As a type 4c natural, I know about shrinkage. Daily moisturizing tends to shrink my strands, even when my hair is in a protective style, like two strand twists. Don’t get me wrong! Sometimes, I like rocking the look of shorter twisted styles, but at other times — like when I want to create an updo — stretched hair is easier to work with. Stretching two strand twists also helps me to showcase my length and it’s also great for removing kinks and crimps from my twists that form as a result of wearing them in ponytails or French braids. The way that I stretch my two strand twists is very easy to do and requires a few simple tools.
Moisturizing and Sealing My Twists before Bed
Since I often stretch my twists at night, I use this opportunity to moisturize and seal my hair. Moisturizing my hair before I begin, allows my hair to become more pliable and easier to work with. I use the LCO method to add a layer of liquid to my twists, followed by a leave in-moisturizer. Afterwards, I use carrier oils to lock the moisture into my hair. When I wake up in the morning, these hair products have had an opportunity to infuse into my strands leaving my hair feeling soft.
Stretching Two Strand Twists
The hair style that I create to stretch my hair is very simple and only requires a few bobby pins to secure it. First, I loosely divide my hair into two sections – down the middle – from front to back. Starting at the front of one side of my head, I wrap the twists around my head, securing them with bobby pins as I go. Once that side is complete, I do the same thing to the other side of my head. As I work, I try to stretch my hair without pulling the twists too tight. Too much tension can lead to stress on the edges of my hair or broken hairs along the length. While I style my hair, I pay extra attention to make sure that the ends are also secured with bobby pins. This reduces any chances of them crinkling and bending while they dry.
Reducing Frizz
The style that I use for stretching my hair is also a great way to reduce frizz. It also helps me to increase the length of time that I can wear my twists without refreshing them. At night, I cover my hair with a silk or satin scarf or bonnet and in doing so, I minimize the amount of friction to my hair while I sleep.
Stretching two strand twists helps me to keep my twists looking fresh for longer periods of time. By reducing frizz, I do not have to worry about re-twisting my hair often. Stretching my hair also helps me to transition from one style to the next while still remaining in twists.
Do you stretch your two strand twists? Why or why not?
