The Mini Twist / Mini Braid Thread

[MzSwift]

OK, so I've been talking a big game here.. lol

I thought I would be rocking minis all year like I used to but I forgot to take into account that the last time that I rocked minis all year was when I lived in a warmer climate with a much milder winter. I need to make an adjustment to my plans.

We just got our first bout of snow and frigid temps for the season and it put me in my place real quick!! So no, I won't be rocking my minis in the winter. I'll probably go back to rocking cornrows or plaits and fully covered PSs (might try sewing down wigs or something) in these frigid temps to protect my fragile strands. I'll bust out my minis again in the Spring, Summer and Fall when the weather is consistently above freezing. Yep.

I installed this set on 11/11 so it's only been 2.5 weeks. The weather is still yoyoing but trending downwards. I'll keep this set in probably until the EOTY. That'll make about 6-7 weeks in the minis. And then switch to cornrows until April. I was planning to stretch my texlax to around April anyway (9 month stretch) so that might just work out.

 

[Lissa0821]

A question for y'all:

Do you switch up your parts? If yes- how often? If no- are you not concerned about breakage at the parting area

I put my twist in with a brick pattern for two weeks, then the next set I part my hair on a slant like this (/) it covers the part entirely from day one. Its great for fine hair as well because it eliminates the spaces all together.

 

[apple_natural]

I'm technically in mini braids! I have little bite size kit-kat bars all over. I wore mini twists when it was a little longer. My original desire to grow my hair long was simply to wear mini braids/ twists. I keep it that way. Therefore I belong here

 

[MzSwift]

I'm technically in mini braids! I have little bite size kit-kat bars all over. I wore mini twists when it was a little longer. My original desire to grow my hair long was simply to wear mini braids/ twists. I keep it that way. Therefore I belong here

Yes you do!
Welcome!

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

@MzSwift I'm wearing my minis (well they're actually close to micros lol) and I'm wearing a headwrap on top It's either a headwrap or a wig on top of them.

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

I feel like Rita Repulsa from the Power Rangers "Ahhh, after 10,000 years I'm freee"
I just finished them literally this morning after like 2 weeks. I checked the back and it definitely needs to be redone lol. They're a little bent because they were in a bun, under my head wrap.

 

[MzSwift]

I feel like Rita Repulsa from the Power Rangers "Ahhh, after 10,000 years I'm freee"
I just finished them literally this morning after like 2 weeks. I checked the back and it definitely needs to be redone lol. They're a little bent because they were in a bun, under my head wrap.

Looking good!!
I'm in micros too. You may be right, I could probably just put them in two perimeter french braids and then sew down my wig using a wig cap.

 

[MzSwift]

3 weeks in tomorrow. Still haven't worn them down yet. I'll probably start refreshing in another week or two.
Cutting down my cleansing to once or twice a week helps my cornrows and minis styles to stay longer.
Non-cleansing days, I spray w/my herbal tea in a spray bottle and then slather on herbal oil and herbal condish.
Today was a spray bottle day.

 

[apple_natural]

@MzSwift @ItsMeLilLucky These are beautiful. I love mini braids

 

[MzSwift]

I may not get another pic before the EOTY so I'm just doing this now.

Feb 2, 2023 _______________________________________________________ Dec 1, 2023



It's hard to see the growth. Also, Feb is freshly done while yesterday was almost 3 weeks old. My pull down tests from Feb were btwn SL and APL and they're now btwn APL and BSB.

I won't really have any loose hair growth/retention comparisons until I texlax next year.

I live in these anyway so it's no biggie. I'm just happy to have a decent ponytail again and that my front braids don't fall out of my ponytail anymore bc it was pretty discouraging for a while.

I'm probably still gonna alternate in some cornrows bc it's easier to use them under a crochet style or if I sew down a wig. But when my hair is "out" it's probably gonna always be in minibraids. I can't wait until my ponytail is APL again!

