As I Am Twist Defining Cream
Very important: Apply As I Am Leave-In Conditioner liberally before applying Twist Defining Cream. This adds a great finish and prohibits flaking.
Twist-Outs: Two-Strand Twist as described above and when the twists are completely dry, carefully undo the them. You may gently massage along your scalp to obscure the partings. Be careful not to disturb the coiled/curled alignment along the length and ends of the sections. Remember, in the days after your twist-out, your hair also will naturally fill in and become fuller.
To complete your style, you may desire fullness in some or in all areas of your hair. If you opt to separate your twists even further for more volume, take care to handle them very gently. Pulling and separating carelessly will cause the multi-strand coil assemblies to come apart and take on an undefined, frizzy look.
Remember: The more you manipulate your twists, the fuller your hair will get, so separate or finger fluff where you want volume or height. Fluff just a little or not at all where you want closer-to-the-head, flatter areas. Once hair has been fluffed, it won’t return to the original flattened alignment until you re-wet and re-style your hair.
Big Beautiful Afro: Braid or twist barely damp or dry hair. You may want to curl the ends with perm or flex rods for a curlier look. When you remove rods, braids and/or twists, fluff and arrange by hand. You may also gently use a pick to lift the areas near your scalp for shaping.
Ponypuff: Smooth back your hairline, sides and nape areas, and secure with a thin elastic headband. If you want a super smooth perimeter, dampen hair and apply the As I Am Smoothing Gel. The Ponypuff can be done on hair which has been styled via Twist-outs, Knot-Outs, Wash n’ Go and Big Beautiful Afro techniques.
Sleek Wash n’ Go: Cleanse and condition. Apply Leave-In Conditioner liberally and apply As I Am Curling Jelly to soaking wet hair section-by-section, from root to tip. Rake with fingers and allow your defined curls to air dry. Please do not even touch it while wet! This will cause your hair to frizz and lose some of its beautiful definition. It may take a long time to dry but it will look good every step of the way. This, of course, works better when it’s warm outside and you don’t have to worry about exposure to frigidly cold temperatures.
NC: Any words of encouragement for all the women out there who are thinking of going natural?
Joy: Be patient. This is a journey. It takes time to learn what to do for your hair and to get used to a new look. Listen to your hair. For years and years, many of us have fought with our hair, trying to get it to do what it was never meant to do. If it feels and looks dry, give it moisture, which does not necessarily mean oil. If it does not want to hang down and flow, let it be full, free and fabulous all about your head. If it simply doesn’t like a particular product, try another application method or find another product that your hair will love.
Do what you need to do to get where you want to go. Growing out your natural texture is not for the faint of heart. Do what you have to do! If after your latest styling session, your hair looks terrible to you (perhaps you just haven’t got the hang of it all yet”>, wear a pretty head wrap or a graceful pulled back puff or bun with nice earrings and pretty make up. If you need to temporarily wear braided extensions or “somebody else’s” hair, do it until your hair gets adequate care and you get the styling techniques down. Go to a knowledgeable and skilled girlfriend or natural hair shop to get a head start. And finally, surround yourself with positive people who have a more expanded view of beauty. There are plenty of people who will never like anything but straight hair, but increasingly there are more examples than ever of women who are undeniably breathtaking, with confident, serene demeanors, who fiercely display their natural tresses for the whole world to see.
Seek guidance and support. Ask people you know whose natural hair you admire. Visit natural hair sites and blogs. View YouTube videos of experienced naturalists. Visit the As I Am website, and send your questions to me. We all want to help others experience the ”Joy” of natural hair.
Speak beautiful affirmations to yourself and to your hair. I am beautiful As I Am, I am what I was created to be As I Am. I am Confident As I Am. I am free As I Am. My hair curls in perfect little spirals. I may not have gotten it right today, but there is a tomorrow.
