One question I get asked all the time is:

How do I get my hairstyle to last throughout the week?

 

 

I figured it was time for me to share a couple of things that have worked for me.

I get it, NO ONE has time to re-twist or re-braid their hair throughout the week. I know I don’t. I run this blog, my Food Blog (Bouffista), also a full-time working Mom and wife.

Disclaimer: Remember that our hair is different and what works for me may or may NOT work for you. However, I’ll go ahead and share anyways.

I just wanted to put it out there before I shared my tips. I don’t want any of you saying that none of this worked.

Let’s get right into it.

 

 

#1 Hit or Miss!

One thing that I’ve surely learned throughout this journey is that hairstyles are hit or miss.

Why do I say this?

I can do my hair one week and it comes out bomb. The following week I would do the same style, using the same products, method, everything but it’ll turn out different.

Things like the weather or even just your hair being in a funk (lack of moisture, dryness) can jeopardize the outcome of your hairstyle.

 

#2 Styling Product

First and foremost, I think that the styling products used are very critical to whether or not your hairstyle will last all week. I am sure some of you can agree that there are some products that just don’t work for some of us or just don’t yield great definition when we unravel our twists for a Twistout or braids for a Braidout.

It takes me about an hour to set my twists so trust and believe that I expect my Twistout to look great when it take my twists down.

So, for starters, make sure you have a great styling product!

I use Miss Jessie’s Quick Curls + Carol’s Daughter’s Styling Pudding for my Twistouts.

 

#3 Size of your Twists/Braids

The size of your twists (small vs. big) matters as well. I’ve noticed that when I twist in bigger chunks, I tend to lose definition fast. After a couple days of fluffing, my hair starts to look like a fro. Nothing wrong with that but I love definition.

So try to twist your hair in smaller sections and see if your hairstyle lasts a little longer.

 

#4 Fluffing / Using a Pik Comb

I love big hair and fluffing throughout the week is  A MUST to create that high twisted puff. However, TOO MUCH fluffing and not in the right places can destroy your hairstyle, or better yet: makes you lose all those curls.

I suggest fluffing your hair at the very root of your hair. If you start fluffing at the top, you’ll definitely lose the curls, leading to a style that will not last.

Let me keep it real with you: If you have short hair, it’s kind of hard to fluff a lot because of the length of your hair, which makes you more prone to losing definition.

When I had just chopped my hair, it was hard for me to do a lot of fluffing.

Therefore, re-twisting mid-week was the only way for me to maintain my curls. Plus at the time, I was a new Naturalista, adjusting to my new look and was definitely not a fan of rocking a fro.

Twistouts were my go-to!

The more my hair grew, the more room I had for fluffing to create my “big hair” look.

Left to Right: Day 1 vs. Day 4

In the pictures above, I did NOT re-twist my hair during the week. Careful fluffing (more specifically, from the roots) helped with maintaining a lasting hairstyle.

 

#5 Is Your Hair 100% Dry?

MAKE SURE YOUR HAIR IS DRY before taking down your twists, roller set, braids, etc…

Damp hair is a NO-GO if you want a lasting hairstyle.

 

#6 Nightly Routine: Hair Net vs. Pineapple

I am going to come out and say it straight:

I think that putting your hair in a pineapple at night ONLY works for Naturalistas with really long, long hair. This is just my personal opinion.

This method will definitely not work for my medium length hair.

I bet you that if I tried this method, my hair would stay upwards and not fall back down like it’s supposed to. Why? Because it’s short.

I’d probably have to spritz some water on it for my hair to be manageable and stay where I want it to be.

For those of you with short to medium length like me, a hair net should do the job. I purchase mine at my local Beauty Supply.

There are different types of hair nets: some have bigger holes than others. I use the one with bigger holes for my nightly routine.

It’s great because it does not press (or squoosh) my curls.

I use the one with smaller holes if I am in a rush and my twists are not dry. I put it on and use a handheld dryer to dry my hair. It provides a layer of protection between the heat and my hair.

When I get home in the evening, I take my puff/up-do down, apply a little bit of oil to the tip of my fingers, massage the oil on my edges, scalp and I put the net on my hair.

THAT’S IT!

In the morning, I shake/separate my hair with the palms of my hands and redo my high puff/up-do, sleek down my edges with Eco Styler Gel and off I go!

 

#7 Do NOT use a silk scarf

I know what they say about silk scarves. It helps with preventing tangles in your hair at night. However, on the other end of the spectrum, you risk messing up your twistout or curls by tying a silk scarf. When you put it on, in my opinion, it flattens your mane or gives it a weird shape/look the next day.

Don’t get me wrong, these are great if you have relaxed hair and you’re trying to maintain that smooth look by wrapping your hair, securing it with bobby pins and then tying your scarf for everything to stay in place. On the real, this does NOT  work for our kinky hair.

So YES, I stay away from silk scarves to maintain my hairstyle throughout the week.

 

I hope you find the tips I’ve shared helpful.

Feel free to comment below if you have any questions or more tips to share.