When I first went natural, I had no idea how to best style my hair. I found lots of conflicting information online on which styles were better or worse for natural hair. It took a lot of trial and error—including a really laughable crotchet braids experience—to finally realise that my hair prefers to be styled in two-strand twists. Here’s why I found them to be more effective than other styles:
My hair grows in tufts
One of the most enlightening aspects of going natural has been learning how my hair grows. I’ve observed that if left untouched for a few weeks, my hair sprout out in tufts. Individual strands of hair coil around each other and grow out together almost like locks. Two-strand twists allow me to keep my hair growing in this same pattern – by keeping my strands twisted, I imitate my hair’s natural inclination to grow in tufts.
Easy to install
The only tools I need to install my –strand twists are my fingers. I simply section off my hair, gently detangle it and proceed to wrap one section of hair around another. I honestly cannot imagine an easier style to install! Some naturalistas like to add holding creams and butters to the length of their hair as they twist it up, but that’s as complicated as it gets.
Great for all lengths of hair
I’ve worn strand twists from when I had 4 inches of hair to this very moment when my hair is about 20 inches long. I’ve found them equally effective at all lengths. When my hair was shorter, I’d wear micro-twists and as my hair has grown longer I’ve made my twists slightly thicker. The great thing about twists is that you can install them as you please regardless of the length of your hair.
Easily styled and accessorized
I like to consider my twists as a variation of locks. In other words, I draw inspiration from my naturalistas with dreadlocks when it comes to styling. Sometimes I pin my strands up and away in a bun and other times I’ll interweave them to don a more chic and sophisticated style. Heck I might wear a flower crown and let my strands grace my face or add a little bow for some sunshine on a rainy day. It’s all about what works for you really. The bottom line is two-strand twists are versatile and can be styled just as easily as one would locks.
They allow me to nurture the health of my hair while keeping it protected. This is one of the aspects I love the most about my two-strand twists. When I first went natural, I was keen to keep my strands protected but also moisturised. I found that with styles like braids or even weaves, I was able to do the former but hardly the latter. However with two-strand twists, I’ve found I can keep my hair protected and in a low manipulation style while still deep conditioning and moisturising as usual. I complete my entire regimen in my two-strand twists and only retwist my hair as necessary.
Have you worn two-strand twists as a protective style? What’s been your experience? Leave us a note down below, we’d love to know!