 

[yamilee21]

It's hard to see the growth.

Are you kidding? If your top picture (pink shirt) was in February, and the blue shirt one is now, your hair has definitely grown. It’s fuller - much fuller - in the second picture, and definitely longer as well. I see a year of great progress.

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

@apple_natural Thank you gorgeous

 

[MzSwift]

@MzSwift @ItsMeLilLucky These are beautiful. I love mini braids

Thanks!

Are you kidding? If your top picture (pink shirt) was in February, and the blue shirt one is now, your hair has definitely grown. It’s fuller - much fuller - in the second picture, and definitely longer as well. I see a year of great progress.

Thank you for that!

Maybe it's bc I see this head everyday it's so hard to really see differences. And I prefer minis/micros bc they make my fine hair look fuller.

But one of the things I love about minibraids/twists is that there's still a nice SURPRISE when I take them down and do a real length check. It's not as stark as coming out of a full PS for a long time but sometimes it gets me.

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

@MzSwift It's because we're on the outside looking in, and you're on the inside looking out lol.

 

[keranikki]

@MzSwift I'm wearing my minis (well they're actually close to micros lol) and I'm wearing a headwrap on top It's either a headwrap or a wig on top of them.

This is me right now! It’s too cold for the shenanigans. Currently rocking a wig over my twists.

 

[MzSwift]

I tried to Google some long haired mini braid inspo but there were just a lot of extensions shown. smh.
So I'm gonna share the one I've kept in my personal stash for many years. I would LOVE for my mini braids to reach WHIP length!

 

[MzSwift]

One thing I forgot about rocking braids is how much temptation it is to play w my hair. Even if I only take it out to M&S. I'm rubbing in the product and doing mini pull down checks, it's just too much! Lol. My ponytail is starting to swing again. My little one grabs it and touches it often. The reason why I went under full PSs before was bc of my little one pulling my hair and the temptation to play in it.

So it's another reason to continue to alternate mini braids and cornrows. That has been successful for me in the past.

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

@MzSwift Me too Swifty! Of course it'll probably take me all of eternity to do

 

[B_Phlyy]

Mini braider here. I want to love mini twists but they don't love me back. I get max 3 washes and they are trying to turn into free form locs. With braids, I could go weeks with minor touch ups before having to do a new install. I typically keep them in 6-8 weeks with 1 perimeter and 1 crown refresh before a full takedown.

I'm not really particular about how I install the braids. I do try to do them on recently clarified hair if I can. I will shampoo and DC my hair, apply a lightweight leave-in and air dry in chunky braids. The chunky braid are then broken down further into the mini braids. No point in parting for me because the braids usually end up in a bun or under a wig.

 

[CoiledOrchids]

I love chunky braids & twists.

I wanted to join yall in here since I kinda have no idea what to do with my hair. I took my locs down last week and currently have an appointment for a silk press and trim coming up.

I'd like to maintain my own hair in between salon visits. I've recently started steaming my hair weekly but I'm no good at styling outside of a chunky twistout or braidout.

 

[MzSwift]

After 4 weeks and 2 days, I went ahead and transitioned my minis into cornrows over two evenings.

I forgot how much fun minis are! My hands were always in my head, even when I had my scarf on. I would find a reason to take it off and run my hands through my hair. lol, smh.

I'll be back in minis once winter is over and I go back to daily water rinsing.

 

[alanaturelle]

I may not get another pic before the EOTY so I'm just doing this now.

Feb 2, 2023 _______________________________________________________ Dec 1, 2023

View attachment 492915 View attachment 492917

It's hard to see the growth. Also, Feb is freshly done while yesterday was almost 3 weeks old. My pull down tests from Feb were btwn SL and APL and they're now btwn APL and BSB.

I won't really have any loose hair growth/retention comparisons until I texlax next year.

I live in these anyway so it's no biggie. I'm just happy to have a decent ponytail again and that my front braids don't fall out of my ponytail anymore bc it was pretty discouraging for a while.

