Hair twists

Short twists worn by a young boy
Two-stranded twists demonstrated on a hairstylist's mannequin

Hair twists, flat twists, or mini-twists, are a hairstyle popular with Afro-textured hair around the world, and sometimes with other hair textures. The style is achieved by dividing the hairs into several sections, twisting strands of hair, then twisting two twisted strands around one another. They can also be created with one strand of hair at a time, with a comb.[1] They are not to be confused with larger, longer dreadlocks, (or "locs").

Twists can be made when naturally curly hair is still wet and somewhat relaxed from soaking with hot water; when the hair dries, it will shrink, creating a tightly woven texture to the hair twists. Twists can also be done with dry hair for a different texture. Twists can be combined with other hairstyles at the same time, such as afro-puffs and Afro.

In order to maintain twist hairstyles, wearers are advised by hairstylists to cover their hair with a headscarf or durag at night.[2]

On July 3, 2019, California became the first US state to prohibit discrimination over natural hair. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the CROWN Act into law, banning employers and schools from discriminating against hairstyles such as twists, braids, afros, and locks.[3] Likewise, later in 2019 Assembly Bill 07797 became law in New York state; it "prohibits race discrimination based on natural hair or hairstyles."[4]

  1. ^ Johnson, Kalimah (2008). Locs for Life: The Root to Well Being for African-American Women. AuthorHouse. pp. 39–41. ISBN 9781434357212.[1]
  2. ^ Ford, Gilly; Helen Stewart (2003). Hairdressing: S/NVQ Level 3. Heinemann. p. 381. ISBN 9780435456474.
  3. ^ "California bans racial discrimination based on hair in schools and workplaces". JURIST. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  4. ^ "New York bans discrimination against natural hair". The Hill. 2019-07-13. Retrieved 2019-07-18.