If I were to share one thing about my hair style regimen that used to frustrate me for a long time was the fact that for the life of me I could never achieve a poppin’ twist out. It took awhile, but I eventually found out what I was doing wrong all along and it had more to do with mindset than it did the technique.
I love looking at style pictures on Instagram and one of the things I would do quite often is try to mimic the results of my muse with no regard for what my hair naturally does and how my hair strand is structured.
If you have been reading my blog for awhile or if we have talked one and one, you may have heard me say that I think I have the finest hair on the planet. My strands are very small in circumference but my hair is very dense overall so it appears thick but can get easily weighed down and dull.
So what does all that have to do with achieving the perfect twist out you ask? Well, a few things!
1. My hair is prone to dryness and needs moisture and strength to survive
2. My hair cannot be weighed down by heavy products
3. My hair thrives and looks best when I use products with quality ingredients.
Once it clicked in my stubborn brain that I have to do what my hair tells me to do based on how my hair responds to product and technique, my styling success rate went up.
If you are just starting out on your hair journey you may not be as aware of what your hair needs when you look at other pictures or watch videos of women doing certain styles but you can certainly learn more about your hair if you pay attention to exactly what your hair likes.
In this post I want to revisit the twist out with my friends over at Alikay Naturals because I love their products, their ingredients are stellar and their LOC method combination products can give you a popping twist out with just a little strategic guidance.
The Foundation
Regardless of what style you are trying to achieve, always start out with freshly washed hair. When you wash your hair you give your strands a chance to react with the “new” products without any sort of obstruction from old product, dirt and debris.
Shampoo your hair and scalp through roughly with a high-quality shampoo and prepare your hair for deep conditioning. Deep condition your hair to replenish any moisture lost from the shampoo so that your hair will be ready for styling.
The Products
Now it is time to create magic by doing the LOC method with these three products:
Lemongrass Leave in Conditioner
This leave-in conditioner is perfect for all hair types and works by penetrating deep into the hair cortex to lock in moisture, strengthen and condition each hair strand. It contains Essential Oils, Aloe Vera and Silk Amino Protein and prevents and repairs any hair damage from the elements.
Glazed Argan Oil Silkener is a natural treasure for promoting healthy hair and contains the finest pure Argan Oil. It’s weightless, non-greasy formula renews and repairs hair from the inside out with added Vitamin E and Omega-6 essential fatty acids which do wonders in preventing frizz, split ends and flyaways.
Shea Yogurt Hair Moisturizer delivers moisture and more moisture to hydrate even the driest hair while using 100% natural and organic ingredients. This specially-formulated moisturizer leaves your hair softer, shinier and more manageable than ever.
Shea Yogurt is also infused with the highest-quality moisturizing botanicals and oils to hydrate your hair from the inside out, leaving it stronger and healthier. Shea Yogurt works great by itself and even better with Lemongrass Leave In Conditioner sprayed on before applying.
Technique
Before we get started on the technique, please note that you are not limited to using just those product combinations but for the sake of an example those are the products we will reference from here on out.
Once you have shampooed and conditioned your hair, it is important to work in sections and keep the sections you are not working with moist. Tip! – A great way to do that is part or separate your hair in such a manner that you can cover the sections you are not working with, with a plastic cap.
Apply your products in layers
For most of us kinky/curly girls, the LOC method will always be the best way to moisturize our naturally dry hair. This method has never failed me and I promise it will not fail you.
To begin, spray your Lemongrass leave in (L) on the section of your hair that you are ready to twist, finger detangling as you smooth the product in. You can use a Denman or your favorite detangling tool to further detangle the hair at this point.
Next, apply the Glazed Argon Oil Silkner (O)over the section, smoothing as you go along and even though this is a light oil you do not need a lot to seal in your moisture.
Finally, use a small amount of the Shea Yogurt (c) and smooth over the section as your final barrier to moisture then twist the section.
Repeat this process all over your head and allow your hair to fully dry before you release your twists.
More Tips
- (Optional) – Smooth your ends over a small perm rod for more uniformed curls
- Do not use a lot of product if your hair is very fine, use heavy hand only if your hair is coarse and needs it
- Ensure that your hair is FULLY dry before releasing your twists – This is one of the key ingredients for a fab twist out.
- Do not separate the hair too much, let your hair naturally get bigger as the days go by for your twist out.
If you can nail down this twist out routine you will be able literally to achieve any style ensuring that the health of your hair is not compromised.
Do you do twist outs? Let me know if I missed a key tip!
Featured image – Bria Larine