I'm probably still gonna alternate in some cornrows bc it's easier to use them under a crochet style or if I sew down a wig. But when my hair is "out" it's probably gonna always be in minibraids. I can't wait until my ponytail is APL again!

Your hair is definitely fuller and the ponytail is longer, I can see some growth. Congrats on your progress!!!!

 

[Lissa0821]

Looking forward to putting my hair in mini twist with extension this weekend. I usually keep them in for four to six weeks.

 

[snoop]

I usually style my twists in buns (low buns, mid buns, high buns, side buns, you name it, ). I tried the flexirods once and loved it so I will do more of that, .

I love the flexi-rod style that you did on your twists. I've never used flexi rods before, but I'd love to give this twist and curl style a try.

 

[snoop]

I may not get another pic before the EOTY so I'm just doing this now.

Feb 2, 2023 _______________________________________________________ Dec 1, 2023

Your pony is definitely a lot fuller and it looks like a bulk of your hair has now caught up to the longest twists from the February picture! Congrats!

 

[snoop]

I'm in all different sized twists about 95-98% of the time. I don't really know how to style my hair and haven't figured out how to manage it, otherwise. It's been my go to ever since my hair was long enough to install them, after I started my HHJ.

Right now, I'm wearing my hair in mini twists with the hopes to keep them in until the end of November/beginning of December.

View attachment 492231 View attachment 492233

I honestly thought that I'd have been done with these in two weeks, but things got so busy around here. If my camera is correct, I finished installing and took these pictures on October 18. I took the twists out last night, so 2 months! Wooot! I think that that was the longest stretch that I've ever gone. I unfortunately, wasn't caring for them as I should have been but they came out easily and I don't think that I had a lot of breakage. I'm overdue for a trim, but overall I'm happy that my hair routine now allows me to wear my twists this long without much meshing.

I'm currently in some haphazard post-wash chucky twists. I got out of the shower after 1am so I wasn't about to style them. I think that I'm going to properly moisturize them today then throw the into some chunky twists until I wash them again on the weekend. I might leave my hair in either chunky braids or twists until the New Year.

 

[Mapleoats]

I honestly thought that I'd have been done with these in two weeks, but things got so busy around here. If my camera is correct, I finished installing and took these pictures on October 18. I took the twists out last night, so 2 months! Wooot! I think that that was the longest stretch that I've ever gone. I unfortunately, wasn't caring for them as I should have been but they came out easily and I don't think that I had a lot of breakage. I'm overdue for a trim, but overall I'm happy that my hair routine now allows me to wear my twists this long without much meshing.

I'm currently in some haphazard post-wash chucky twists. I got out of the shower after 1am so I wasn't about to style them. I think that I'm going to properly moisturize them today then throw the into some chunky twists until I wash them again on the weekend. I might leave my hair in either chunky braids or twists until the New Year.

How did you maintain it over the 2 months?

 

[snoop]

How did you maintain it over the 2 months?

I didn't. I barely moisturized. I can't even say how often I washed...maybe every two to three weeks which is not my jam. Kept my hair covered in a head scarf a lot because I'm at home. I basically did everything I tell people not to do.

 

[snoop]

I should add that I think heavy water rinses have transformed my hair over the past two years and I think they're the reason why my hair is manageable when it shouldn't be.

 

[MzSwift]

I should add that I think heavy water rinses have transformed my hair over the past two years and I think they're the reason why my hair is manageable when it shouldn't be.

Yes! Water rinsing is great! It's so relaxing to just let the hot water pound my scalp and soak into my hair and then massaging my scalp with the pads of my fingers under the water. Water rinsing has always been included in my regi, even when I fall off of the bandwagon. Esp bc I love to wet my hair daily but I don't wanna use my cleanser consecutive days. Then I drench my hair in condish and leave it in. I like water rinsing better than cowashing bc it doesn't leave any residue on my scalp.