A quick scroll through #flattwists on Instagram will land you thousands of gorgeous variations of flat twists, all styled in different ways. Regular two-strand twists, which can hang loosely, are usually best for natural hair, but flat-twist hairstyles can work well on both natural and relaxed textures. And while they are mostly touted for being a versatile hairstyle, they can lead to healthier hair, too.
We tapped professional hairstylist, Michelle O’Connor and celebrity braider Xia Charles for all of their expert tips on achieving flat twists on your own.
Meet the Expert
- Michelle O’Connor is a professional hairstylist and the artistic director at Matrix.
- Xia Charles is a celebrity braider and founder of Braided New York.
What Are Flat Twists?
According to O’Connor, "flat twisting is a protective style that minimizes the manipulation of hair on a daily basis. It’s, therefore, a path to healthier hair." Whether they're the first step to achieving bouncy curls overnight (called a twist-out) or they're the base of a flattering updo, this is an easy, customizable style that anyone can achieve.
"Flat twists are comprised of two twists that are done on the scalp," says O'Connor. "The sectioning is determined by preference and how you may want to position your hair once the twists are pulled out." Generally, flat twists are worn for a few daysand then transition into an unraveled style that carries the impression of the twists. Keep in mind: The larger the section you twist, the less definition there will be.
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Wash and Condition Your Hair
Charles explains that flat twists work best on clean, detangled hair. So before twisting, wash and condition your hair, making sure to properly cleanse the scalp. If your hair is straight, twist it while it's dry. Otherwise, Charles recommends curly hair should be twisted while it's 50 percent damp. We love the Pattern Hydration Shampoo—it leaves your scalp feeling clean without your hair feeling dry.
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Part the Hairline
To begin, use a rat tail comb like the Evolve Rat Tail Comb to part the hairline, leading back to the nape of the neck.
Byrdie Tip
O'Connor recommends determining what you’d like the finished result to look like and working backward from there. "Figure out where you want your part line, how long you want to wear the style, if it's being worn as a protective style, or if it'll be a set to be pulled out solely for the purpose of creating definition," she says.
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Start Working a Small Section
Starting from the inner edges of the part, begin working with a small section at the hairline. Divide this section of hair into two equal parts.
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Begin Twisting
Charles gave us her step-by-step process. "Take a small section of hair from one of the divided sections, then divide this small section into two equal parts. Next, cross the right section over the left section. As you cross the sections, add a small amount of hair from the scalp to the section you're crossing over, similar to the process of French braiding."
Byrdie Tip
Charles recommends to "Keep the twists close to the scalp for a flat appearance. The tighter you keep the twists, the neater the style will look."
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Secure Your Twists
If the hair you're twisting is long enough, you'll reach a point where the twist is no longer attached to the scalp. You can either secure the twist here or experiment with using a small butterfly clip (These Urban Renewal butterfly clips fit the bill) to keep the twist from unraveling. The thicker and curlier the hair, the better it'll be at holding itself together without coming untwisted.
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Repeat for the Rest of Your Head
Repeat the flat twists over the entire head, moving outwards along the hairline. As you become more comfortable with your technique, you may find yourself wanting to create parts that direct to one side instead of straight backfor more variety.
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How to Style
- Updo: Charles suggests, "Gather the twist at the back of the head and secure them into bun or an updo."
- Ponytail: If you don't want to let your twists hang loose, try pulling them back into a ponytail. This is a good option for those who want a protective style without many accessories, as the ends don't need to be secured.
- Twist Out: Once your twists are done, you can un-twist and wear your hair out. "After keeping the twists for a while (or even overnight), unravel them for a defined and textured twist-out style. Aleave-in conditioning spray can be used in styling to give the old twists life, moisture and shine," explains Charles.
- Side part or middle part: Play around with parting to see what style suits you the most. Flat twists can be worn in a deep side part, middle part, or traditional side part.
- Pigtails: If you have very thick hair, this style might be better than traditional ponytails, as it may relieve some of the bulk, allowing you to create various styles without combing through larger chunks of hair every day.
