Proper preparation of both your natural hair and the braiding hair is key for achieving long-lasting and comfortable passion twists.
Preparing your hair involves cleansing, moisturizing, and strategically drying, while preparing the braiding hair addresses potential scalp sensitivities.
Preparing Your Natural Hair
Getting your natural hair ready is the first step to a great protective style.
- Start with a Clean Base: Wash and deep condition your hair thoroughly. This ensures your scalp and strands are healthy before installation.
- Detangle Gently: Use a wide-tooth comb or brush to carefully detangle your hair from ends to roots while it's wet or damp.
- Strategic Blow-Drying: This step is crucial for manageability and minimizing frizz.
- Reference Inclusion: Blow-dry your hair to about 90% dry on a warm setting before switching to a cool setting to lock in moisture and reduce heat damage. Drying it mostly but not completely allows for some elasticity, while the cool shot helps seal the cuticle and protect against heat-related stress.
- Moisturize and Seal: Apply a leave-in conditioner, a light oil, and a cream or butter to keep your hair hydrated under the twists. Focus on your ends.
Preparing the Passion Twist Braiding Hair
Synthetic braiding hair often comes with an alkaline coating that can cause itching and irritation for many people. Preparing the hair before installation helps mitigate this.
- Vinegar Bath: This is the most common method to clean the braiding hair.
- Reference Inclusion: For the braiding hair, prepare a vinegar bath to rinse off any coating that might irritate the scalp once installed.
- Fill a basin or sink with warm water.
- Add about 1-2 cups of apple cider vinegar (ACV).
- Submerge the braiding hair completely in the solution. You might see residue floating on the surface.
- Let it soak for 30-60 minutes.
- Rinse Thoroughly: Drain the vinegar water and rinse the hair multiple times with clean water until the vinegar smell is mostly gone and no residue appears in the water.
- Condition (Optional): Some people follow with a light rinse-out conditioner to soften the synthetic hair.
- Dry Completely: Hang the braiding hair up to air dry completely before using it. This can take 24 hours or longer.
By following these steps, you ensure both your natural hair and the synthetic hair are properly prepped for a smoother installation and a more comfortable, long-lasting style.
