The Twist & Pin is my signature style.
It’s the reason I started Hair Romance as everyone always asked me how I did my hair when I would wear these styles.
I had an email a while back asking how these styles worked in curly hair and so I shot this tutorial. I promptly then forgot all about it! I rediscovered these pics on my hard drive so I’m finally sharing it now.
This is a great style if you are growing out your fringe / braids or if you love having your hair off your face.
The front is a Dutch braid that follows your hairline and then twists and pins into a chignon behind your ear.
Twist and Pin braided updo for curly hair
What you need
- Small clear hair elastic
- Bobby pins
- Hair pins (optional)
- Extra hair elastics (if you have long hair)
Step-by-step
- Your braid starts on the right where you would place a deep side part. In straight hair I like to do a full part but in curly hair I prefer a short part. Take a small section about one-inch wide and split into three.
- Start the braid by weaving these together backwards, by crossing the sections underneath. A Dutch braid is the reverse of a French braid where you bring the sections under instead of over.
- Add sections from your hairline into the braid as you follow your hairline towards your ear.
- Once you reach your ear, finish your braid and twist and pin it into a small knot or bun behind your ear on your hairline.
- Next take small sections of your hair and twist and pin around the first bun. You want to take sections equal to the braid so that all the twists are the same size.
- Use some bobby pins or hair pins to secure the braid flat against your head as it can tend to lift forward.
Styling tips
Can’t braid?
- If your hair is too layered to braid, or it’s too difficult, you can twist your hair tigthly away from your face and pin in place.
- If your hair is really long, your can place your hair in a couple of ponytails before twisting and pinning your buns in place.
- Alternatively, you could do normal braids (plaits) in the rest of your hair before twisting it up into little buns. This will take longer to do but will be gorgeous.
Hope you liked seeing a curly hair variation of this style. You can find this hairstyle and over 30 more in my ebook 30 Days of Twist & Pin Hairstyles. You can get your copy here.
Do you like seeing more styles in my naturally curly hair? Or is it easier to see the tutorials in straight hair?
Thank you so much for giving options and tutorials for curly hair!
Thanks so much Anneliese! You can find more curly hair posts here – https://www.hairromance.com/category/curly-hair – and I have a huge curly hair project coming up I think you’ll love x
I am not a great french braider. I usually can only go down the middle of my head. I have tried this as a normal french braid (I do understand how to do a dutch braid tho) along the forehead, but when I only grab hair from the hairline, I get a braid that kind of sticks up…it doesn’t lay flat on my head. I’m assuming that’s because I’m not pulling hair in from the other side of the braid to lock it down? How do you keep this from happening? How come yours doesn’t pop up on the crown-side of your head?
Hi Rosie, you can fix your braid down with a couple of bobby pins underneath to hold it in place. The Dutch braid is a reverse French braid and as the hair is added underneath it hold the braid down. When you add in from one side only the braid has a tendency to lift but all you need is a couple of bobby pins to hold it xx
I love seeing tutorials for curly hair! (And not the “curly hair” styles that typically appear on pintrest that are comprised of straight hair styles that a curling iron has finished off around the ends).
Your site has been incredibly helpful to me. Seeing your layers made me think, “I could wear curly bangs!”, and –indeed– it is so.
Thank you!!
oh thank you so much Jenna! I really appreciate your kind comment. Hope you’re rocking those curly bangs. Christina xx
Loved this. Tried it yesterday and it sat so nicely. I have become a huge fan of the Dutch braid!! Doesn’t take a huge amount of time either which is great. Another style to add the the every day list 🙂
Thanks so much Tracy xx
First time I try any of these and it worked beautifully, thanks! Looking forward to a year of interesting hair instead of just pinned up in a bun as I usually do! Happy New Year!
Awesome! thanks Milady x