?

Hmmm you know my twists had that same puffy root effect until I just recently figured that I needed to start the actual twisting closer to the scalp. I hope I can explain it well lol . I take the two sections and during the first few stitches of the twist I have the sections parallel to the scalp, so that it's taut without being tight. Then you can do the rest of the twist regularly. Now my twist actually have more movement and "swing" when I turn my head more than before. I suppose it's because the roots are more free and not as tangled. Did that make any sense or am I just rambling again? HTH

ETA: love those chunky twists ooop2!

Thanks for the tip. I try to twist tighter but I just seem to fail. I really don't know sometimes.

 

[loolalooh]

Thanks. Actually, I have no problem doing a twist out. My twist outs are great! But they don't seem to count as a protective style. Here we're mostly talking about cowashing frequently with big twists. I actually have that same product. Unfortunately, there's nothing very special about it.



Ah, yes, that looks more familiar. I'm not sure why my hair almost always looks dry, but there's always something on it. Sometimes the flash and exposure to makes it look more or less moist, but that's just the way my hair looks. It even looks like that wet.

I've done it before with bigger twists, but I don't take pictures of it. And if I do, I usually delete them. I just don't feel comfortable with how my hair looks with 15 fat twists in them.

How long does the cowashing, untwisting, detangling, retwisting, untwisting, moisturizing, and retwisting take you each time?



Thanks for the tip. I try to twist tighter but I just seem to fail. I really don't know sometimes.

Maybe you can wear your twists in a bun/ponytail or pin them all up to hide the "Nappy Carpet" effect? This isn't the most flattering style, but here's an example of something I would do to hide it (though this is done non-co-washed hair):
http://public.fotki.com/loolalooh/2007-to-present/2009-2nd/months-16-17-natura/dscn4958.html


Here's a before/after pic of washed hair with smaller twists. A bit of nappy carpet (hard to see in this pic under the fuzzy twists) transformed into a decent ponytail:
BEFORE: http://public.fotki.com/loolalooh/2007-to-present/2009-2nd/month-14-natural-pisces/mar13a.html
AFTER: http://public.fotki.com/loolalooh/2007-to-present/2009-2nd/month-14-natural-pisces/mar13c.html

Hope that makes sense.

 

[loolalooh]

Hmmm you know my twists had that same puffy root effect until I just recently figured that I needed to start the actual twisting closer to the scalp. I hope I can explain it well lol . I take the two sections and during the first few stitches of the twist I have the sections parallel to the scalp, so that it's taut without being tight. Then you can do the rest of the twist regularly. Now my twist actually have more movement and "swing" when I turn my head more than before. I suppose it's because the roots are more free and not as tangled. Did that make any sense or am I just rambling again? HTH

ETA: love those chunky twists ooop2!

Cosign as well!

 

[oooop2]

Hmmm you know my twists had that same puffy root effect until I just recently figured that I needed to start the actual twisting closer to the scalp. I hope I can explain it well lol . I take the two sections and during the first few stitches of the twist I have the sections parallel to the scalp, so that it's taut without being tight. Then you can do the rest of the twist regularly. Now my twist actually have more movement and "swing" when I turn my head more than before. I suppose it's because the roots are more free and not as tangled. Did that make any sense or am I just rambling again? HTH

ETA: love those chunky twists ooop2!

Thank you!!

Thanks. Actually, I have no problem doing a twist out. My twist outs are great! But they don't seem to count as a protective style. Here we're mostly talking about cowashing frequently with big twists. I actually have that same product. Unfortunately, there's nothing very special about it.



Ah, yes, that looks more familiar. I'm not sure why my hair almost always looks dry, but there's always something on it. Sometimes the flash and exposure to makes it look more or less moist, but that's just the way my hair looks. It even looks like that wet.

I've done it before with bigger twists, but I don't take pictures of it. And if I do, I usually delete them. I just don't feel comfortable with how my hair looks with 15 fat twists in them.

How long does the cowashing, untwisting, detangling, retwisting, untwisting, moisturizing, and retwisting take you each time?

What are you using to moisturize your hair?? I was presently surprised when I mixed Qhemet Olive Cream, Alma Oil, and HE Hello Hydration all together, applied to damp hair, and did small twist. Hair style lasted 2wks (I just spritzed w/ water daily and applied the mix to my strands). Twistouts lasted 5days. NO detangling issues. Hair never felt so good in a long time!!

The co-washing process takes about 20min tops...

Soak hair w/ running shower water...Apply a generous amt of HE condish to hair. Grab 1 strand at a time. Separate. Massage hair and pull down on strands about 3-4x under running water. Retwist. Move to the next. Before I used to clip to prevent myself from grabbing a twist I had already done. Now I go by feel.

