Don't miss: Survival Guide

How to Twist Curly Hair

Mar 7, 2011 / By Aja Dorsey Jackson

post comment

Pin It

You can create gorgeous twists with curly hair.

Photo: Jupiterimages/Creatas/Getty Images

Whether your hair is long or short, thick or thin, twists are a fairly easy style perfect for ladies with curly hair. Curly hair likes to wrap around itself. This can be a headache for curly girls trying to avoid tangles, but ideal when you actually want your hair to stick together in a twisted style. With the right products and techniques, you can transform your hair from curly cues into beautiful twists in just a few steps.

Wash and condition your hair. Follow up with a leave-in conditioner or moisturizer

Blot hair dry with a towel or allow to air dry. You can twist your hair while it is damp, or stretch hair by allowing it to air dry in large braids. Stretching and air drying will make your twists hang straighter and longer, while twisting wet will produce thinner, curlier twists.

Detangle hair thoroughly with a wide-tooth comb, starting with the ends and working your way up to the root. Curly hair is prone to tangles, so make sure you don't twist knotted strands together, leaving you with a mess to take out.

Part a small section of hair the size of your desired twists. The size of your twists is completely up to you. Small twists can be time-consuming, but tend to last longer than large twists. If you intend to wear your twists and have them look fresh for more than a few days, smaller is usually better.

Apply a small amount of a locking gel, pomade or shea butter product to the section. This helps smooth curl, tame frizz, and keep twists from unraveling.

Create single- or double-strand twists. Single-strand twists are fairly easy to create on curly hair. Using your finger or a comb, twirl the hair in a spiral motion starting at the root and continuing down to the end. If you do this while your hair is wet, your hair will curl on the ends, creating coils throughout. To double-strand twist, part the section in two and twist one section around the other downward from the root. Hold the hair taut as you twist to prevent your hair from curling up at the root, creating puffiness.

1.Shampoo

3.Towel

5.Wide toothed comb

2.Conditioner

4.Leave-in conditioner or moisturizer

6.Locking gel, shea butter or pomade

Try not to leave twists in longer than two weeks. Curly hair strands like to cling to their neighbors, and if you leave twists in for too long, you may find your hair has started to curl around itself and lock. Unless locking is your goal, remove your twists after a couple of weeks and redo if desired.