Hey there kinky krew,

 

So I’ve been gone for a minute, but I’m back and ready to jump back into these summer posts for these last couple of warm months!

For August, I’ve decided to go back to the basics and if you’ve been a follower of mine for awhile now, you’d know that means mini twists! This time last year I discovered mini twists and how fast they can speed up hair growth, so this will forever be something I use to gain some extra inches. Along with length retention, Mini twists are my favorite method of protective styling due to their versatility, ease and how they enable me to see some of my length without using any heat. The twists I prefer to install are pretty small, so if I’m not careful during the installation process and take down, I could suffer from unwanted breakage. So with that being said, I wanted to share how I take down my twists without experiencing any knots, tangling or matting.

1. Stay Away from Water (This one time)

When I’m taking down my twists I stay away from all forms of water until I’m certain my hair is thoroughly detangled. This includes conditioners, detanglers, leave-ins — Whatever! If it contains water, you do not want it touching your hair while it’s in this fragile state (I may just be paranoid, but better safe than sorry!) Instead, opt for your favorite oil. Coconut oil is my personal favorite for this task because it’s a natural detangler and it isn’t too thick providing me with a consistency that allows me to easily glide through my curls.

     2. Remove Shed Hair

When you’re taking down your style after having it in for several weeks, take into consideration that your hair sheds between 50-100 hairs a day. That means all of that shed hair is trapped within those twists or braids accumulating overtime. So it’s very important that you thoroughly detangle and remove ALL the shed hair before proceeding with your wash day. If you remove a protective style and hop straight into the shower, that is a recipe for a tangled disaster! The shed hair is going to get intertwined with your unshed hair and cause extreme knots and tangling, that may have to be cut out. So please, do your self the favor and detangle first and wash later.

3. Use your Oil of Choice to Remove Knots/ Leave in for Pre-Poo

As I’m removing each twist I coat my fingers with my coconut oil, finger detangle and twisting into larger sections to keep my hair sectioned, and stretched. Once finished, I let the coconut oil act as my pre-poo and let it sit overnight. After taking down my protective style, if I can, I prefer not to wash my hair the same day I take them down. Letting the coconut oil penetrate my strands overnight not only replenishes the protein in my hair, but it also loosens any possible knots and build up that may still be in my hair.

Wash days after protective styling can sometimes be a hassle, but if you have patience and the right tips they can be a breeze! What have your favorite protective styles been this summer? Leave me a comment down below!

Shop Products from this Post:

Trader Joe’s Organic Coconut Oil: http://amzn.to/2wjSsNX