Here are some large twist up-do pics. This is how I wear my large twist.

 

[loolalooh]

Here are some large twist up-do pics. This is how I wear my large twist.

This updo is FIERCE! Loves it.

 

[anon123]

Maybe you can wear your twists in a bun/ponytail or pin them all up to hide the "Nappy Carpet" effect? This isn't the most flattering style, but here's an example of something I would do to hide it (though this is done non-co-washed hair):
http://public.fotki.com/loolalooh/2007-to-present/2009-2nd/months-16-17-natura/dscn4958.html


Here's a before/after pic of washed hair with smaller twists. A bit of nappy carpet (hard to see in this pic under the fuzzy twists) transformed into a decent ponytail:
BEFORE: http://public.fotki.com/loolalooh/2007-to-present/2009-2nd/month-14-natural-pisces/mar13a.html
AFTER: http://public.fotki.com/loolalooh/2007-to-present/2009-2nd/month-14-natural-pisces/mar13c.html

Hope that makes sense.

Yes, it does, thanks. That's also what I usually do when my hair looks crazy, put it in a ponytail or bun:

Small:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v194/mwedzi/hair - part 2/twistpinup.jpg

Big (I'll let you be the judge of the big ones ):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v194/mwedzi/hair - part 2/Photo22.jpg

Thank you!!


What are you using to moisturize your hair?? I was presently surprised when I mixed Qhemet Olive Cream, Alma Oil, and HE Hello Hydration all together, applied to damp hair, and did small twist. Hair style lasted 2wks (I just spritzed w/ water daily and applied the mix to my strands). Twistouts lasted 5days. NO detangling issues. Hair never felt so good in a long time!!

The co-washing process takes about 20min tops...

Soak hair w/ running shower water...Apply a generous amt of HE condish to hair. Grab 1 strand at a time. Separate. Massage hair and pull down on strands about 3-4x under running water. Retwist. Move to the next. Before I used to clip to prevent myself from grabbing a twist I had already done. Now I go by feel.

Here are some large twist up-do pics. This is how I wear my large twist.

I used to love the Olive Detangler, but unfortunately, it's been discontinued. You must use it sparingly, as it's been discontinued since last year! It might have even been the product that was on my hair in that very pic, not sure. It used to be my favorite.

I have tried 3 different HE conditioners (LTR, Break's Over, and None of Your Frizziness). I think I mostly liked the bottles. And they smelled nice. But in the end I had to let those cone conditioners go, especially cannot leave any of it in my hair. They act like a glue or wax or something and my hair sticks together.

I know I definitely had a mix just like yours. Well, almost like yours. HE conditioner, oil, and water. Later it changed to V05 + oil + water + glycerin. My hair just looks, well, like it does. :shrug: And I moisturized more thoroughly, which is to say I would undo each twist, apply to the hair, and retwist. As an example, in my siggy pic, there is soooo much stuff on my hair, if you touch it your hand will come back covered with stuff, but it still looks drier than most people's with 1/4 the product on their hair.

I'm impressed that it only takes you 20 minutes. I think this is going to be time prohibitive for me. It takes me at least 45 minutes each time. Detangling each twist, if done by hand, takes at least 3 minutes. I'll work on speeding it up, but don't really know if it will be possible.

Thanks for all the tips.

 

[Stiletto_Diva]

I just started keeping my hair in twists and DCing three times a week. I DC with the twists in then towel dry. I then massage my OCT mix into my scalp and apply aloe vera gel to my twists. I let the twists air dry for about ten to twenty minutes then I apply my leave in moisturizer and apply a sealant. I then massage my JBCO into my scalp and let my hair air dry for the night. The next morning I apply a leave in and do a whole head baggy with a wig. Once I get home I take the wig and baggy off. Before I go to bed I apply the leave in to the twists again and tye a silk scarf around my head and go to bed.

I DC on Mon, Wed, and Fri. Plus I add my leave in every morning before I baggy and every night before I wrap my head in a scarf and go to bed. When ever I see a twist looking raggedy or feel like some hair came out of a twist I finger comb the twist and redo it on the next day I DC. I plan on detangling once a week and keeping my hair twisted under wigs until Dec. I need to grow and retain 1 inch a month in order to reach my goal of APL by Dec. I'm hoping this regimine works.

 

[Urban]

I'm glad you mentioned this. After some days of co-washing, I undid a dry twist yesterday just to see how easy it would be to take down. I had to be extra careful because of the coiled up ends. I can see how taking down a wet twist would be much easier. You and Oooop are onto something.



Oooh, I like this plan.

Hey, I tried taking my twists out in the shower. So so so much easier. Got one or two tangles but running them under the showerhead makes removing them a breeze.

