Similar to other twists and braid styles, the Senegalese twist is a protective style that helps in retaining a person's natural hair glow. This fashionable twist is mostly suitable for people with tough hair textures as the twist normally blends with natural hair. When wearing any type of twist, it is essential to protect your scalp, and the same goes with wearing Senegalese twists.
Caring for the scalp is healthy and refreshing for your hair follicles. You may need to moisturize your scalp from time to time to avoid buildups of dead skin cells that damage the hair. Here is how you can protect and care for your scalp with your Senegalese twists in place.
What Are Senegalese Twists?
Senegalese twist is one out of many protective hairstyles, and it is very popular amongst individuals with nappy natural hair texture. Asides from this, anyone can go for this twist style no matter the length, texture, and hair type. Senegalese extensions are flexible rope-like twists, that can be installed according to a person's preference. You can have the twist installed using synthetic extensions like Kanekoloan which are also very glossy in appearance or settle with Marley extensions which are often weighty with a more natural appearance.
If you care for your Senegalese twists as you should, you can easily wear them for weeks without any issues with your scalp and natural hair. Many believe that the longer the twist stays on the head, the more natural and beautiful it appears. So, since it can only get better, you should wear them neatly and protectively. Also, to avoid your hair from breaking, wearing the twist for over two months should never be on your mind.
You should be responsible for the care of your scalp when wearing the twist in the following ways;
Wear Twists Loosely
When installing the twists, ask your hair stylist to go easy on you. Wearing your Senegalese twists loosely helps greatly in your scalp protection. A tight twist can be bad for the scalp because it causes tension that progresses to follicle damage. The exerted tension on the follicle can lead to alopecia or hair loss. Losing some amounts of hair around the front lines of your hair can be very unattractive.
When your twist is loosely installed, it can be easy to wash it, and you will be required to clean your hair once every week using lightweight shampoo products and deep conditionings. Since the twist is loosely fixed, you may want to be careful not to overdo the washing to keep the twist in place. The essence of cleaning your scalp weekly is to generate a healthy and clean scalp throughout your twists journey. It is worth noting that massaging the scalp during the washing process increases the flow of blood, allowing you to enjoy more benefits.
Go Gentle With Your Scalp
There will be no need for any vigorous washing of the scalp since you will be carrying out this practice every week. What's more? you will cause harm to your scalp, especially if you try rubbing the scalp to remove buildups. Also, washings your entire braid can cause the twists to untangle, and you may need to go back to your hair stylist for a re-twist. Care more about washing the scalp than the entire twist.
Afterward, dry the hair by gently squeezing out excess water before stepping on to moisturize the hair, which should be done only after the hair and twist are completely dry. Be extra careful when choosing a drying method for your Senegalese twists since you may develop an odor from your hair that is similar to mild dew. So you can use a blow dryer to give it a cool dry rather than leave it to air dry naturally.
You can apply natural scalp oil but to further keep the hair hydrated, utilize extra oils like coconut and olive oils. When applying these moisturizing substances, massage your scalp to make sure your entire hair roots and follicles are hydrated. If you washed twists successfully without them untangling, spray your Senegalese twists with a styling agent, to hold them back firmly together.
You can also care for your scalp by using water and leaving in conditioners to massage every night before going to bed. Use misty products as they can be very refreshing to the scalp. Apply such products on your hair roots and at the tip of your natural hair before installing the twist. When sleeping at night, protect the hair with silky scarves to prevent flyaways when you wake up in the morning.
Remove The Twist In Due Time
It is not ideal to wear twists for too long. Even though may still look nice on your head, your hair can suffer damage underneath the extension. Twist and braid styles indeed grow longer hair but, this can be altered if you leave the twist for two and a half months or even more. If your scalp must stay nourished and healthy, avoid wearing your Senegalese twists beyond 6-8 weeks.
It is not also healthy for your scalp if the twist extensions are over 100. A bulky twist can strain your scalp, leading to hair breakage especially when you are set to bring down the twist by first untangling it. One reason why you may keep wearing your twist and procrastinate the time of taking them off may be because you chose a difficult style during your installation.
To have easy-to-loose twist styles, choose installation methods like crochets, which are even the best style to wear a Senegalese twist. It is an easy fashionable trend that can also save time when you are taking down the twist.
Conclusion
You can care for your scalp by simply protecting it from damage. The damages are often caused by neglect from the individual wearing the hairstyle. If you must have a healthy scalp, wear your twist loosely, clean the scalp weekly to remove dirt buildup, moisturize the hair and massage the scalp and most importantly, avoid wearing twists for too long.