Twists of Fate: How to Style Twists throughout the Week

It's no secret: protective styling is a must. It leaves your hair moisturized as the follicles are in closer vicinity to each other, it keeps your hair detangled, it decreases manipulation and therefore, tangled ends and breakage. This leads to increased retention and hair growth. Buns, twists, braids, weaves, wigs... the options are endless!

I have been wearing my hair in twists for the past 9 months. At 6 months, I straightened my hair and noted that it was waist length!

Now when I started wearing my hair in twists, it was simply for ease, not for length. The resident life requires about 80 hours a week, and usually only one free day on the weekend. I, for one, have life, and did not intend to spend my one day off a week doing my hair for about 8 hours +2-3 extra hours needed to recover from all the hoopla.

Wearing my hair in twists allowed for a quicker wash day, and thus, more time on my day off, and a smoother transition into the week to follow.

Now don't get me wrong, I believe that afrocentric styles are the most seductive and elegant styles out there, but the whole Ceely and Chic look from The Color Purple look from day to day, is neither mature, nor ideal when it comes wanting to look professional and sleek.

But I soon found that I was in luck, because Susie from Rugrats wasn't the only way to rock my hair in twists.

Check out the lookbook below for inspo and some of my favorite and most worn styles throughout the week!

1. Down and Out

Nothing better than just rocking your twists as they are. No pulling or tugging pains from pulling them back to tight or up too high.

2. Just Push it to the Side

I love a good low bun. It allows me freedom to move without blocking the light to my surgical field in the operating room, but is also super chic. So this is one of my favs, as it is practical yet trendsetting.

3. Double Trouble

Now this might look a little childish to some, but I love two small, low side buns for when the center of my head needs to breathe, like during and after a good long workout, or after a long week in my twists.

4. Sky High

This has got to be one of my favorite and most-worn options! I love how the high bun gives my twists a more youthful look.

I always choose to accessorize my twists with these African Braiding Jewels. You can purchase a pack of about 10 pieces for about $2 at your local beauty supply store.

If my look still isn't funky enough, I usually just add a pair of glasses. I purchase mine from either NakaylasJewelryBox.com or BogaBoga.com.

Although I generally am not a fan of the whole "sleek your 'baby' hairs down for the 'Gawds' " look because I love my edges from Africa, I do think that it cleans up the look for a long week with my twists. But honestly, I usually wear my kinky edges proudly. If I am going to sleek my edges down, I use the edge control gel down below, not because it's the best one I've tried, but mainly because it's the ONLY one I've tried (as I said before, usually not a fan of this option). Also, it was free and I'm too cheap to buy another one. :)

The first step is confidence, and truly believing that afrocentricity is the epitome of beauty, and styling your twists will easily follow! Next, how to care for your twists, coming soon! Toodles 'til then!