Then ... i usually like to apply my moisiturizer (Pantene Daily Renewal Leave-in at the moment) as I twist. Since I was twisting in the shower I had to apply it on wet hair, I was really unsure about how it would work out ... but it's been a whole day and my hair is still moisturized... I usually have to moisturize twice a day to get the same effect. I've only moisturized once today and I'm still good

Thanks for the shower suggestion Oooop!!!

 

[anon123]

Okay, so far so good with the twists bangs. It takes me a long time to finger detangle, though. I think if I had to do it for my whole head the very fastest I could do it is 30 minutes. I'm wondering if it would be okay if I just do 1/2 my head each time? Not the cowashing part, but the detangling part:

 

[levone]

Wow mwedzi, your twists are gorgeous! I can't wait until my top layer of twists hang that long.

 

[oooop2]

Hey, I tried taking my twists out in the shower. So so so much easier. Got one or two tangles but running them under the showerhead makes removing them a breeze.

Then ... i usually like to apply my moisiturizer (Pantene Daily Renewal Leave-in at the moment) as I twist. Since I was twisting in the shower I had to apply it on wet hair, I was really unsure about how it would work out ... but it's been a whole day and my hair is still moisturized... I usually have to moisturize twice a day to get the same effect. I've only moisturized once today and I'm still good

Thanks for the shower suggestion Oooop!!!

No prob..

Okay, so far so good with the twists bangs. It takes me a long time to finger detangle, though. I think if I had to do it for my whole head the very fastest I could do it is 30 minutes. I'm wondering if it would be okay if I just do 1/2 my head each time? Not the cowashing part, but the detangling part:

OMG...Those twist look GREAT..I love your hair. Sorry your detangling step is time consuming.

 

[anon123]

Okay, update. I don't think this is going to work for me. I tried it yesterday and today. I have about 25 twists. Yesterday I only finger detangled 8, today I did the rest. It took me 1 hour to do! A 1 hour cowash is not what's up.

But best of luck to the rest of you ladies!

 

[loolalooh]

I just started keeping my hair in twists and DCing three times a week. I DC with the twists in then towel dry. I then massage my OCT mix into my scalp and apply aloe vera gel to my twists. I let the twists air dry for about ten to twenty minutes then I apply my leave in moisturizer and apply a sealant. I then massage my JBCO into my scalp and let my hair air dry for the night. The next morning I apply a leave in and do a whole head baggy with a wig. Once I get home I take the wig and baggy off. Before I go to bed I apply the leave in to the twists again and tye a silk scarf around my head and go to bed.

I DC on Mon, Wed, and Fri. Plus I add my leave in every morning before I baggy and every night before I wrap my head in a scarf and go to bed. When ever I see a twist looking raggedy or feel like some hair came out of a twist I finger comb the twist and redo it on the next day I DC. I plan on detangling once a week and keeping my hair twisted under wigs until Dec. I need to grow and retain 1 inch a month in order to reach my goal of APL by Dec. I'm hoping this regimine works.

I hope it works for you too. It sounds like you have a good thing going.

Hey, I tried taking my twists out in the shower. So so so much easier. Got one or two tangles but running them under the showerhead makes removing them a breeze.

Then ... i usually like to apply my moisiturizer (Pantene Daily Renewal Leave-in at the moment) as I twist. Since I was twisting in the shower I had to apply it on wet hair, I was really unsure about how it would work out ... but it's been a whole day and my hair is still moisturized... I usually have to moisturize twice a day to get the same effect. I've only moisturized once today and I'm still good

Thanks for the shower suggestion Oooop!!!

I need to get in the habit of doing this. Taking notes.

 

[loolalooh]

Okay, so far so good with the twists bangs. It takes me a long time to finger detangle, though. I think if I had to do it for my whole head the very fastest I could do it is 30 minutes. I'm wondering if it would be okay if I just do 1/2 my head each time? Not the cowashing part, but the detangling part:

OT: Your hair is gorgeous and GROWING!

Okay, update. I don't think this is going to work for me. I tried it yesterday and today. I have about 25 twists. Yesterday I only finger detangled 8, today I did the rest. It took me 1 hour to do! A 1 hour cowash is not what's up.

But best of luck to the rest of you ladies!

Oooh no. Yea, a 1 hour co-wash defeats the fun. Sorry to hear.

 

[loolalooh]

So, I have small twists and I've been co-washing them for 3 weeks. They are starting to lock, but I'm not surprised. I'm too lazy to take them down now, but when I do, I think I'll switch to Oooop's chunky twist idea. I'm not sure how long it'll take me each morning, but we'll see. If that doesn't work, maybe I'll just redo my small twists every 2 to 3 weeks.