By Vee of Pretty Girl Rock

Braid outs & twist outs are excellent heat-free styles for relaxed, transitioning & natural hair alike but for me, not getting it right has the potential to turn a bad hair day into a full-on bad day.

Since cutting my hair, I’ve been feeling so free as it takes only half the amount time to set and style it. However, my uncooperative section is and has always been the hair at my crown and not having much hair comes with a price; the margin for error is greatly decreased as the uncooperative sections aren’t as easy to hide or blend. With that in mind prior to cutting my hair, I focused on trying to achieve a frizz-free crown.

Here are a few tips I learned along the way to achieving my best braid outs and twists every time:

1. Start on clean, freshly washed and conditioner hair–this is essential to achieving a bountiful shine and sheen with lots of body. Hair that’s already weighed down with product or that has not been thoroughly cleansed will appear dull and has high frizz-potential.

2. Use a leave-in conditioner on damp hair before applying any other product. The leave-in helps to give balance to those areas that need extra moisture and conditioning. And if you’re hair is anything like mine, it needs all the balance & moisture it can get.

3. Apply a creamy, water-based styler instead of gel. Applying a water-based styler will not only aid in moisture retention but will also help to give definition and bit of hold. Gels often contain ingredients that will cause the hair to be crunchy and/or dry–the act of getting rid of the crunchiness may cause an unwanted frizz.

4. Follow with a bit of light oil like jojoba, coconut or olive oil to seal in the moisture. I usually take a nickle-sized amount of jojoba oil, rub my hands together and then run my hands over my braids or twists. Doing so locks moisture into the hair which may keep you from having to re-moisturize your hair throughout the week.

5. To minimize the chance of frizz taking over, the braids/twists should be left in until they’re completely dry. Not allowing the braids/twist to dry completely will result in frizz and there’s no way around it. If you like a little frizz, exercise control and fluff your hair up on your own at take down. That way, you can control the amount of frizz that will occur.

Remember to wear a satin bonnet to bed or sleep on a satin pillowcase as cotton will suck the moisture right out of your beautiful hair.
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Here are my twists after they were completely dry. My hair takes a full day to dry depending on the products I use.

This is my hair at take-down prior to fluffing. Notice the wonderful sheen and minimal frizz–even the color-treated portion of my hair looks super moisturized.

Here’s my hair after fluffing.

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Styling natural hair takes planning if you’re going heat-free. This means getting a jump on your hair a day or two in advance to ensure that your hair is completely dry before manipulating it. With these few easy steps, you’re sure to achieve the perfect braid out & twist out every single time.

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