Taking Care of my Kinky Twists

This is the first time that I have done twists (using kinky extensions) without experiencing much breakage. The picture above showing my hair immediately after take down reveals that I just might have found what works for me. Read on for my kinky twist regimen and some advice for those of you who plan to try this style out.

Before attaching the extensions…
  • I washed my hair using shampoo mixed with conditioner,
  • Properly detangled my hair, and
  • Deep conditioned.
  • After rinsing off the deep conditioner, I applied just Coconut oil to my hair and braided it to stretch out the coils a bit since I was not going to use a comb to detangle when my hair got dry.
  • Left hair to air dry

Putting the kinky extensions…
First Lady kinky extensions
  •  I bought and used First lady kinky extensions for 4 reasons:
1.       Curl pattern- closest to mine in the market
2.       Colour- close to mine
3.       Soft texture- close to mine
4.       Price- affordable.
working in sections
  • I cut out a section, 
  • Applied  Shea butter mix, 
  • Took out any tangles using my fingers, 
  • Applied same Shea Butter mix to the kinky extensions, and 
  • Attached it to my hair making sure I don’t hold on too tightly to the roots (one of the reasons that I don’t miss hair stylists is that I get to sleep well after plaiting my hair- no unnecessary pain)
Remember to always work in sections- only take down a section when you want to work on it.

After putting in the extensions:
  • I slept with a satin scarf to keep my hair tidy for as long as possible
  • Oiled my scalp when it felt dry - using castor oil (from vanity oils)
  • DID NOT spray water or any oil/water mix on my hair for the whole time the twists were in. I know that a lot of Naturals spray water  on their hair while it’s in protective a style but I don’t think that works for me. The other time I tried kinky twists, I sprayed my hair every morning and when take down day arrived, my hair was so entangled with the extensions that I had to cut off tangled, damaged ends. Not only did I loose hair/length, I had a sore scalp for days as a result of the tugging and pulling. 
I think that the reason for the dryness and breakage was these:
  1. When water touches kinky-coily natural hair, it shrinks and coils up on itself. So when it is in kinky extensions, it coils into the fake hair .
  2. Kinky extensions are  known to rub off the moisture from natural hair.
So, when the kinky extensions get entangled with natural coily hair, it dries it up and the result could be stubborn hair and a sore scalp on/after take down day. Now you understand why I had to skip this step and I’m happy I did because this time around, take down and detangling afterward was not a struggle.
  • When it got dirty, to keep the style in for as long as I could, I decided to wash the hair... but when I remembered how much hair I lost the last time. Hm, no one told me to take it off.


Take down:
Since I did not hold on too tightly to my roots, taking off the extensions was not as difficult.
NOTE: The twists were plaited loose using the Urbanbushbabes loose twist technique.This technique  helped in making take down easy and faster.
After removing the extensions from the hair, you’ll notice that your hair strands are clumped together. You might also notice buildup at the roots of your hair. Now this is where you need PATIENCE.

Detangling after take down:
detangling in sections
DO NOT COMB DRY HAIR AT THIS POINT. Rather, apply olive oil or coconut oil to your hair (in sections) and patiently detangle. 
I detangle the little sections just loosened. This might take some time, but it reduces knots and breakage.
NOTE: Instead of raking your fingers through the clumped hair strands, twist/roll the hair in the opposite direction of how it was first twisted (using your thumb and index finger) and you’ll see how easily it would unravel. Then you can finger detangle. If you have buildup at the roots, patiently detangle using your fingers.
I ADVICE THAT YOU DETANGLE YOUR HAIR USING YOUR FINGERS FIRST BEFORE USING A COMB.  I have not been combing my dry hair for some time now and you can see the results… a good reason why we must not hold too tightly to what we grew up knowing (more about this in another post)
Finally, properly detangle your tight coils before washing…trust me, I lost some length to learn this lesson.

25 comments:

  1. nice post! I plan on having kinky twists for the whole of sept and some of Oct. To keep scalp clean, I am going to try diluted ACV or witch hazel and cotton wool. hopefully this works out.

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  2. Hmmm...never heard of that before o. Please try it out and share your results.

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  3. Please which market did you buy the extensions? Oh and what's in your shea butter mix! Lastly, I'm very jealous of your hair. I'm four months natural and I am liking my growth so far! I think I need to learn how to twist myself. These hair stylists will pull your hair to death!#nobueno

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  4. Hi Nnena,
    First,you can get the extensions in Garki Market.
    Secondly,my shea butter mix is made of:Coconut oil, olive oil,and fragrance. I recently did one in which I added cocoa butter and I love it!Cocoa butter is more expensive than shea butter so I don't think you should waste that on the extensions o:)
    Thanks for the complements but please don't be jelous...if you are careful and don't make the silly mistakes I made, you should have more length in no time. Plus I think its better that you learn to do your own hair first. That way, when you can find a good 'obedient' stylist, you can train him/her on the hair techniques you think would work for you.
    Thanks for visiting!

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  5. so you never washed your hair the whole time you had it on? I've heard it's not good to spray water/oil mixture in your hair too. But I do it anyway since i have dry/thirsty kinks. How did your hair not break after not being fed water? The first and last time I did kinky twist, tiny hair kept falling off almost daily, even while in extensions! never had such experience before, so I haven't revisited the style ever since

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  6. Hey Dear,
    I love your kinky twists. How long did you have them for?
    Those were very good tips you gave concerning taking them down.

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  7. One question:
    Was your hair dry because water did not touch your hair while you were wearing extensions?
    Okay three questions..LOL
    How did you moisturize your hair and how long did you wear your twists for?

