How long does it take for twists/braids to dry?

DeeinKC · 11-25-2012, 03:13 PM

I'm newly natural (yay!!) and I couldn't wait to do twist outs and braid outs because I think they are SO pretty! I did my BC after a 14-month transition a couple of days ago and I'm thrilled that my ends will stay twisted (for the most part). However, I'm seriously confused as to how long it really takes a twist out/braid out to fully dry.

The first one I did didn't dry overnight the way that all of the natural hair gurus on YouTube say it will. They always go to bed with damp twisted hair and say that it's dry by morning. I have found (in my limited time as a natural) that after applying styling products and oil, my hair takes FOREVER to dry fully. So today I started my drying process by sitting under my hood dryer for about 30 minutes, just to give it a head start.

How do you get your hair dry with the products in? Does it really take longer than they claim? Also, do you find that your hair feels "sticky" when taking down twists/braids? I want soft, well-defined curls and all I got was a half-wet, sticky mess! Please help!

PS. I used the Entwine Couture (spell??) line the first time I did my twist out and it made my hair extremely heavy and sticky. I may be using too much product.

Thank you!

Chicago Kinks · 11-25-2012, 03:20 PM

My twists used to dry in 8 or 9 hours but that was when my hair was a bit shorter. Now if I need at least 12 hours or if I do the l.o.c method I need about 14 hours.

Also, witj the Entwine products only a small amount is needed.

HTH

CoilyOne1812 · 11-25-2012, 03:52 PM

The length of time it takes the hair to dry depends on the type of hair. That's why there's so many forums. Low porosity hair dries at a different rate than high porosity. And if you have a whole lot of densely packed hair your dry time is going to be longer than someone like me with average-low strand density. Smaller twists/braids dry faster than bigger ones, etc.

My hair's long-ish, but I haven't really timed how long it takes to completely dry--definitely several hours though. I usually twist at the start of a day. If I do small twists, some sections will be pretty dry by the time I'm done twisting (1-2 hours). My under layers take longer to dry, probably because they're covered by the top hair (and for clarity, I have more than one type of hair on my head). I think if I finished twisting it right before bed, I'd still be damp in the morning because I wear a cap to bed.

None of my products dry sticky. If I try something new and it does, then I know that it's not for me, because that's not what I'm going for.

adthomas · 11-25-2012, 11:03 PM

Don't base your hair off the gurus. My freshly washed hair NEVER complete dries overnight unless I sit under a hooded dryer before I go to bed to give it a head start. I am lp and very dense. The size of the twists matters and I cannot do braids on freshly washed hair because the air won't really get to the center and my hair will still be very wet when I take it down. I do find that not being too heavy handed with products and allowing my hair to air dry about 20 minutes before I start putting in twists helps. Some people use a hair dryer before twisting but I avoid that if possible. Also I don't cover my hair with a scarf if I'm going to bed with damp hair. I find it slows the drying even more. I just sleep on my satin pillowcase.

DeeinKC · 11-26-2012, 06:52 PM

Thanks everyone, for the tips! I appreciate the feedback.

Alice_42 · 11-26-2012, 10:30 PM

My hair usually dries in a few hours (little past shoulder length stretched) if it's in twists but it needs more time if it's in braids. I do my twists on damp hair to speed up the process because I refuse to be sitting around for half a day waiting for my hair to dry.

"Sticky" for me is usually the result of too much or too heavy products, especially if I'm using a butter or oil. I've never used Entwine Couture products and I don't know much about them, but if they're pretty thick you might want to dial back the amount you use. If your hair is still too sticky, they might not be for you.