Nowadays, when you look through the kinds of hairstyles that are available out there, you can probably get lost in the extensive variety of hairstyles everywhere. Different kinds of hairstyles are there, some fit for all while some might only be made for specific hair lengths and textures.
Everyone struggles to find the kind of hairstyle in which they look best, and with so many hairstyles available out there, it might get difficult to choose the best one for you. But you can find what suits your hair type and texture the best by looking through them.
Just like this, Senegalese twists are just one of the many hairstyles out there. Senegalese twist hair is mostly very popular amongst people of African origin, and these complement the ones on whom it suits them best.
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What is Senegalese Twist?
So this is a kind of hairstyle, as mentioned previously, very common amongst women of African origin. This is so because it is made on Afro-textured hair, which is mostly owned by African ladies.
This damage can be anything; through the environment, over-styling, or using a lot of heat. There are several protective hairstyles for different types and textures of hair, Senegalese twist hair being the one for Afro-textured hair.
The purposes for these hairstyles can be many, the main one being to rejuvenate your hair and restore its health. By protecting them against all kinds of danger, you can promote the healthy growth of your hair. Many people wear protective hairstyles when they are working on growing the length of their hair.
But unlike any other protective hairstyles, which are rather as simple as just braiding or putting your hair up in a bun, this one requires the installment of braiding hair on the roots of your hair
The braiding hair can be any of your own choices, and once installed, then the hair is two strands braided from the roots to the tips. We can’t deny the fact that these twists do look incredibly cute when worn outside.
And they still provide the protection your hair needs, by not exposing your hair way too much to the environment, thus making it a victim of pollution and other things.
Types of Senegalese Twists
3 Ways to Style Senegalese Twists
The twists are done the very same way initially. You make a two-strand braid of your hair from the roots till the tips, as tightly as possible, and the number of twists you get can depend on the length and density of your hair, as well as it can also depend on the size of the twists you make.
- Large, thick Senegalese twists will let you have a lesser number of twists, as more of the hair would be used in a single twist.
- Thin Senegalese twists will let you have a large number of twists for you to play around with.
The kind of twists you want totally depends on your own personal preferences and what you think suits you the best.
Both of these hairstyles protect your hair in the same way, with the same amount of protection. Once you’d gotten the type of Senegalese twists that fully satisfy you, you can play around with those twists.
Imagine like you have made your twists. That’s the initial stage of your hair. Now you can mold and bend these twists into a newer hairstyle. Let your imagination go wild and create different hairstyles using these twists.
- You can make larger, French braids using the small twists, combining them together to form a new hairstyle.
- You can make an up-do, putting your twists in a bun on the top, side, or bottom of your head, wherever you like.
- You can make a half bun or a half pony out of these twists, leaving the rest of the twists out of the binding.
And generally, almost any other style that is made with normal hair can be tried out with your Senegalese twist hair!
Senegalese Twist What Kind Of Hair To Use
Now the type of hair to be used depends on your own personal preferences. We know that for Senegalese twist hair, extensions of hair called braiding hair are installed to the roots to add more volume to your hair and enable it to tangle with your hair much more easily.
What Type Of Hair Do You Use For Senegalese Twists?
Several kinds of extensions are available out there, specially manufactured for Senegalese twist hair. All of them differ from one another in one thing or another. The following are the types of hair mostly used for such purposes.
Marley Hair
These are extensions widely used in the famous Marley Twists too, but many prefer these extensions for Senegalese twists as well. They have a very rugged texture, which enables them to hold on to your hair very strongly.
While still looking very natural, these prevent your hair from unraveling or opening out pre-maturely. These are mostly used by people who bind their twists very tightly and want something to grip those twists together without letting them fall apart.
Toyokalon
These extensions have a much lighter texture as compared to Markey Hair. These are fluffy and are mostly used for braiding a smaller length of hair.
They are best suited for people who don’t want their twists too tight, and if not managed properly, they might end up tangling together as well.
They are much less realistic looking, but some people find them more comfortable to wear. They are also available at a very affordable price.
Kanekalon
Kanekalon hair is basically a straighter counterpart for Marley Hair. It is specifically designed for smoother finishing and provides a very realistic look to the hair. They are also very easy to manage, and won’t get tangled up really easily.
Apart from that, these extensions do the job of holding the hair together very well. These are basically preferred for medium-long length hair and are very affordable as well.
