Foto Grafik + Your Twist Out Questions Answered

More self portraits from my 365-day Foto Grafik Project.

Wearing

All Hats: Vintage

Leather Gloves: Vintage

Rope Earrings: H&M

Colorful Bracelets: H&M

Nameplate Necklace: Custom

Sequin & Twig Necklace: DIY

Cuff: Forever 21

Ring: Forever 21

How do you get your hair so big?

When I take my braids/twists down, I separate each twist in about 4-6 pieces. This creates more volume, and also keeps it from appearing too "piece-y". Don't be afraid to rake your fingers through your hair to mess up the curl pattern a bit, this makes it more of a natural wave or curl instead of crinkles.

To add even more fullness, and a slightly funky effect, invest in a paddle brush. Simply take sections of hair and lightly brush the roots of your hair for more fullness. You can brush further down the hair as well, but take care when brushing towards the ends of your hair, you don't want too much frizz.

Did you cut your bangs yourself, if so how?

Yes I did, I cut my hair while it was wet because I didn't want to straighten it [my hair has a tendency to get semi-straight when it's wet]. I wouldn't recommend this for someone with extremely curly hair, as it will be hard to gauge where the bangs will fall on your head. Instead, lightly blow out your hair, then cut. Be sure to take shrinkage into account when determining the length of your bangs, for instance if my hair were straight,, my bangs would hit the tip of my nose. 

I didn't do any fancy cutting techniques, I just made a u-shaped part, and cut my hair in one snip. Be sure to have a firm grip on your hair so that you get a nice even cut. 

Is there a particular way you take your twists/braids down?

I make sure I have a little Monoi De Tahiti Oil, or Vatika oil on my fingers [Coconut Oil will do], not too much because you don't want your hair sticking together too much [as it will decrease the volume], then I begin to take the twists down. 

Here lately, I started taking my twists down from the bottom-up, and I like the results a lot better. The ends of my hair can get really frizzy if I start at the top of the twist. Just that little tweak has made all the difference in keeping the ends of my hair silky. 

How long do you leave your hair twisted/braided before you take them down?

I leave my hair twisted/braided until it is completely dry. If I don't have time to wait, I will sit under my Pibbs dryer for about an hour, then take it down as usual. If I take my hair down when it is still damp, my twist-out will only last about 2-3 days MAX, to get long lasting results, allow your hair to dry completely.

How many twists/braids do you do for your braid outs/twist outs?

The best results for me have come by way of 10-15 braids/twists. Smaller twists/braids give me more of a crimped, skimpy look, while fatter twists/braids give me more of a thick, bushy look.

Any tips/tricks for a good braid out/twist out?

-Detangle thoroughly before twisting/braiding; if you can, invest in a Denman brush and smooth the hair out prior to twisting/braiding by lightly brushing the hair. I find that doing this makes for a silkier "set", and prevents the "rough" look.

-I prefer to air-dry my sets versus sitting under the dryer because it makes my hair a lot softer/silkier. If you are pressed for time, use a lower heat setting [I use the 40 degree setting]

-Go easy on the styling products, using too much product can cause a dry, stiff looking braid out/twist out. I generally use about a dime size amount to be on the safe side.