As Black women, we’re always looking out for creative ways to style our hair. Perhaps the next hairstyle you have chosen to wear is Havana twist, and you’re now looking to learn the basics about this hairstyle including which hairstyle to install next.
Therefore in this blog post, I will be providing a quick guide on Havana twist which will discuss which hair to use, how many packs of hair you’ll need, how to take care of your hair and some Havana twist hairstyles inspirations.
Before we get into the post, I’d like to bring your attention to the related posts below which details what to do when you have a protective hairstyle on and how to maintain your natural hair while in a protective style. I want to make sure that your hair stays healthy and growing while it’s in Havana twist.
Protective Styling Quick Read
What To Do Before Getting a Protective Style
What are Havana twists?
Havana twists are voluminous version of the popular Marley twist hairstyle. Most people usually interchange between both Marley twist and Havana twist because they look similar, except from the fact that Havana twists are more chunky than Marley twist.
What hair is used for Havana twist?
Nowadays, most people would use regular Kanekalon hair such as Xpressions because they are more affordable. However, the original and classic Havana hairstyle requires a kinky texture hair extension such as Marley hair, Cuban hair and any kinky hair texture of your choice. If you prefer to install Havana twist with the crochet method, you can just buy the pre-looped Havana twist crochet hair packs.
How many packs of hair do you need for Havana twist?
Depending on the style and volume you’re going for, the number of packs you’ll need will vary. Also note that you may get a different look depending on the hair you choose to work with. For example, crochet hair packs will give a more polished look, whereas, twisting your hair from scratch with Marley hair will give a bohemian look.
Also, using kanekalon hair will give you a jumbo Senegalese twists look. You should also note that Kanekalon hair is heavier than kinky hair extensions such as Marley hair. So even if your hairstyle may look big, you might not feel the weight as much if you used crochet hair packs or kinky twist hair, as opposed to kanekalon hair such as Xpressions.
Marley Hair Twisting Hair: 5-7 Packs
Cuban Twist Hair: 5-7 Packs
Xpressions Hair: 4-6 Packs (the more hair you use, the heavier your hair will feel)
Regular Kanekalon Hair: 10-14 Packs
Havana Twist Crochet: 5-7 hair packs.
How long do Havana twist last?
Your Havana twist hairstyle can last anywhere from 4-8 weeks, depending on how you installed it and how long you feel like wearing the hairstyle for. I wouldn’t recommend going beyond ten weeks though, otherwise, you might end up with extremely dry hair and possibly breakage.
What’s the difference between Marley twist and Havana twist?
Marley twist and Havana twist actually looks similar and the names are used interchangeably. The difference between these two hairstyles is the sizes of each hairstyle. Havana twist are larger in size than Marley twist and they are sometimes referred to as Jumbo or Mambo Twist.
READ ALSO: 40 Beautiful Marley Twists Hairstyles to Try
What is the difference between Havana Twist and Senegalese Twist
Senegalese twists are done with kanekalon hair such as Xpressions and they are thinner and more stretched. Whereas, Havana twists are usually done with kinky hair such as Marley hair, and it gives the illusion of Type 4 hair twisted in it’s natural form.
Senegalese twist is a traditional hairstyle that often requires stretching or straightening your hair, which is the reason why it doesn’t look good on Natural hair, especially when it starts to become frizzy. And due to the hair extension texture used for Senegalese twists, your natural hair will eventually start to show which means that you’d have to take your hair down much sooner than expected.
This is mainly the reason why women with 4c hair rarely do Senegalese twists because they will have to straighten their hair before installing and the hairstyle just doesn’t look good when the 4c hair starts “to show”.
However, hairstyles such as Havana twists were created for women with 4c hair because it allows us to wear our twists for a few weeks, without feeling conscious about the frizz or our hair showing. As a matter of fact, the older Havana twist gets, the better and more natural looking it gets.
Are Havana Twists Heavy?