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  8. Hi Curious Kinks,
    I think that the following helped prevent breakage:
    a) I properly deep conditioned my hair before twisting (I dont care what is said about deep conditioning, but it works wonders for my hair)
    b)Sealed in the moisture by applying my Shea butter mix and letting the hair air dry.(IMPORTANT)
    c)When attaching the extensions, I applied the same Shea butter mix to the extensions. I felt like since the kinky extensions rubbed moisture from my hair I might as well put some of the sealant on it to help the hair instead of damaging it and
    C) I tried not to always style my hair. I'd put it in a bun and leave it that way for a week. So my edges did not have much pressure

    In essence, I left my hair alone after protecting it. Hope this helps:) I also agree with the no water/oil spritzing...my hair only responded positively to that when it was in yarn.

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  9. Hi Tinuke,
    Thanks, I had them in for about 5 weeks **shame faced**
    No, my hair was not dry because I did not apply water. Rather, it was dry because I applied water. The water made my hair coil into the kinky extensions which in turn made my hair dry. (Trust me, I learnt this from experience.Note that your hair might react differently)
    Finally, I've found that my hair can stay manageable for a long time if I can properly deep condition it and seal in moisture immediately after-using Shea butter.I also think that the rainy season contributed to keeping my hair in good shape all the while it was in the kinky extensions.
    I hope this helps:)
    Please leave a comment if you have any more questions. Blessings:)

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  10. Thanks for responding.
    That is interesting!
    Maybe it's the kinky twists.

    I had my daughter's hair in extensions(kanekaleon synthetic hair) and daily sprayed her hair with water and oil. Her hair was so soft when the braids came out and no single breakage, only shed hair.

    I still have mine in senegalese twists and have washed my twists three times and daily sprayed with water/oil because my hair cannot thrive without re-moisturizing

    I have heard negative things about the kinky twists locing people's hair when they wash them.

    I was going to get kinky twists but I think I will use another form of protective style because my hair cannot thrive without water.

    Thanks for your help anyways:)

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  11. I think you heat the nail on the head! It must be the kinky extensions. When in kanekelon extensions, I don't experience any problems but kinky extensions are something else. The main reason why I continue to try it out is because the texture is the closest to mine.
    Meanwhile, I need to see your Senegalese twist regimen o...**heading over to your blog**...
    Thanks for visiting!

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  12. Hello dear. I was trying to remember where i read about the use of witch hazel as scalp-cleanser, finally found it..here's the link http://urbanbushbabes.com/?p=15595

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  13. Thanks a lot Onyiyechi! I'm really grateful...now where do I find that in Abuja?**sigh**

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  14. I bought witch hazel(bells brand) from health-plus here in Lagos..i don't know if there's health-plus in Abuja.if there is you can check there or any other good pharmacies.Make sure you buy a brand without alcohol.

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  15. Thanks Sis, I think I've heard of a healthplus in Abuja....should be in Silver Bird...or Cedi plaza.I will sha check and hopefully I'll get some to try out. Thanks, I appreciate the help:)

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  16. Long hair lenght!!!! Dats nice. My sis Different strokes O!! I spray my hair during and when about to take off my braids, with a mix of liquid gotten from neem and neetle leaves plus a drop of lavender and apple cider vineger.each time I have on an extention of any kind.it helps me prevent scalp dryness n hair breakage.I have been trying to transition but hasn't been easy even though I no d dos n dons,*sobs* and I recommend it to parents for their little girls.*cant watch*. Nice blog very educative,I like!!!

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  17. Detangling your hair after having a weave is really troublesome, but it’s good that you were able to do it without being too much of a hassle. Thanks for sharing your tips and reminders!

    Elnora Touchstone

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  18. hi, I'm very impressed that you make your own hair. that is my next goal.

    by the way. I recommend that when ever you take down your braids/twists/weave, DO NOT comb/detangle!

    generously rub a conditioner of your choice into your hair. (I do this in sections). cover with a shower cap for a few hours (I do mine overnight. usually, Friday night into sat) by morning, your hair will be as as silky as you can imagine. the comb will flow through like hot knife in butter.

    I do not use shampoo just conditioner.

    after conditioning overnight, there is no longer need to detangle because there are no more tangles. I wash my hair in sections, immediately after washing, I braid/twist it back in sections and let it air dry.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the tips Inhale. You are lucky on that score. Applying anything with water to my hair hair when it isn't properly detangled is a recipe for damage which equals major trimming. I learnt this the hard way in the early years of my journey.
      I have a simple technique that doesn't require combs but my fingers and it has been working so far. I know your tips would help a lot of naturals so I would be sharing this as well.
      Thanks again :)

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  19. Hello, I just got kinky twists two days ago. Its the first time I ever had braids or extensions and i dont know how to take care of them. After reading this blog, i'm terrified and feel like taking them out now!

    Dee

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    Replies
    1. Oops...this is very late. Please forgive me o. I hope you haven't take it all out. If you read this reply send a mail to eskinks@gmail.com for more info on maintenance. There's nothing to fear Anon.

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  20. Wow am going to try this...excited!Thank you Natmane.Guess what i have been reading your blog for a long time now,should i say roughly 3 years.Thanks forthe information you have been providing.
    Nkem
    Enugu,Nigeria.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Anon!! We have come a long way o:) Thanks for the support. I totally appreciate it.
      Bless!

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  21. Can you use moose on them

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  22. Hi I'm not sure about that o. You can try it and tell us about it. Think about dry hair before experimenting though.

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