How to Get Two Strand Twists to Lay Down?

Twists are a protective style that also retains moisture. While flat twists fit all hair textures, they work best on natural hair since the ends naturally cling together without the use of bands or barrettes. Twists can be worn alone or with other hairstyles like flat twists, braids, and kinky hair.

If you’ve ever attempted a two-strand twist out and thought to yourself, “I’m not sure this is for me,” it’s most likely because your strands became untangled or stood erect. Or perhaps you have other reasons.

Nevertheless, in this post, I will present several reasons why your strands are standing erect, including layering products incorrectly, cutting too big sections, and not twisting tautly enough, among other reasons.

How to get two strand twist to lay down?

Trim your hair.

If your twists seem scraggly or you’re having difficulty laying them down, your hair most certainly needs a good cut. Please try to cut your hair with hair scissors at an angle – this improves surface area and allows for maximum moisture absorption, similar to how flowers are trimmed at an angle.

If you haven’t gotten a haircut in the last year or so, your hair most likely lacks structure – whether layered, tapered, or round. Trimming helps your twist lie better, which means you’ll need to manipulate it less to make it appear nice. It also means less breakage and frizz! My newly developed tapered shape has been enhancing my twist-outs recently.

Let your twists dry completely.

This is for my thick-haired friends: if you twist wet hair, you know that 5 hours isn’t going to cut it! Wear your twists for the whole day to allow them to set and create a much more defined and enduring twist out. Alternatively, sit under a warm dryer for an hour before bed to complete the drying process.

Twist your hair tautly.

To achieve the correct definition, you must twist tightly enough. Make sure you’re twisting tautly, even if you’re in a hurry to finish twisting. This also allows your hair to lay flat.

Twist in the proper direction.

It’s important to separate your hair before twisting so that your twists fall in the direction you want them to, whether front, back, left, or right. This also means less manipulation during the unraveling process.

Use the proper product proportion.

If you apply too much twist holding gel/cream and minimal moisturizer, your twist out will be crunchy and stiff. Alternatively, if you apply moisturizer excessively and do not hold enough product, your hair will quickly return to a fro. It’s important to remember that getting the correct product proportion is mostly a matter of trial and error.

Layer your hair products in the correct order.

If your twists are cute yet dry as straw, it’s because you didn’t apply the liquid – oil – cream method of hydrating before twisting your hair. Dry hair tends to stand erect. And so, use the proper layering process to avoid it.

Make sizeable sections.

You can’t expect a definite twist if you’re merely twisting your hair four times. Each person’s appropriate twists will vary depending on hair density, but a decent starting point is 24-36 twists. I like to work in multiple sets of 8 because I frequently wash my hair in 8 parts, making it easy to take them down proportionately.

How long does a two-strand twist take to lock?

The time required for locking varies according to your hair’s type and texture. It can take over a month for coarse hair to totally lock or as long as two years for straighter hair. Don’t worry; many locs can be achieved in 4-8 months.

Are your twists going to become dreads? Strand twists are similar to braids in that they are used to begin dreadlocks. The fundamental concept is that the strand twists secure the hair, allowing the roots to begin locking. Eventually, the natural hair within the strand twist loosens and starts to dread as well. Larger portions develop larger dreadlocks, and so on.

How do you keep your two-strand twists from unraveling?

All of the previously mentioned reasons caused my twists to untwist at times. I learned a couple of techniques to prevent them from unraveling through trial and error.

These include the following:

• Applying a small amount of gel to the twists before twisting
• Pin the roots with Bobby pins until the twists are completely dry
• Twist your hair using a viscous oil such as Jamaican Black Castor Oil
• Twist the rope in two-strand twists. This also makes them more compact.
• Twist wet hair instead of dry hair
• Applying a small amount of control paste to the twists’ roots and ends
• Flat twist the root, then twist the length

Finally, you can secure your two-strand twists with a rubber band. I omitted rubber bands from the abbreviated list because I don’t use them on my hair.

Nevertheless, if you have thicker hair strands, feel free to experiment. My only advice would be to break the rubber bands rather than yanking at them or attempting to unravel them when removing them.

How to get twists to hang straight?

It isn’t easy to choose which one would work best for you with many hair instructions available online. However, I’ve found some that work for me with trial and error. You can try them too..

Read on.

Flat twist your roots

“Flat twisting” directs the hair downward rather than upward. This technique will assist you in preventing your twist from standing up.

Use bands

If your hair is strong and textured enough, you can integrate bands, as I mentioned previously. Twist can be challenging, but these are among the most effective approaches, according to experts with experience. One effective strategy is to apply a large amount of product to damp/wet hair and wait as long as desired.

But remember, what is works for me may not be effective for you! Experiment with it.

Scarves

Scarves are good at keeping your twists in shape. Going to bed without them is not recommended; your twists will unravel, your hair strands may break due to the friction caused by the pillow, and also, the hair product may transfer to your sheets, pillow covers, and even face.

Avoid Fluff!

Unweave the twists’ ends circularly until you reach their roots. Separate them sparingly. Always remember that you’ll end up with huge, poofy hair. If you want a lot of volumes, fluff it up with your hands to ensure that all the fibers are loose.

Why do my two-strand twists shrink?

You are not stacking effectively.

Make twists in lengthy layers to add weight and keep them from sprouting up. You can wear long layers as straight or curled.

• For long hair, keep your shortest layer about 10inches long if you have long hair.
• The shortest layer should be at least 6 inches long for medium-length hair.
• Keep the shortest layer of your hair at least 4 inches long if you have chin-length hair.

You’re not incorporating blended layers.

It’s worth noting that folks with wavy hair should explore layering for this look. Otherwise, your edges and weight may be loose, resulting in a shorter, triangular-shaped haircut with far too much weight at the bottom.

Request that your hairdresser create layers that add extra, such as on a stacked or wedge haircut.

You don’t wear your hair long.

Growing your hair is one of the simplest methods to add weight to a twist. The longer your hair, the more weight it will have and the better it will hold your twist down. Whether you have curly or straight hair, let it grow out to help it relax.

Last Thoughts

Although twisting is an easy hairstyle to master, hardly everyone gets it right the first time. You may need to practice more, paying close attention to the size of each portion you twist, the amount of product you use, layering, and your hair texture.

You may also need to try different items to find the ones that work best for you. Consider if you get better results on wet, damp, or dry hair—the end effect varies based on what you start with. Nevertheless, remember practice makes perfect. So do it till you get it right but have fun while you’re at it.

Furher reading material

Thank you for reading this far! I hope you found it helpful. If you did, and you want to read more about related subjects, simply click on one of the links below!

How To Get Short Hair To Lay Down (Also For Pixie Cuts)