Natural Hair Styles: Twisted Knot Set

Every now and then, those of us who have chose to go natural with our hair - forsaking the chemical relaxer - want to change our style. For many the style change sought involves defining the curl in our kinky, coils. One way to do this is with the twisted knot set.

Why the Twisted Knot Set is Ideal for Natural Hair

As many kinky naturals know, our hair is very fragile and dry. This means that we have to shampoo our hair less and moisturize more than our straight haired or kink-less sisters out there. The beauty of the twisted knot set is that it can be two natural hairstyles for one process that lasts from two days to two weeks. This allows your hair and scalp to rest because no heavy styling is required. The less kinky, natural hair is handled, the chance for hair breakage decreases. Less breakage means longer hair growth will be seen.

Prep for the Twisted Knot Set

Shampoo and condition your hair as normal. Blot your hair with a towel and allow it to air dry until it just feels slightly damp. Section off about an inch of hair and secure it with a covered elastic band or a wave clip. Continue to section off the rest of your hair this way.

Creating the Twisted Knot Set

Starting from the front of your head, release a section of hair from the elastic or clip. Apply a small amount of a conditioning hair dress to the section and brush it in. Next, apply a small amount (enough to cover the pad of your index finger) of hair pudding to the section. Smooth it through using your fingers and then brush it into the section.

Now separate the section of hair into two parts. Begin to twist the hair about halfway down the section. Hold the twist in place with one hand and slowly begin to twirl it around your index finger forming a tight "dreadlock" (similar to the way girls twist their hair when they "play" with it). Take the index finger from your opposite hand and hold the base of the section. Begin to coil the twist around the edge of your index fingertip about halfway around. Then lift your index finger up and hold down the coil. Continue to wrap the twist around the coil until you have no more hair to wrap.

Take a covered elastic band and wrap it around the coil to secure it. Now your first knot is finished. Continue the process until all of your hair is set in twisted knots. You can release your knots in the morning or a few days later. Finger comb your curls to prevent frizz and to maintain curl definition. At night, cover your curls with silk scarf or doo rag to preserve the curl definition and prevent frizzing.

Setting Time for Your Twisted Knots

You can keep your hair in the twisted knots anywhere from overnight to a week or more. The longer you keep the set in the tighter your curls will be. Also, the longer you keep the set in, the longer you will have defined curls. Typically, for each day you keep the set in, you get about two days worth of defined curls that don't need any touching up.

Options for the Twisted Knot Set

Sometimes during the summer, I will use different colored covered, elastic bands and leave my twisted knot set in anywhere from a two days to a full week. Since natural styles are still a foreign concept to some people, wearing your hair in knots may seem strange so it takes a lot of confidence to rock this look. I usually will wear a coral or red lipstick and large hoop earrings when I sport my twisted knot set as a natural hairstyle option.

You can also keep the first two rows of your twisted knot set in and release the rest of your hair. Just like keeping all of the knots in takes confidence to wear, so does this style option. Of course, you can release all of your hair from the twisted knot set and wear a headband, curly ponytail or just wear your hair without any accessory and be natural and free with your defined curls!

So, if you want a break from your regular Afro style but do not want to straighten your hair, then the twisted knot set is an option you may want to consider. You can wear your hair in defined curls with this set or rock the twisted knots as its own natural hairstyle. Whatever you choose, wear your natural hair with confidence and flair.

Source

Personal Experience