Unlike the traditional Senegalese twist, Havana twist are actually lightweight, even if you use a lot of hair or you twist them down to your knees. The reason is because the hair used is lightweight, unlike Kanekalon hair, which can cause too much tension on your scalp.
10 Protective Styling Mistakes You Should Avoid If You Want Long Hair
Can I wash my hair while in Havana Twist?
Yes, you can wash your natural hair while in Havana twist. But you don’t want to wash your hair too much, so as to reduce tangles, knots and breakage upon take-down.
How to Wash Your Natural Hair In a Protective Style: Ultimate Guide
Can I moisturize my hair while in Havana Twist?
You can moisturize your hair about 2-3 times a week using a leave-in conditioner spray. You can also apply some oil in your hair to prevent the extensions from tangling in your hair when it’s time to take it down.
Four ways to get Havana twist done
Below, I’ve outlined four popular ways to get Havana twist done. The technique you go with all depends on how much time you have on your hands and how much you’re willing to pay someone to do it for you.
The traditional invisible method can cost upwards of $200 because they take much longer and your hairstylist has to work with her fingers, which can be uncomfortable. However, a crochet method can cost about $100 or so, depending on your hairstylist and how much work she had to do to prep your hair before braiding.
1) The Invisible Method by Glam by Merry
2) The Rubber Band Method by DOPEaxxPANA
3) Individual Crochet Method by JOYNAVON
4) Cornrow Crochet Method by TheChicNatural
This is the fastest method and can be completed within two hours or less. You can also reuse the hair if you take good care of it while it’s installed in your hair.
40 Ways To Slay in Havana Twist and Some Ideas To Get You Looking Beautiful
These pictures are all sourced from Pinterest. To be credited for your personal picture, please contact me with the exact picture and we’ll be sure to credit you.
1) Bob Havana Twist For School
2) Burgundy Top Knot Havana Twist
Ideal for a date night, birthday parties and any occasion you fancy.
3) Half Up Half Down Havana Twist
IG: @hair_alexandria
4) Loose Twists Havana Twist Done With Marley Hair
5) Individual Crochet Havana Twist
6) Shoulder Length Havana Twist
7) Voluminous Havana Twist
8) Romantic Havana Twist
9) Large Parting Top Bun Havana Twist
10) Ombrè Burgundy Jumbo Havana Twist
11) Beautifully Adorned Havana Twist
12) Duotoned Jumbo Havana Twist
13) Elegantly Accessorized Havana Twist
IG: pinkvalenciaga_
14) Traditional Havana Twist
This is the traditional Havana twist that was popularized by fingercomber back in 2016 or so.
15) DIY Waist Length Havana Twist
16) Hip Length Havana Twist
17) Half-Up Half-Down Crochet Havana Twist
18) Side Cornrow with Havana Twist
19) Medium Length Havana Twist
20) Havana Twist Bob with a Shaved Side
21) Professional Shoulder Length Havana Twist
22) Triangle Part Havana Twist
23) Long Goddess Havana Twist
24) Cornrow Crochet Havana Twist
25) Simple Havana Twist For Teenagers or Adults
26) Jumbo Short Havana Twist
27) Bohemian Havana Mambo Twist
28) Jumbo Havana Twist with Invisible Method
IG: @jdivastyles
29) Individual Crochet Soft Havana Twist
30) Long Havana Twist in a Mega Bun
31) Jumbo Medium Length Havana Twist
32) Accessorized Shoulder Length Havana Twist on 4c Hair
33) Purple Havana Twist
34) College Student Jumbo Havana Twist
35) Jumbo Ombrè Crochet Havana Twist
36) Royal Blue Havana Twist
37) Stylish Crochet Havana Twist
38) Brown Havana Twist
39) Havana Twist in a Bob
40) Havana Twist With Curly Ends
Which is your favorite Havana twist hairstyle and which one are you going to be trying first? Let us know in the comments.
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