Beauty Guru: My favorite hairstyle is totally twisted... Literally!

If you have seen my profile picture or some of the pictures I have included within my beauty guru posts, then you have noticed a certain hairstyle of mine. I am fond of styling my hair in flat twists that circle my crown. Actually, I love hair twists as styles and hair sets -- a.k.a twist outs. One of my favorite twisted styles involves two types of hair twisting techniques. Here is how I create my favorite twisted hairstyle.

What You Will Need

• Hair Oil (I alternate between Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Extra Virgin Coconut Oil)
• Leave-in conditioner spray (I make my own)
• Eco Styler Olive Oil Gel
• Rat tail comb (optional)
• Wide tooth comb
• Covered elastics
• Bobby pins

Hair Prep

Wash and condition hair. While hair is still wet, apply oil to seal in moisture and blot excess water from hair with a microfiber towel or old t-shirt. Section hair off into four sections -- you can use the rat tail comb for this, I prefer to use my fingers -- and secure with a covered elastic.

Two-Strand twists

1. Remove a section of hair from elastic.
2. Scoop out about nickel-sized dollop of hair gel and smooth through section.
3. Comb section with wide-tooth comb to remove tangles and help distribute the gel evenly.
4. Take a one-inch section of hair, separate into two smaller sections.
5. Twist the two strands together down to the ends.
6. Repeat steps four and five for the rest of the hair in the section.
7. Repeat all steps to finish twisting hair.

Flat, Crown Twists

Now I take the individual two-strand twists and create two flat twists starting in the front and ending in the back circling my crown:

1. Divide twists into two large sections securing with a scrunchie or covered elastic.
2. Release one section of twists.
3. Grab a few twists (about four to six) and divide them into two groups. You have to use your own judgment for this part as it depends on how many two-strand twists you have.
4. Begin twisting these sections flat against the scalp.
5. As you continue your flat twist, incorporate more twists as you circle your crown moving towards the back. (think of how you grab additional hair when you French braid)
6. Keep twisting until you reach the nape of your neck.
7. Once you reach the free ends of your flat twist keep twisting until you have no more hair to twist.
8. Take a covered elastic and secure the twist at the nape of the neck making sure not to secure too tightly so there is no strain at the root.
9. Repeat steps two through eight for the other section.

Tips and Tricks

• The ends of each individual two-strand twist may peek out of your larger flat twist. Use bobby pins to secure those ends and hide them for a tidy flat twist.
• It is best to create two-strand twists while hair is slightly damp. So if hair begins to dry, spray it with leave-in conditioner to dampen hair.
• Apply hair oil to any exposed scalp to keep it moisturized.
• Sleep with a satin or silk scarf tied around head at night to keep flat twists tidy and to help hair retain moisture.

I love wearing my hair in this style. While the steps are not very difficult once you get the hang of it, this style does require time and patience. My hair takes about two and half to four hours to finish depending on how small my individual two-strand twists are -- and I have a big head. This is a great protective style to wear and it lasts for two weeks when properly maintained. This style is best suited for curly to kinky hair types (sorry straight-haired lovelies).

What hairstyle do you like to wear most often?

ShawnTe Pierce is a Yahoo! Shine Beauty Guru and writes about beauty and fashion for her blog SJP's Fashion Updates. She also writes for Yahoo! Voices, Daily Glow and other places on the web (sounds mysterious doesn't it?). Follow her on Twitter or at Fashion Sense on Facebook.