Pros and Cons of Mini Twists on Fine Natural Hair
Last updated on August 10th, 2020 at 06:48 pm
When I finally took the leap of putting mini-twists in my hair, Lord knows it was a challenge. It took nearly 7 hours of twisting to complete. The twisting felt like a never end task. While I liked the way they came out there’s definitely pros and cons of mini twists on fine natural hair.
When it comes to twisting fine hair I realized it’s not always a bowl of sweet peaches (I don’t know where that came from. It must be those 7 months I spent living in the south LOL).
Fine hair can be deceptive. It can be wonderful in some ways but hair that’s fine definitely comes with its own set of special challenges (raise your hand if you can relate….did you really? Nobody can see you silly!).
Twisting fine hair in small/mini twists has a number of pros and cons. Take these into consideration before you decide to rock this style as a protective or low manipulation style.
Pros of Mini Twists
- Helps your hair to retain length because once twisted, you don’t have to manipulate your hair
- Can be considered a protective style since the hairs are “contained”
- Once installed, reduces the amount of manipulation you put your hair through over time
- Makes it easy to get out of the house in the morning – Very quick styling since your hair is already done
- Brings out your creative side when it comes to styling
Cons of Mini Twists
- That nape of the neck hair tends to unravel very easily!
- The risk of tangling at the nape of the neck hair is increased
- Hair tends to look fuzzy as those baby fine hairs tend to come out
- You usually need to re-twist the front and back sections due to the fine-ness of the hair
- The take down is time consuming because you have to be very careful to de-shed all that fine hair which is almost invisible to see.
- The installation process is long and tedious
- Fine hair is prone to breakage so twisting in very small sections increases the risk of breakage
While twisting fine hair definitely has some challenges, there are some benefits as noted above. Practicing low manipulation when it comes to handling your hair is a big deal when you are trying to maintain length so style with care.
UPDATE: I no longer use mini twists as a means of protective styling or low manipulation styling because the take down was even more tedious than the install! Plus, I had unnecessary (avoidable) breakage occur when it was time to remove the twists.
What types of low manipulation styles do you find work best for your hair?
When i do mini twists i do them using the senagalese method or rope twist. They always looked neat even up to take down time. I still washed my scalp and twists to remoisturise my hsir. I would keep them in for a max of 3 weeks and if i was on a night out, i could do a faux bun etc. I find it therapeutic actually installing them but had to do them in sections over 2 days as i dont have the patience! I have never done ordinary 2 strand twists as they mess up too quickly.
Strangely, i have also done loose twists which are mini and they were great and wore those for 2 weeks.
I’ve done rope twists in a small/medium fashion but I find that it’s really too much manipulation for my fine hair and if left in for too long (more than a week) then my hair starts to loc up. Well, one week is certainly not long enough for all the time it takes to install them! So, I just stick with medium to large twists now. They don’t last as long but I can get a week’s wear when I use gel at the roots
love this post! Yes, mini or small twists certainly work for me, after many years of trial and error with the style. I have very fine hair, but lots of it. And the twists have helped retained length, for me. My hair’s about bra strap length. It’s about choosing a protective style that works for you.
🙂 the only I don’t like is the time it takes to put them in! Once they’re in though, it’s very low manipulation. Thanks for commenting!
My daughter has fine hair too and I find that box braids and cornrows stay best in her hair. I love mini twists and I have tried them on her hair before, but there was a bit of fuzziness and retwisting going on, like you said,
I agree that the braids and cornrows look best…problem is they require so much manipulation to do. Whenever I braid my hair, I have to be REAL careful because I can feel how my hair can easily break
For me, the best style that I have made to my hair is when I made my hair short. Many says that I look a little bit chubby.
awww ppl sometimes need to keep their comments to themselves. Consider your hair cut a new beginning
Maybe you are right there. I think that the new hairstyle of my hair can be the new beginning of being me. Thanks for that great advice Michelle.
No prob! Take care
I’m into trying to get my hair long enough for a bun. I teach, so this is a professional looking style that looks great. Lately, I’ve been wearing my hair in a high puff with a pomadour in the front cute and easy. I simply don’t have the time to mini twist, but yours are looking great.
Thanks Jen. I had tons of time since I was laid up sick 🙁 I definitely can’t do these regularly but I do plan to make time this weekend for some twists…just bigger