How to Do a Twist Out

Cleaning and Detangling Your Hair

Shampoo and condition your hair as usual. Go through your standard shower routine and wash your hair thoroughly with both shampoo and conditioner. Make sure to fully rinse out these products with water. Clean hair responds better to styling products and is more likely to hold a twist. Choose products that are sulfate-free to shampoo and condition your hair.

Blot your hair with a microfiber towel or t-shirt. Twists will not stay put with soaking wet hair, but your hair should be damp for doing a twist out. Gently blot your hair with a microfiber towel or t-shirt to speed up the drying process. You can also carefully use a blow dryer on a low setting. If you accidentally fully dry your hair, just give it a few quick spritzes with a spray bottle before continuing on to styling. Overdrying your hair can also lead to frizziness, which can loosen the curl. Keep a spray bottle of water nearby, so that you can mist your hair if it starts to dry out while you are curling.

Rub a curl crème or natural oil on to your hair. Place a few drops of crème or oil on your fingertips. Start applying the oil to the ends of your hair. Then, work your way upwards toward your scalp. Try to evenly apply it so that every strand is touched. A leave-in conditioner is another product that you can use for this stage. If you prefer a natural oil, many people find using a coconut product keeps their hair manageable and smelling nice.

Detangle your damp hair using a wide-toothed comb. Start at the bottom tips of your hair and work your way upwards to your scalp. Use the comb and your fingertips to divide any knots. By the end of the process, your hair should feel smooth to the touch and easy to divide.

Creating the Hair Twists

Separate your hair into sections with a wide-toothed comb. Place your comb against your scalp and move downwards to create a separate section. Repeat this process until you have as many sections as you like, usually 4-6 is standard. If you do larger sections, then the waves will be loose. If you have smaller sections, then the waves will be tight. To keep your sections apart, you can secure each one with a clip or loose tie.

Use a single-strand technique if you have more time. Grasp a section of your hair at the root and gently twist in a single direction either outward or inward. Keep going until you’ve created a tight coil. Repeat with the rest of your hair’s sections. To keep them tight, you may need to massage some gel or oil on to the surface of the coils. This method generally works best when you’ve divided your hair into many small sections. A single-strand twist is also called a finger coil.

Go with a 2-strand twist technique if you are a beginner. This is a great way to learn the basic twist-out method. Take a section of your hair and divide it into 2 strands. Pull the hair tight and twist the 2 strands around one another. Keep going until you reach the end of your hair for that section. Then, repeat the process with a new section. You’ll also want to apply gel or oil with your fingertips when twisting, especially at the ends of the hair. This will help to moisturize your hair and secure the ends.

Make a flat twist if you want more curl definition. Go to the top of a section of hair. Divide the section into 2 separate strands. Then, twist these strands over and under. Keep the twist flat against the scalp and pick up extra hair from the section as you go along. The final result for each section should look like a flat, 2-strand twist. Repeat with the other sections.

Releasing and Styling the Twists

Let your hair dry completely. Your twists will need to be totally dry from root to tip before you attempt unravelling them. You can actually let your twists set for 2-3 days if you like. They double as a separate hairstyle as long as they are neat, but you can cover them with a scarf if they look messy. Just make sure to lightly mist them with water each day to keep them from frizzing. If you decide to untwist your hair on the same day, use a hair dryer on them to ensure that they are completely dry. You may also let the twists dry overnight and then take them out the next day.

Rub a natural oil or conditioning lotion on your hands. Re-apply as needed during the twist-out process. If your hair seems dry or becomes tangled, massage it with coconut oil to work the strands apart.

Separate single-strand twists slowly. Grasp each single coil by its end. Then, twist in the opposite direction. When it is fully untwisted, divide the coil into 2 sections. Then, twist each of these new sections back into the direction of the starter coil. Repeat with all of your coils. This will create a series of small finger coils.

Separate and fluff 2-strand twists with your fingertips. Grasp a single coil at the bottom with your oiled fingertips. Move your fingers through the coil and break it up gently. If you want a fluffier curl for extra volume, break up the coils more. For a tighter look, only slightly unravel each coil. You can also use a comb to pick at the roots and lift them a bit for extra volume.

Unravel a flat-twist by simply pulling it apart. You can follow essentially the same method as you would with a 2-strand twist. Start at the bottom of each coil and work your fingertips upwards. Untwist the coil at the same time that you fluff it slightly. You can also pull a flat-twist a bit away from your scalp to give it some volume.