Tales from the Roots: Chunky Twist out for a Stretched Afro

     I have been natural for over a year now, my last perm was on May 4, 2014. Since then I have been on a constant path of learning how to manage my the health of my natural hair while also learning to love and style it to my liking. Most of that learning took place after my Big Chop in January of this year. Since then I have had good and bad hair days but recently it seems like I have finally hit my stride with this natural hair thing. It is my opinion that the best successes with hair, any texture, natural or relaxed, comes with both trial and error and also embracing what you have to work with.        As a new natural I did a ton of research on YouTube and Instagram on how to style my hair and get that 'look'. You know, the curly, flowing, natural hair. fast forward a couple months down the line I realized that that hair was never going to be my hair. With that realization and adopting bits and pieces from the regiments of other natural girls, I began to have a better understanding of what works for me. 

    I took a lot of my current hair styling process from MyNaturalSistas, MissKenK, and Yolanda Renee. I suggest you check out their videos and their Instagram accounts for some great tips and styles for kinky, thick, natural hair. 

Now let's get into my process. I recently wrote a general update on my natural hair but in this post I'll be showing you, in detail, how I achieve my twist out and how I make it last for three and sometimes 4 days.

Tales From the Roots: Natural Hair Update

     

      It has been a couple months since I've done a natural hair update so I figured it was about time! At this point in my journey I have learned a lot and I have a lot of advice for those new to the natural hair life.

Before I get into my updates I just want to go over my natural journey time line to get you up to speed:

May 2013- Last Perm

June 2013- Partial Chop, Bob hair cut

January 2014- Big Chop

May 2014- 1 Year natural Anniversary 

July-Sept 2014 Weave

October... about 16 months natural 

Growth

     

     I am now starting to notice a significant change in my hair length. This summer I used protective styling for about 2 months and it really helped me
1. Give my hair a break from constant styling
2. Give me a break from those long nights of twisting
3. It helped my hair grow.
     After taking down my weave I quickly realized that my hair had grown a significant amount. It actually took my about a week or so to figure out that the styling techniques I would use for my smaller TWA just didn't cut it anymore. When I first big chopped I was more concerned with curl definition and having a very neat, uniformed look. Now I am more concerned with showing off my length.

     I put my hair in chunky twist, which I stretch and bobby pin to my head, almost every night using my staple products and pick out my fro in the morning. I usually get the best stretched look about 2 days after washing it. Even though my hair has grown a great deal when I style it wet, or if I use smaller twists, my hair will shrink back to a fro about the size that it was in January (not to mention that it literally takes forever for it to dry now). It will be cute and coily but it won't hit its big, fierce, fro potential. This is why I like my hair to be in a mostly dry state. Even at night when I retwist it I hardly ever get my hair really wet with product.