As black women, there are countless hairstyles that we can have – new ones are constantly being invented. From that perspective, we shouldn’t have many bad-hair days because we have infinite options! From my observation, different types of twists are popular right now, not only with the youth, but across all ages! Twists are truly beautiful, showcasing our healthy, thick hair. Here are some of the most popular types of twists for this year which can be done at home! And even within the “twist type” there are several ways to wear them!
Marley Twists:
A.K.A. Kinky Twists. These are usually done with “Marley Braids” (find them at a beauty supply). Here’s how it’s done:
- Take one piece of marley hair and bend it about half-way through the section.
- Separate the strands, and make sure the ends of the hair taper off. This makes the end of the twist appear natural.
- Place that bend around the section of hair that you want to attach the hair to. At this point you should have three pieces of hair.
- Start braiding for about an inch.
- Twist all the way down to the end. Use gel and twist tightly so the twist does not unravel.
- Take a scissors or razor and shave off excess hair.
- Dip twist in boiling water for neat effect.
- Take one piece of marley hair and bend it about half-way through the section.
- Separate the strands, and make sure the ends of the hair taper off. This makes the end of the twist appear natural.
- Place that bend around the section of hair that you want to attach the hair to. At this point you should have three pieces of hair. Start braiding for about an inch.
- Twist all the way down to the end. Use gel and twist tightly so the twist does not unravel.
- Take a scissors or razor and shave off excess hair.
- Dip twist in boiling water for neat effect.
Havana Twists:
Yes, that’s a picture of R&B icon Brandy sporting some beautiful Havana braids! Havana Twists are also done with marley hair, but differ from kinky twists in that the place where the marley hair is attached to the hair is undetectable. Though you can do kinky twists as big as you want, havana twists tend to be bigger than kinky twists.
- Take the piece of marley hair and bend it about half-way through the section.
- Separate the strands, and make sure the ends of the hair taper off. Again, this makes the end of the twist appear natural.
- Section off hair that you want to attach marley hair to.
- Divide that section into two sections.
- Place the “bend” of the marley hair in between the two sections.
- Take the right section of marley hair, along with your natural hair which should be right next to it, and twist it clockwise. Continue twisting for about three inches.
- Repeat previous step on the left, but twist it counter-clockwise.
- Take two sections of hair and twist, continuing to twist the right and left sections of hair clockwise and anti-clockwise, respectively. Even though this method of twisting decreases unravelling, you may want to use gel as you twist.
- Take a scissors or razor and shave off excess hair.
- Dip twist in boiling water for neat effect.
3) Senegalese Twists:
AKA Rope Twists. It’s straighter than marley hair and most times you’re able to see where the synthetic hair is attached. These are done with the same process as Havana Twists, except Kanekelon Braids are used.