As mentioned before, protective styling is going to be a big part of my #HTL hair challenge. And to this I thought of experimenting with Havana twists. And guess what, I have had to throw in a little disclaimer every time people comment about how much my hair has grown. I sometimes tell myself that next I will let them be but somehow it just bursts out of my mouth involuntarily. I just find myself saying “This is not all my hair. It’s synthetic.” Yes I finally managed to get some Havana twists installed and I love them. This is ….
Why I Love Havana Twists
- They look exactly like my natural kinky hair so they give me a very natural look.
- They are not very heavy weight although this changes when they are wet during my weekly hair washes
- They are very easy to install and quick too. Mine took 2 hours (goodbye 6 hours of sitting)
- The synthetic hair is said to be re-usable several times (very economic)
The cons
- They are not a very cheap option. I got mine for R150 a pack and I used two packs.
- They become very heavy when washed in water and I could feel them pulling at my hair.
Preparing my hair for twisting
- Thorough detangling. This is important if you are going to have someone work on your hair or else you might have your hair ripped out.
- Hot oil pre-poo treatment. I used coconut oil(has become quite a favourite for my scalp and hair), castor oil and Amla oil (have just recently started using Amla oil again for oil treatments. I love how my hair feels loose when I use Amla oil to pre-poo)
- Shampoo with liquid African Black soap. This has become somehow a staple to my hair washes. It cleanses my scalp so well and itches less.
- Deep Condition with Tresseme Naturals mixed with Olive oil and Amla oil
- Moisturised using the LOC method. For leave-in I used the leftovers from my deep conditioning mix. I then applied a bit of grape seed oil and then Shea butter twist & Shine
- Twisted my hair to stretch it a bit while air drying.
Week 5 #HTL update
Now for week 5, I basically washed my hair after 11 days because some dandruff was beginning to show. I thought I was going to pull it off for 2 weeks but it did not happen. *sigh* I did the normal wash routine, doing a pre-poo, shampoo and condition. I did not do a deep condition because my hair was very heavy when saturated with water and I could not wait to get it dry. I had to use a hair dryer to help my hair dry quicker although I did not manage to dry it completely and it took about 12 hours to completely dry.
Taking care of my hair while it is in Havana Twists
- I spritz my hair twice a day, morning and evening to keep my hair well moisturised.
- I sleep in a satin bonnet every night and mostly the hair will be in a high loose bun.
- No shower cap seems to fit this big hair so I just wear it in a high bun and shower. I love the fact that some water droplets do fall on my hair and that is welcome.
So after spending 2 weeks in this protective style, I am in love with it. I still look and feel like myself and I like that a lot. I am comfortable and the fact that the twisting was done from the root instead of the braid then twist and the Afro Kinky hair that I used blends so well with my hair such that I have to convince people that it is not all my hair.
Here are some pictures of my Havana twists
Till next time, enjoy your weekend.
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7 comments
hello, where did u get the extensions for the Havana twists?
I got them in Randburg. They are kind of look alikes and they are called Afro Kinky Twists
Hi Ruth, Im in Pretoria, and desperateltly looking for the hairpiece to do the havann twists, do you know where I can find the hairpiece?
check out Nigerian hair shops and ask for Afro kinky twist. I am sure you will find it.
They look very nice. I would like to try them, but I don’t have the courage to let someone touch my hair yet. So, if I want them on, I will have to put them on myself, something I have never done in my life.
kkkkkk. It’s a naturals’ thing hey. The courage to let anyone touch your hair. I know. The experience can be harrowing and sometimes not worth it. Getting a good styler who understands natural hair and listens to what you want and how you want your hair handled is key. But where do you find that jewel? In the end, like you, I just do my own hair. Less hassles that way. Some styles can be challenging though but I am working on it. At least the styler who did my hair here has been doing my hair for the past 3 years already so we are kind of getting there although it frustrates her and I keep reminding her not to comb and all. She has soft fingers though and does not pull at all. So not bad.
[…] untidy and unkempt. If you know what I mean. Which is the reason I opted for extensions in my last protective style. But you see, extensions come with a whole lot of things with them. One of them being, they can be […]
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