The twists you put in on Sunday evening sometimes last two days. By Tuesday the ends have unravelled, the base has puffed up, and the style that was meant to protect your hair already needs redoing. Your technique is not the problem.
What decides the result happens before the first twist, in the state of the hair fibre when you start. A twist put in on dry, poorly detangled hair goes frizzy the very next day, however even your hand. So let's take things in order: preparation, tools, method, the days after, then the twist out that gives you a second style with no extra work. For the groundwork, our step-by-step tutorial details the six steps of the Rituel Texture®.
Preparation decides everything
My mother had me try just about every hairstyle: different braids every week, twists, beads on the ends. Today, when I do twists, I deliberately leave a little moisture in the ends. That is what gives a supple twist that does not open up as it dries.
Ghana Elin, founder
A twist does not invent anything: it locks in the state your hair is in at the moment you twist it. If the fibre is dry, the twist forms badly and opens up as it dries. If it is poorly detangled, every knot becomes a snag point that will end up breaking. That is why the longest-lasting twists are done straight after a full Rituel Texture®, the same day or the next.
The order never changes. The Rituel Texture® opens with Chadian finger detangling, done with the fingers on dry hair, section by section. Next comes a gentle clarifying cleanse, then The Repairing Shampoo. The Repairing Mask stays on for ten minutes, under a shower cap if you have one, and it is through this mask-coated hair that The Man Dol' Comb goes. Protective drying then happens with a hairdryer, after applying The Styling Cream, in small sections and always on the move. At this point the hair is supple, stretched, and twists without snagging.
In the salon, twists are not a step of the Rituel Texture®: the menu reads Rituel Texture® and twists, because they are two separate services. At home, the logic is the same. Twists come afterwards, on hair that is already prepared, never instead of the preparation.
A word on vocabulary, since the question comes up often: in French, twists are called vanilles, and both words mean the same thing, two strands twisted around each other. A braid uses three. If you want a longer, smoother result at the base, stretching your hair first with a hairdryer makes the work easier and visibly lengthens the twists.
What you need
Nothing exotic, and above all nothing superfluous. The list fits in five lines.
- Clips, to hold back the sections you are not working on.
- The Man Dol' Comb, wide-toothed, for the final detangle on mask-coated hair.
- A tail comb, to draw clean parts.
- The Styling Cream, which softens the fibre and holds the twist.
- An edge wax and a small brush, if you style your baby hairs. This is optional.
You will notice there is no hold gel and no mousse. On coily hair, these textures stiffen the twist without holding it, and the twist out that follows suffers for it. A cream that melts into the hair does a better job.
The method, step by step
Allow plenty of time the first time, less after that. Sit down comfortably, with a mirror behind you if you are working on the nape.
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01Take up the sectionWork on hair that is already prepared, section by section. Smooth The Styling Cream from roots to ends, a hazelnut-sized amount per section, until the strand glides between your fingers. Our article on breakage-free detangling explains the technique.
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02PartWith the tail comb. The size of the sections decides the thickness of the twists, and so how long the style takes and how well it holds. Small sections last longer and take more patience. Large sections are quick to do and quick to come undone.
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03Split into two equal strandsThis is the one point where being approximate costs you. Two strands of unequal thickness make a twist that loses its balance and opens from the bottom, often on the very first night.
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04Twist down to the endsWrap the two strands around each other without pulling at the root. A twist that is too tight pulls on the scalp and does nothing for the hold.
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05Seal the endWind the last centimetre around your index finger, keeping a little moisture in it. An end left loose unravels within a few hours.
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06Finish the edgesA little wax and a small brush, if you like. Then let everything dry completely before going out or going to sleep.
What makes twists fail
Four causes keep coming up, and all of them can be fixed next time. Strands of unequal thickness, which throw the twist off balance. Ends left loose, which come undone on their own. Hair that is dry or poorly detangled to begin with, which frizzes before it has even dried. And finally, twists taken down or slept on while still damp, which wipes out the previous day's work in a single night.
The days after
This is where the difference lies between a style that lasts and one you have to redo after two days. The most common reflex is also the least useful: spraying water to revive the twists. Avoid wetting your hair every day. Water misted on evaporates within a few hours and leaves the fibre drier than before. A full Rituel Texture® every seven to ten days holds moisture far better than a daily spritz.
To refresh during the week, a small amount of The Styling Cream worked through the lengths and ends is enough. It helps keep in the moisture from wash day and brings twists that are starting to open back together. On the ends alone, a drop of light oil can top things up between routines.
At night, tie a silk scarf over your twists and sleep on a silk pillowcase. This is the night-time habit we put first, ahead of any other protection: with twists, rubbing against cotton opens the strand from the bottom and causes frizz far more surely than movement itself. Our night-time hairstyles are a useful complement.
As for how long they last, there is no single number. Without extensions, your regrowth decides: as soon as the base starts to knot and the roots begin to mat, it is time to take them down. With extensions, tension and weight set the limit, and a scalp that pulls or itches means the style has to come out, whatever date you had planned. Either way, your scalp gets washed while you wear them: a suitable shampoo, applied between the twists with your fingertips, then rinsed out thoroughly.
The twist out, a second life for your twists
When it is time to take them down, do not rush: this is a style beginning, not a style ending. Your hair must be completely dry, or the definition will drop within minutes. Untwist each twist with your fingers, with a drop of light oil between your palms to avoid static, working from roots to ends.
Do not reach for a comb afterwards: it would break up the definition you have just created. Separate the strands by hand, for as much volume as you like, and stop before the pattern disappears. Our article on curl definition covers the possible variations. That is two styles for a single session, and one of the real advantages of twists over other protective styles.
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