7 Tips For Making Your Twist Out Last A Long Time

If you have natural hair then you may be well-versed in how to do a stunning twist out on your curls or coils. But let’s be real — twist outs can take a long time to complete, and they often don’t last long enough to make it worth the time and effort. 

Fortunately, like most things in beauty, there’s a hack. Yup — we’ve found the tips and tricks to hack that twist out to make the style last longer than a day or two. Interested in giving them a try? Check out our tips to give your twist out some staying power. 

With these simple tricks you could even make your twist out last a week or more. Talk about a hairstyle that truly goes the distance!

7 Tips to Make Your Twist Out Last Longer

Give your twist out a longer life span by following these tips below.

1. Twist On Damp Hair

If you’ve ever done a twist out before then you already know that you want to work with damp — not completely soaked — hair. This is not only a part of the regular twist out process, but this is important in helping your twist out last for a long time. 

With your hair damp, your tresses will be easier to style, will take to moisturizing products well and will allow you to really create definition. If you’re doing a twist out a day or two after wash day, grab a spray bottle and spritz your hair with water as you create your two-strand twists or reach for the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Curls Refresh & Reshape Leave-in Spray.

2. Make Strong Hold Gel Your Moisturizer’s BFF

When it comes to perfecting a long-lasting twist out you need moisture but you also need hold. In addition to your leave-in conditioner or cream, you want to dab your hair with gel, like the L’Oréal Paris Studio Line Clean Gel, about an inch above the roots and through the lengths. Be sure to only use a small amount of gel so it doesn’t flake — how much will depend on your hair (porosity mainly) so you may have to try this a few times before you get to a sweet spot. 

Editor’s tip: Looking for new leave-in products for your luscious curls? Try the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Super Curls Cream Leave-In or the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Curls Non-Stop Dreamy Curls Leave-In Conditioner. Both paraben- and sulfate-free formulas give curls a boost of hydration and contain nourishing ingredients that promote healthy hair growth, including sunflower seed oil and castor oil.

3. Leave Your Twists in For a Week

You may be thinking that this is a no-brainer but it’s worth mentioning for all the twist out novices reading. The longer you leave your twists in, the more defined your waves will be when you take the twists down. The same can be said for the size of your twists — if you go smaller, you’ll have more definition, which will help your twist out stay intact longer than larger, looser waves.

4. Skip The Pick

Some people will pick out their roots to give their twist out some lift and volume after they take their twists down. But combing through your hair is a surefire way to disrupt the new curl pattern you’ve created. Use your fingers to tease out your hair instead and don’t over-fluff your twists once they’re out. This will allow your waves to stay defined for longer.

Editor’s tip: If your roots are still in need of some lift, grab a dry shampoo like the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Tinted Dry Shampoo for Dark Tones and Light Tones and give your roots a light spritz. This can help add some volume right at the base without any picking or combing involved.

5. Unravel Like A Pro

We’ve seen it time and time again: After hours of twisting and waiting, you take the skinny end of an edge brush or rat tail comb, stick it into the center of your twists at the roots and pull through your lengths to take your twists down. It was painful to even describe that process. 

Splitting your twists in the interest of time is always a bad idea. You have to be gentle and intentional when you take down your twists if you want your twist out to last. What’s the point of spending all that time preparing your twists if you’re going to ruin the work by being impatient at this step? Think about how pro stylists do it at the salon and follow that model.

6. Use Oil For Your Take Down

While we’re on the topic of taking down your twists like a pro, this is where you want to cozy up to some hair oil. There are two ways you can use the oil to make your twist out last. You can either spritz or pat oil all over your twists before you start to unravel them or you can dip your fingers in oil as you take down each twist. 

The latter takes longer and is a more detailed step, but it helps keep frizz away longer and helps to better seal in your style. We love the lightweight and nourishing L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Simply Clean Sheer Oil for this step. 

7. Do Proper Night Maintenance

Finally, when it comes to how to make a twist out last long, how you protect your hair while you sleep will be a defining factor. If you’re skipping this step you might as well give up because that poor twist out will not make it past the first 48 hours. But if you want some style longevity, you’ll need to put in the work. 

Before you head to bed, grab your hair in sections where it naturally parts and create large twists — don’t worry, they don’t have to be as intricate as your initial twists. You should be left with about six to eight large twists depending on how thick your hair is. 

Then cover your jumbo twists with a silk- or satin-lined bonnet, and (because in our experience, that bonnet will be under the bed the first time you roll over) tie a head wrap around the base of your bonnet to keep it secure through the night.

Next: 15 Hairstyle Ideas for Brides with Natural Hair

Written by: Shalwah Evans, Photo Credit: Ravin S. Sims, IG/@rai_sims, Photo Design: Crystal Simone