Some Tips for Installing Senegalese Hair
How-to Senegalese Twists like a Pro!
- Try to have a ¾ inch of hair growth before starting with your Senegalese twist hair. It can help with lesser damage and can ensure safe braiding. This is because this amount of hair growth will efficiently help you in providing a better grip over the hair, thus the hair becomes easier to braid as well.
- Applying too much tension to your hair can prove to be bad. It is understandable if you want to ensure that your twists stay intact after you are done with braiding it, but always keep a check on how tight you are making your twists. Twists that are too tight will promote more damage to your skin, also promoting excessive tension on your scalp area. Hair loss can also increase due to excessive tugging of that area, and you can start to lose a massive amount of hair because of this.
- If you’re using Kanekalon hair, remember to soak it in Apple Cider Vinegar before using them, as this can help you in easier handling.
- Before installing the hair, wash your hair thoroughly and cleanse your scalp completely. Using a moisturizing shampoo that is not very harsh, keep it mild. Follow that by using a moisturizing conditioner. It is very important to ensure that your hair is moisturized and soft before you start applying for the extensions. You don’t want to put dry hair into twists, as that can damage your hair by promoting friction.
- Properly detangle your hair using a wide-toothed comb, as well as an efficient detangling product. Detangling it will help you in twisting your hair much more easily, without having to deal with interruptions.
- You can apply oil before the application to make it easier for you to install the hair and braid it, but make sure not to put too much oil on your scalp, as it will become too slippery, and installing the hair would then become difficult
How To Take Care of Your New Hair?
Now that you have your twists installed, you should focus on keeping them like that for as long as you can. Several kinds of maintenance activities would be required if you want to keep your Senegalese twist hair intact.
You should wrap your twists in a soft, satin cloth regularly at night. This will help preserve the appearance of your twists and will allow them to stay away from fraying from the edges too quickly. It will also ensure that your twists don’t unravel while you twist and turn in your sleep.
Ensure that you properly cleanse your hair. The twists should be no barrier in the way of you properly and completely cleansing your hair. Use the pads of your fingers to go over your scalp and gently massage the shampoo there to efficiently clean your scalp.
Treat your hair kindly and make sure the twists don’t tangle together. While this is a protective hairstyle, you should still look after it and not completely ignore your hair.
Allow the hair to fully dry, and using a blow-dry can speed up the process. But don’t use it on the heat mode; use it with the cool setting on. You should still remember that you don’t want to apply heat to your hair. Only use protective methods to maintain your hair.
If your hair begins to feel like it’s turning heavier, if you see that your hair has grown for more than ½ of an inch or if you see the twists hanging loosely because of the growing hair, you should immediately remove and detangle the twists, as keeping them like that can promote damage to your hair and breakage.
The Best Way To Remove Your Senegalese Twists
This is, according to my opinion, the trickiest part of the whole thing. It is very essential to detangle the twists very carefully, with a lot of patience.
To start, cut the ends of your braiding hair 2-3 inches from where your natural hair is ending. Then apply a conditioner that is having a slippery consistency, which will help loosen the twists up a bit for the ease of detangling.
Make sure not to apply the conditioner on the roots yet, or else they will become saturated.
Then start by detangling each twist, one by one. Take your time doing this and don’t hurry it up. You don’t want to mess your hair up when you’re almost there. It will take much more time if your curls had been thin and more in number, while you can be quickly done if you had thicker twists.
Either way, try to do it as slowly and carefully as possible. If you try to hurry the process, you can risk damaging your hair or breaking it way too much. At this stage, your hair can be very vulnerable, so be careful.
If there are any minor breakages after detangling your hair, take them out. When you’re done with detangling all the twists, go through your hair with your fingers, detangling any knots.
Then after using another conditioner, wash your hair. Keep using your fingers to detangle your hair constantly in the shower as well. If you don’t care about detangling the hair properly after it’s out of the twists, you might be facing a lot of problems when it gets messed up and tied together. And there you will have your perfect Senegalese twist hair!
Conclusion
From the looks of it, you might feel like this is a crazy experiment you might be signing up for, or maybe it’s putting your hair at too much risk.
But believe me when I say that the results are worth it. If you stay very careful and follow the exact steps mentioned, you will be able to reach your goal without any problems.
You just need to maintain your hair and pay special attention to it until the Senegalese twist hair is ready to go!
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