One of my favorite things about social media is scrolling my explore page on Instagram to find different hairstyles I’d like to try. After I saw some really awesome photos of jumbo knotless twists, I absolutely had to have them done. My next issue was finding a reasonably priced braider in the DC area. We’ve all seen the memes of the outlandish prices and rules that some hairstylists have, and my mission was to absolutely avoid booking with one of them. I searched across social media for about three weeks, and I found stylists either couldn’t do the style I was looking for, or they wanted $400+ for mid-back length jumbo twists. I was at a crossroads; I could keep searching – or I could take this into my own hands and learn how to do the twists myself. I made a plan to do my jumbo knotless twists on my own one weekend.
I’d never felt empowered to do my own twists or braids before this, but the process turned out to be surprisingly not too complicated and very achievable for a first-time braider. Here are some tips that’ll help you do some knotless twists like a pro.
Getting Prepared
1. Find an inspiration photo
This helped me visualize how I wanted my twists to look after they were finished. I wanted a jumbo look, but without the knots at the top! One of my favorite lifestyle influencers, Vic Styles, was my inspiration for the look.
2. Find a video to watch (and re-watch, and watch again)
I used this video to help me see the styling process up close. I re-watched so many times to ensure that I had the proper grip on the hair and I was forming the twist correctly so that it wouldn’t unravel.
3. Buy your materials
You can find everything you need between the products you might already have at home and your local beauty supply. I got all of my materials from a Black-owned shop for $75. This included 5-6 packs of X-pression Kanekalon braiding hair, a new comb and some argan oil. I used X-pression specifically because of how soft the hair feels; it’s certainly my go-to for braids and twists.
The Process
I did my own parts, and I wasn’t really particular with having each part as a perfect box. If you’d like your parts to be box-shaped, I’d suggest using a mirror, and a second set of hands to help with the back of your head. The twisting process itself is pretty easy, and the difficulty came in with ensuring the twist would not unravel at the ends. I spent 20 minutes or so on my first twist to get that part down. As you go along, the twisting process goes a lot faster. I ended up liking my later twists a lot more than my first ones, so I did spend time re-doing them to all match. Overall, I spent about 4-5 hours doing these twists. When I do these again, I’ll be able to finish them in about half the time, since I’ll go in already knowing what to do.
The Outcome
They turned out so well! I was really proud of myself for setting a goal, achieving the look myself, and saving $300. As a first-time braider, I would say that this process was definitely worth the time investment. It’s a skill that I can use again any time you want a low-maintenance protective style.
