How to Big Twist & 25 Big Twist Hairstyles

The big twist hairstyle is exactly what you think it is: two-strand twists made to be larger than you’re used to seeing. The rise in the popularity of protective hairstyles has brought a lot of deserved attention to big twists, and we’ll be talking about the hairstyle today.

Since it’s technically the same as two-strand twists, you should expect them to be similar in ways other than one. The only difference you should expect is in the technique; even at that, people have different opinions on how big it should be to qualify.

In this article, I’ll answer some of the most popular questions that people have about big twists. After that, you’ll learn how to install the style yourself to get an adorable look without spending a lot of time making your hair.

How Long Do Big Twist Hairstyles Last?

One of the first things you want to know about any hairstyle you’re getting is how long you can keep it. Big twists may look similar to regular two-strand twists, but they’re still very different hairstyles, which makes it valid to ask how long big twists last.

Your jumbo twists won’t last as long as tiny two-strand twists, but the difference is subtler than you think. While you can expect two-strand twists to last for around six to eight weeks, taking your big twists apart before or on the six-week mark keeps your hair fresher overall.

How Many Packs of Hair Do You Need for Big Twist?

While big twists are typically larger than regular twists, you shouldn’t need a lot more packs of hair to make the hairstyle. Getting around six to eight packs of Kanekalon hair should be plenty for your big twists, which is still roughly the same as for regular twists.

It’s crucial to add that it’s nearly impossible to achieve the jumbo look of big twists without using any hair extensions. While you can choose between human and synthetic hair extensions, not using any at all is most likely not going to work out well for big twists.

How Do You Keep Big Twist Hairstyle from Unraveling

Given the size of big twists, it’s pretty understandable that most people that try to install the hairstyle themselves at home run into issues with keeping it from unraveling. There are different methods to help keep the twists from unraveling and you can try different ones to see what works for you.

One that I’ll like to share with you is dipping the ends of the hair into a bowl of boiling water. That automatically brings each strand of your hair together, securing it together to protect it from unraveling prematurely after the installation.

What Do You Need for Big Twists?

If you already know how to do regular two-strand twists, you don’t need an extensive tutorial anymore. Big twists build on that idea to create something larger and more pronounced, which is also why the set of items you need to make the hairstyles are very similar.

Without saying much, here are some of the items you’ll need to make the big twist hairstyle.

A comb for detangling your hair before twisting. Having a rat tail comb is also great for parting of the hair before making the hairstyle.
Hair extensions. You should get as much as you think could be necessary, as you can always use more to achieve that magical and alluring jumbo effect.
Shampoo and conditioner for washing your hair before making the hairstyle.
Essential oils and other haircare products of your choice (optional).

How to Make Big Twist Hairstyle

Once you’ve assembled all the required materials above, you can get on with making the hairstyle. Just like with regular two-strand twists, the first step to making big twists is prepping your hair, which starts a full day or two before the day you intend to make the twists.

Prepping begins with washing and conditioning your hair, which is why you need the shampoo and conditioner. Wash thoroughly and allow your hair to air-dry for about a day before proceeding. If you can’t wait, you can use a hair dryer to get rid of the moisture.

After prepping your hair, you can grab the extensions and follow the steps below to make an alluring big twist hairstyle.

Part the hair into jumbo sections

Recall that this is simply oversized two-strand twists, literally. In short, you still have to make your hair into different sections, but the different this time is that the sections have to be pretty big. If you have any experience with jumbo styles, you should have an idea how you should part your hair.

For those that lack the experience, all you’re expected to do here is to make each section larger than normal. You can go the route of separating your hair into two halves and then working with individual ones; whatever works for you is fine.

Grab the extensions

At this point, you can get a handful of the hair extension you’re using to add to your natural hair. You should know how much hair extension will complement your natural hair to give off that jumbo look; just do it, there aren’t any rules here.

Start twisting

When you have the extensions as well as a section of your hair, you can add the extension to the hair, halved, to start twisting both together. Start twisting continuously throughout the length of the strand, and repeat for each of the sections you create.

By the time you’re done, you should have a couple of individual twists from your hair, most of which will look neat at this point. To prevent the twists from unraveling and looking terrible in no time, you’ll need to do something to secure the ends.

One option is dipping the ends of your hair in hot water after finishing the twists. You can also tie the ends in a knot, which works equally as well (why not do both?). It’s unnecessary to keep obsessing about securing the ends, as you’ll eventually have to take it apart someday.

If you’re after some inspiration for big twists, here are some awesome big twist hairstyles that can inspire you.